NIC contributions - full year?

UKSBD

Do you have to have a full year of NIC contributions for a year to count.


Looking at my wife's National Insurance record she has 5 years that are not full, one of those years is 26 weeks of contributions, the other 51 weeks.


As they weren't full years are these not counted or do they add the spare weeks together?
ie.
51 weeks and 26 weeks converts to 1 year and 25 weeks.

greenglide

They never add part years together - any years like this are both lost.

UKSBD

thanks,


can she still make a voluntary contribution for the 51 week year, even though it was over 6 years ago?


If it happens again can you make voluntary contributions any time within 6 years and name the year the voluntary contributions are for?


It makes you realise how important it is to know your National Insurance record, neither of us had even heard about it until I saw someone post a link to it yesterday.

molerat

If it is post 2006 she can make it up and it has to be done by Apr 2019 to pay at the historical rate.

greenglide

Looking at my wife's National Insurance record she has 5 years that are not full, one of those years is 26 weeks of contributions, the other 51 weeks.

The important is whether fixing these gaps will actually get anything.

If she is still working and will get to the maximum nSP rate of £155.65 at todays rates there is nothing to be gained. Pre 2016 years cannot increase anything if she already has 30 qualifying years.

UKSBD

greenglide wrote: »

The important is whether fixing these gaps will actually get anything.

If she is still working and will get to the maximum nSP rate of £155.65 at todays rates there is nothing to be gained. Pre 2016 years cannot increase anything if she already has 30 qualifying years.

She has 23 years at the moment and 23 years to retirement.
She's stopped working from last year, so I assume we just have to ensure she gets another 7 years worth in within next 23 years?

molerat

UKSBD wrote: »

She has 23 years at the moment and 23 years to retirement.
She's stopped working from last year, so I assume we just have to ensure she gets another 7 years worth in within next 23 years?

No, 12 years needed, 35 for a full pension.

UKSBD

molerat wrote: »

No, 12 years needed, 35 for a full pension.

Isn't that for people starting from 2016?


Edit to add: I always assumed it was 35 years but it says 30 here https://www.gov.uk/state-pension/eligibility
Is there a difference between basic and full?

UKSBD

Is this the latest info - https://www.gov.uk/new-state-pension/how-its-calculated


ie
you get 4.44 a week per year credited up to 35 years maximum?

UKSBD

apologies for replying to own post


Doing the calculations it looks like my wife will only need 33 years.


She currently has 23 years and it says this will give her £111


if the max is £155 and she gets £4.44 per year going forward that means she only needs another 10 years to get to the max.


Does it vary from person to person based on age and history?

molerat

Every case is different and becomes a combination of years, additional pension amounts and contracted out deductions. The big problem is that DWP are supplying little useful information as to how the April 2016 starting amount is derived as it was deemed too complicated / confusing for the average customer and we are now being left to try and figure it out for ourselves.

Isn't that for people starting from 2016?

That is where it starts to get complicated. The starting amount is based on the higher of your old 30 year or new 35 year calculation. I am better off under the old 30 year system which gives me a larger amount that can be made up post 2016. MrsM is better off using the new 35ths calculation and can be made higher by buying missing pre 2016 years.

If she has a current starting amount figure of £111 then yes she will only need another 10 years of contributions to make up to £155 but knowing how that starting amount is calculated means you can figure out if buying pre 2016 years is worthwhile. Not so important if working but if you have to buy them then very important.