Are you a woman over 60 who doesn’t get a state pension? Get £1000s back

EdInvestor

If she has already paid NI for the past 10 years (to 1996) she can't pay any more.

When is she due to retire? If before April 2010 she would need 39 years.If after, 30 years. Payment of the small stamp for any length of time does make it hard to get enough years under the old rules.

Saints4eva

She is 63, so it looks like although she worked nearly all her life, she will not get a full pension. I'm only 56 so for her to claim off my 'Stamp' will be out of the question I think. Her previous Husband's 'stamp' can't be used as she divorced him. Or so I have been told.

How nice that she paid in for at least a year without any benefit later in life. I'm so glad I live in this wonderful country!

gaetano

I'm 58 and my wife is 57. Would we receive more pensionable income from the state if we were to divorce and live as two single people in the same house? My wife is on incapacity benefit and as two single people I assume that i would receive a carers allowance?

seven-day-weekend

Saints4eva wrote: »

She is 63, so it looks like although she worked nearly all her life, she will not get a full pension. I'm only 56 so for her to claim off my 'Stamp' will be out of the question I think. Her previous Husband's 'stamp' can't be used as she divorced him. Or so I have been told.

How nice that she paid in for at least a year without any benefit later in life. I'm so glad I live in this wonderful country!

I symapathise with your wife, but when she was paying the small stamp, that did not qualify her for any State pension. She made that choice at the time (although some people say they didn't know they were making a choice).

So although I sympathise, that was the choice she made.

She will be able to claim from your contributions, but not until you reach State Retirement age.

seven-day-weekend

gaetano, you can receive careres allownace even if you are married. Whether you are married or single, you can't receive it if income is more than £85 per week.

margaretclare

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

I symapathise with your wife, but when she was paying the small stamp, that did not qualify her for any State pension. She made that choice at the time (although some people say they didn't know they were making a choice).

So although I sympathise, that was the choice she made.

She will be able to claim from your contributions, but not until you reach State Retirement age.

I agree with 7DWE.

Women did make that choice in previous decades, although it's illuminating that we are now seeing them complaining that 'although they worked for many years' their 'small stamp' does not entitle them to any pension rights. Nor did it entitle them to unemployment or sickness benefits whilst they were working. At the time I would bet that they preferred the money in their pocket and in fact I was told so, on many occasions, by colleagues who laughed at me. I know for a fact that they're not laughing now. To some extent I don't blame them - it was the culture of the times that a woman expected to be supported by her husband and that extended to her retirement pension provision. However, they could all have changed in 1978 when the culture started to be different.

A woman who is divorced and reaches pension age can claim retirement pension against her ex-husband's contributions (something which I personally think is unfair). Same if she is widowed, she can claim against her deceased husband's contributions. That all changes if she remarries.

Saints4eva, you say your wife paid in for nearly a year without any benefit in later life. Well, that wasn't enough, was it? A woman had to have paid in, or been credited, for at least 39 years. I paid in for 41 years, but I don't get anything extra for the 2 that I paid outside the 39.

The other question, about 'getting more if we get divorced', I find absolutely chilling. Being married is not, or should not, be all about 'how much extra we can get'. There should be other reasons for marriage than that.

Margaret

seven-day-weekend

margaretclare wrote: »

I agree with 7DWE.

Women did make that choice in previous decades, although it's illuminating that we are now seeing them complaining that 'although they worked for many years' their 'small stamp' does not entitle them to any pension rights. Nor did it entitle them to unemployment or sickness benefits whilst they were working. At the time I would bet that they preferred the money in their pocket and in fact I was told so, on many occasions, by colleagues who laughed at me. I know for a fact that they're not laughing now. To some extent I don't blame them - it was the culture of the times that a woman expected to be supported by her husband and that extended to her retirement pension provision. However, they could all have changed in 1978 when the culture started to be different.

A woman who is divorced and reaches pension age can claim retirement pension against her ex-husband's contributions (something which I personally think is unfair). Same if she is widowed, she can claim against her deceased husband's contributions. That all changes if she remarries.

Saints4eva, you say your wife paid in for nearly a year without any benefit in later life. Well, that wasn't enough, was it? A woman had to have paid in, or been credited, for at least 39 years. I paid in for 41 years, but I don't get anything extra for the 2 that I paid outside the 39.

The other question, about 'getting more if we get divorced', I find absolutely chilling. Being married is not, or should not, be all about 'how much extra we can get'. There should be other reasons for marriage than that.

Margaret

Absolutely agree Margaret.

geoffW

Just to let people know whats happened for my wife.
After reading this thread I rang the direct telephone number 01912182550 and said my wife only gets £30.00 a week pension and can she pay for more contributions to increase her pension (she's 67, I'm 61). He said he'd look into it. About 3 weeks later she had a letter to say if she paid NI contributions of ca. £1,200 she would then get an increase of £10 per week plus back payment of £2,800 of which £1,200 would be deducted.
Of course she wrote straight back accepting the offer. It takes several weeks for payment to be received. So look forward eagerly to see if all goes well.

geoffW

Following on from my previous note, my wife has not heard anything more.
Does anyone know if these payments are still going through or have they been stopped?

seven-day-weekend

AFAIK you can still pay back six years, but not the nine years.

I would ring them again and ask what's happening.

Keep us updated, thanks!