How many years for full SP?

bompey

My wife and I both have 33 years of NI contributions for SP yet she ony needs 2 more years to get the full SP and I need 4. Why is this?

The only difference is that she is slightly older than me by a few months and started contributing 1 financial year earlier than me but missed contributions for 1 year when our child was born, hence we are even. I cant see a logical reason for this.

Dazed_and_confused

You are both under transitional rules.

The 35 years thing strictly only applies to people starting their journey to State Pension from April 2016.

Could be various reasons, were you contracted out at any point?

p00hsticks

When the new State Pension was introduced on 6/4/16, everyones 'starting amount' was worked out as being the higher of the two amounts as calculated under the old and new rules. This was to take account of the fact that previously you paid a different rate of NI depending on whether you were contracted in or out of the additional pension.

Old rules:
(NI years up to maximum of 30 /30) x £119.35 + any additional SERPS/S2P pension accumulated

New rules:
(NI years up to maximum of 35 /35) x £155.65 - a COPE amount (to take account of any contracting out).

From that point, every NI year creditted from 6/4/16 adds 1/35th of the new maximum amount until either the maximum (currently £164.35) is reached or you get to the full tax year prior to State Pension Age - whichever is earlier.

Chances are that you have a higher COPE amount than your wife (or she has more additional pension than you).