Is my mum entitled to any state pension?!

Stu6781

So my mum has never contributed any national insurance, and is recently divorced. Would she be able to get any state pension whatsoever (she’s 55 atm) when the time comes. If she’s not, then what would she be eligible for in retirement?? Nothing at all? How would she live when shes too old to do any work at all? 

Thanks all

MovingForwards

Has she checked her pension forecast?

Did she claim / receive child benefit when you, and any siblings, were kids?

Were financial matters not dealt with as part of her divorce?

Has she ever worked and contributed to a works pension?

She has 10+ years to buy some pension years, start a pension, save etc.

I don't know what people who don't have a state pension do receive from the government.

molerat

First port of call is here https://www.gov.uk/check-state-pension

Once she has the details come back for more info / help.

suki1964

No help or advice, but can I ask, how has a woman who's only 55 not paid any NI in her life?

Ive paid it since I was 16

Dox

Stu6781 said:

So my mum has never contributed any national insurance, and is recently divorced. Would she be able to get any state pension whatsoever (she’s 55 atm) when the time comes. If she’s not, then what would she be eligible for in retirement?? Nothing at all? How would she live when shes too old to do any work at all? 

By relying on family and friends, unless she does something before it's too late. Check/do three things:

1. state pension forecast (details on how to that already given earlier in this thread)
2. check what, if anything, was done about pensions when her divorce was finalised. If 'nothing' then she needs to ask her solicitor why not (could be that she received other assets, such as the family home?)
3. what's she doing now? If not working, then either sign on and get NI credits, or get a job.

John_

The first step, to take care of when she wakes up tomorrow, should probably be to get a job.

squirrelpie

Presumably if there's no pension entitlement, people have to live on Universal Credit and/or Pension Credit and various other benefits. Even if she buys 10 years NI to entitle her to a minimum pension, she'll presumably have to rely on these as well. Is there not a Benefits section of this forum where such subjects can be discussed?

xylophone

First check the forecast as above.
It is seems unlikely that the OP's mother never worked but perhaps did so for only a few years before  starting a family sometime in the eighties.
If in receipt of Child Benefit before 2010 she may well have  qualified for home-responsibilities-protection 
https://www.gov.uk/home-responsibilities-protection-hrp

And see 
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/181235/derived-inherited-entitlement.pdf page 15 for inheritance of  50% of any Protected Payment the ex spouse may have.

And she could consider making voluntary contributions if appropriate.

barnstar2077

I knew a lady who lived into her nineties.  I asked her what she used to do for a living, she said she worked in a factory until she was twenty two, then she married and gave up work to start a family.  Some families are just more traditional than others.

LHW99

If she could in future look after young grandchildren while parents work, I think that would entitle her to some NI credits too.

https://www.which.co.uk/money/tax/national-insurance/national-insurance-credits-afkfs0m7ugwc

suki1964

barnstar2077 said:

I knew a lady who lived into her nineties.  I asked her what she used to do for a living, she said she worked in a factory until she was twenty two, then she married and gave up work to start a family.  Some families are just more traditional than others.

But she was of the generation who qualified on their husbands contributions