What Benefits Should I Claim if too Ill to Work?

calcotti

Maharishi wrote: »

Seems my 4 years is incorrect. 6 is definitely it though as I was born in 1956. What, in real terms, does one year's contributions yield? I reckon that it is roughly between £4.80 and £5.00 per week. So, I could add 6 years by back paying.

What are Class 3 contributions and can they be used to make up the deficit at all?

Am I correct in thinking that you need 32 years for the full payment?

You need 35 years for a full state pension. Voluntary contributions for most people are Class 3 and these only count towards state pension. If you are registered as self employed you have the option to pay Class 2 contributions which count towards state pension and also new style ESA (as described in an earlier post of mine). If you have the choice it makes sense to pay Class 2 because they are much cheaper. Currently class 2 contributions are £3/week whereas class 3 contributions are £15/week.

If you were born in 1956 you have the additional option to pay voluntary contributions by 5 April 2023 to make up for gaps between 6 April 2006 and 5 April 2016. This is stated in the previous link I posted https://www.gov.uk/voluntary-national-insurance-contributions/deadlines - see bottom of the page.

p00hsticks

Maharishi wrote: »

Seems my 4 years is incorrect. 6 is definitely it though as I was born in 1956. What, in real terms, does one year's contributions yield? I reckon that it is roughly between £4.80 and £5.00 per week. So, I could add 6 years by back paying.

Yes, currently around £4.80 for each NI year as long as you've reached the minimum ten year threshold

Maharishi wrote: »

What are Class 3 contributions and can they be used to make up the deficit at all?

Class 3 contributions are voluntary contributions - but if you're registered as self employed and can pay Class 2, they're a cheaper way of achieving the same thing.

Maharishi wrote: »

Am I correct in thinking that you need 32 years for the full payment?

No - for people starting out their working life now, it's 35 years. But as some of your working life fell under the old system you need to get a personalised State Pension forecast to see exactly what you need / can get


https://www.gov.uk/check-state-pension

Maharishi

calcotti wrote: »

You need 35 years for a full state pension. Voluntary contributions for most people are Class 3 and these only count towards state pension. If you are registered as self employed you have the option to pay Class 2 contributions which count towards state pension and also new style ESA (as described in an earlier post of mine). If you have the choice it makes sense to pay Class 2 because they are much cheaper. Currently class 2 contributions are £3/week whereas class 3 contributions are £15/week.

If you were born in 1956 you have the additional option to pay voluntary contributions by 5 April 2023 to make up for gaps between 6 April 2006 and 5 April 2016. This is stated in the previous link I posted https://www.gov.uk/voluntary-national-insurance-contributions/deadlines - see bottom of the page.

I just read that as you were posting. So, if I have Nov 71 to Feb 82, which is just over 10 years, and could back pay from 2006 to SPA in 2022, that would give me circa 26 years. Is there anything else that I could do to fill the remaining gap(s)? Or is that the best that I can do?

Maharishi

p00hsticks wrote: »

Yes, currently around £4.80 for each NI year as long as you've reached the minimum ten year threshold



Class 3 contributions are voluntary contributions - but if you're registered as self employed and can pay Class 2, they're a cheaper way of achieving the same thing.



No - for people starting out their working life now, it's 35 years. But as some of your working life fell under the old system you need to get a personalised State Pension forecast to see exactly what you need / can get


https://www.gov.uk/check-state-pension

Excellent, thank you. Would it be of additional benefit to talk to the Pension Advisory Service as well?

calcotti

Maharishi wrote: »

I just read that as you were posting. So, if I have Nov 71 to Feb 82, which is just over 10 years, and could back pay from 2006 to SPA in 2022, that would give me circa 26 years. Is there anything else that I could do to fill the remaining gap(s)? Or is that the best that I can do?

That looks to be the best you can do. At today’s rate 26 years would give you a pension of £125.25/week (assuming no adjustments due to being contracted out when employed). As suggested by p00hsticks get a forecast.

Maharishi

calcotti wrote: »

That looks to be the best you can do. At today’s rate 26 years would give you a pension of £125.25/week (assuming no adjustments due to being contracted out when employed). As suggested by p00hsticks get a forecast.

Then that is what I shall do as currently I could almost get by on that. Reassuring to know that perhaps the horse hasn't quite bolted as I first thought.

They should teach kids this stuff in school as it is of paramount importance in later life.

Maharishi

One last question:

If I want to pay NIC Class 2 for tax year 2006/7,
a) How do I pay it?
b) How much is it for that year?
c) When is the deadline?

All the best.

M

Fire_Fox

Maharishi wrote: »

[I am obviously not going to start popping pills as that is a one way street to addiction dependency and it only masks the problem(s)]

This is all incorrect.

Maharishi wrote: »

The only thing that helps me is to move. Sounds daft but that "cures" it, i.e. if the referred neuralgia commences when standing, then I need to sit - if it starts during sitting, then I need to stand and walk around. If it disturbs my sleep (about 8/9 times a night), then I need to change position and it abates for a while.

If I am constantly moving, it goes away to a large extent. It's only really bad during positional immobility. Driving long distance is really difficult.[/SIZE][/FONT]

Does not sound daft. Nerves and muscles work together, and overlap with chemical signalling and key minerals. Restless Legs Syndrome?

Consider keeping a detailed food diary. Take a hard look at balance and variety of wholefoods. Compare with the official healthy eating guidelines.

Eat more: oily fish, dark chocolate, cracked linseeds, chia seeds, whole organic eggs, wholegrains, almonds, hazelnuts.

Avoid or minimise: sugars, white or refined carbs/ starches, limit most fruits.

teddysmum

Note that qualifying years correspond to tax years so contributions spanning two tax years may mean that one or neither year qualifies on amount earned (governing how much NI is paid) or number of contributions, as there is a minimum requirement for each. (Details online)

Maharishi

teddysmum wrote: »

Note that qualifying years correspond to tax years so contributions spanning two tax years may mean that one or neither year qualifies on amount earned (governing how much NI is paid) or number of contributions, as there is a minimum requirement for each. (Details online)

That's a bit confusing. Tax years always span two years surely? April 5 to April 4? Having said that, my basis periods were June 18 to June 17 so different again ...

I figure that the "minimum requirement" must be the 52 weeks x £x (where x - stamp value)?

Also I don't think that "amount earned" is relevant here as it is a fixed stamp value. I just do not know the value of x.

The irony here is that I will probably die a week before any payments commence!