Help with State Pension enquiry

confused989

I need some help before I contact the Pension Office regarding my State Pension. I'm sure that I will be asked some questions that I do not know the answers to as the details go back almost 50 years.


I am a 67 year old woman & have been receiving a very much reduced State pension. I do not remember claiming it but I suppose I must have done. I have also only recently been able to access my online National Insurance record to make checks on how I am being paid.


I have only a very sporadic work record. I have also brought up 3 children but I cannot remember if I ever claimed Child Benefit (Family Allowance?) as it was so long ago.


According to the Government website, I have been credited with 9 full years of NI contributions. There are also 7 part years including one year that has 51 weeks worth of contributions.


The pension is so small that it is paid out once a year in a lump sum. I have just received a letter telling me that the grand total for this year is £163.40 or £2.95 per week. (I do not know if this is a typo as 52 x 2.95 would actually be £153.40)


The letter tells me that the benefit is made up of
Basic Pension, NIL
Additional Pension of £2.67 based on earning from 6/4/1978 to 5/4/1997
Additional Pension of £0.01 based on earnings from 6/4/1997 to 5/4/2002 and
Graduated Pension(?) of £0.27 along with another list of NILs


My NI record from the website show be as having 5 x full years before 1978, 3 x full year during the 1978 to 1997 period (the 51 week year & most of the other part years are also in this period) and then another full year in the 1997 to 2002 period.


I have not taken much notice of any of this before but my husband was made redundant last year so it is now a bit more important. He has not yet reached pensionable age.


Before I make my official enquiries, can anyone please tell me if these figures are likely to be right?


Thank You

xylophone

Some information concerning HRP (introduced 1978).

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/pensions/article-1616017/Womens-pensions-Home-Responsibilities-Protection.html

Your husband has not yet reached State Pension Age so will fall under new rules?

See page 8 below re Category B pension where a dependant has reached SPA in the old system (you) but the contributor reaches it in new system.https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/181235/derived-inherited-entitlement.pdf

Contact the DWP for advice specific to your situation.

confused989

I'm not sure that this would apply to me. My (current) husband was not my partner when I had my children. I have no contact with my former husband & I do not know what his National Insurance arrangement were. Sorry to sound vague but I was very young & had no idea about such things.

I certainly intend contacting the DWP but would like to have an idea of my situation beforehand. Thank You.

xylophone wrote: »

Your husband has not yet reached State Pension Age so will fall under new rules?

Contact the DWP for advice specific to your situation.

Silvertabby

Did you pay married woman's NI contributions?

McKneff

Under the old system you would get 60%state pension when your husband got to state pension age claimed on his contribution

Not sure if this applies now .

confused989

Silvertabby wrote: »

Did you pay married woman's NI contributions?

Sorry to seem dim but how would I know?

confused989

McKneff wrote: »

Under the old system you would get 60%state pension when your husband got to state pension age claimed on his contribution

Not sure if this applies now .

Again, sorry to seem dim (and without wanting to sound like Zsa Zsa Gabor) but which husband??:eek:

xylophone

http://www.pensionsadvisoryservice.org.uk/about-pensions/the-state-pension/state-pension-and-divorce-dissolution

https://www.savvywoman.co.uk/730/how-to-increase-your-state-pension-using-your-husbands-national-insurance-record/

But you have remarried - it may be that you will fall under the provisions in my previous link?

I suggest that you telephone DWP for specific advice as soon as possible.

Did you work outside the home after you were married?

confused989

xylophone wrote: »

I suggest that you telephone DWP for specific advice as soon as possible.

Thank You again & I will certainly be taking your advice on phoning the DWP. I have looked at the links & ended up even more confused! I followed through the links to the section on Additional pension & I can't see how they can possibly be paying absolutely nothing for the Basic Pension then a trivial amount on the Additional pensions. Especially the one penny per week for the 1 full years worth of contributions in the period 1997 - 2002.

anmarj

To get basic pension, you need to have paid a minimum of 25% or ten years full national insurance payments from 1975 onwards when it was introduced

confused989

anmarj wrote: »

To get basic pension, you need to have paid a minimum of 25% or ten years full national insurance payments from 1975 onwards when it was introduced

So it looks like I'll probably get nothing despite having 9 full years, a tenth year with 51 weeks worth of contributions & several other smaller part years?
In other words, I either started or left a job one week early or late? :sad: