State Pension

Elliot_joseph

I will be of pensionable age in 4.5 years time. I have been contacted by HMRC informing me that I am not entitled to a pension. For the following reasons.

A: Being a merchant seaman, I was contracted out.

B: all other times that I was in either low paid or self Employed work I was below threshold for contributions.

They have taken both of these points and applied them and are using them to deny me a pension.
For the majority of this time I was always otherwise employed and paying PAYE which they have the details of.
They say now that my contributions over the years are insufficient to cover a pension.

I have never been told that I needed to but additional stamps to what was already being paid as part of my PAYE contribution.

They have not even given me the opportunity or option to pay the so called outstanding contributions.

Is there anything I can do to remedy this? Please help.

GunJack

suggest you get a complete breakdown from them, and possibly be prepared to chase past employers?

Darksparkle

I would check your record yourself first

https://www.gov.uk/check-national-insurance-record

jamesd

A person who is contracted out accrues an entitlement to the basic state pension as normal. As a merchant seaman rather than being contracted out you might have been employed offshore and completely out of the NI system.

Get a state pension statement using the beta online system and in a few minutes you may be able to get a copy of your full NI record.

Your challenge is to get to a minimum of ten years counting, which is the threshold to be eligible to get anything under the new flat rate rules. You will have had three years credited to you as a juvenile and have five more before you reach state pension age that you can buy so you need to find just two more years somehow.

greenglide

I have been contacted by HMRC informing me that I am not entitled to a pension.

Why are you being contacted by HMRC? They are not really involved in the state pension although the do collect the NI contributions.

Have you been in correspondence over missing NI contributions?

jamesd

If you do find that you can't get to 10 years, the DWP has said that about half of those who can't get to 10 years will be entitled to Pension Guarantee Credit (page 17). That is a means tested benefit that pays about 153 a week and also entitles people to other benefits like housing benefit.

xylophone

Are you entitled to a pension from the merchant navy scheme?