State Pension and Qualifying Years Query

pauln

Hi,
Does anyone know if time spent as a full time student at university in the late 1980s should count as qualifying years for the new state pension?
I’ve just got a forecast and my time spent still at school doing A levels has been fully credited but not when I went to university.
Grateful for any help anyone can offer?
Thanks

molerat

No. The years in which you reached 16, 17 and 18 were credited free but everything else had to be earned / credited through the normal methods.

pauln

Thanks molerat.

I’ve got a related query which you may know the answer to. My forecast says I need five more years to get a full state pension but I’m thinking of going part time as I head towards retirement. So if for example I started working 50% of my current hours straight away, would I need to do this for 10 more years to get a full pension?
Cheers

JGB1955

A qualifying year for State Pension can be made up through combining earnings, National Insurance credits, self-employment and voluntary contributions. A qualifying year can be built up if: you are employed and earning over £166 a week (2019/20) from one employer and paying National Insurance contributions.

Dazed_and_confused

pauln

No. Going part time for the next 5 years will mean you either accrue no years. Or 5 years.

All depends on what 50% actually means.

Earn £30k and drop to £15k and you'll still get a qualifying year each year.

Earn £8k and drop to £4k and you will stop accruing qualifying years.

NB. The tax year you make the change will be different

pauln

Thanks. It will be more like you first example so I’d still be earning £15k ish

xylophone

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=

https://www.litrg.org.uk/tax-guides/employment/what-national-insurance-do-i-pay-employee