NI buying added years - class 3

bigfreddiel

My ex-wife will reach so age in 2022 when she is 66 and needs to buy some added years, I believe you can buy 6 years worth.

My question is when can you do this?

If the answer is anytime, then would it be better to buy now or after April 2016 when the new single tier pension begins?

Cheers fj

molerat

A lot depends on her NI history. You can buy any 2006 - 2016 missing years up until 2019 at a fixed price. https://www.gov.uk/voluntary-national-insurance-contributions/deadlines
Buying older years may be cheaper than buying newer years. Any contracted out years needs to be looked at, has she had a pension statement ?

We have set aside £4820.40 to buy MrsM 6 years, 2009 - 2015, but are keeping it in an interest earning account until nearer 2019.

bigfreddiel

Thanks molerat, not sure on her NI history, I've asked her to look into it and to let me know, at least it looks like she has quite a few years to do some research. All I do know is that she needs at least 10 years of contributions to be eligible for any state pension, so if she had at least four years then another six will at least buy her the minimum.

Cheers fj

molerat

Is she likely to have so few years ? She obviously needs a pension statement and probably a NI statement as well.

bouicca21

Following from posts on MSE, I decided to get an NI statement. So glad I did. I'm short of qualifying years, but the NI statement reveals that I have some partial years and that I can top up those years very cheaply. in my case well worth it - I recoup the outlay in just one year.

bigfreddiel

Just had another thought, if my ex never remarried then she can claim against my NI record, but would that only be for the period we were married? Or against my entire record?

Or is this just a dead end?

Cheers fj

greenglide

Under the present system she could use substitution to replace her contributions with yours for the period of the marriage or get the CAT B 60% rate, which ever is higher.

There is no concept of substitution in the nSP world but there are transitional rules which give widows approximately 60%, this may apply to divorcees but I haven't actually seen any mention of that.

At least it is too late for her to put out a contract on you (at least for that reason)