HMRC missing records of national insurance contributions

gozzi49

Hello

Has anyone used the Government Web portal and reviewed their national insurance contribution record recently? I did and got a shock when I found our that some of my contributions records were marked as in complete for tax year 2004 - 5! I clear out my documents after  7 years and so I no longer have my p60 for that tax year. I tried to point out to the HMRC call centre person that I was with that employer without any break from Feb 2004 until June 2006 and so the error was clearly theirs. I was told that it was up to me to prove that I had made those contributions in order for them to count towards my state pension. I can't think of a way to to do this, can anyone here advise? I want to make sure that this doesn't end up in state theft of a whole year of contributions from me because their lost records...

molerat

Before you expend too much energy trying to fix it would that one year really make any difference to your pension forecast ?

Farway

Is your previous employer still around?

I'm wondering if they were a smaller company if they took your money but never paid HMRC? Not an unknown event

Silvertabby

If the company you worked for is still in existence, then you could try asking them if they still hold your pay records.  Large companies may archive their old records - but be prepared for a small company to say that they don't.

However, as Molerat says, are you sure that you really need this year?  How old are you, when do you intend to retire (as in give up work rather than reach SPA), have you ever been contracted out, and what is your current State pension accrual?

snowgo

The question has been raised 'Do you really need this year?'  My suggestion is that you probably do.  When I retired my state pension was missing a year that later got added in.  That additional year of NI contributions gave me approx extra £5 per week on my pension.  That adds up over years of retirement.  Plus, you don't know what qualifying changes may be introduced between now and when you start to draw your pension - it's not so long ago that the qualifying years for full pension increased to 35.  In your position I'd be emptying out drawers to see if I can find mislaid wage slip and contacting ex-employer for any help they can give.  If ex-employer will give you a letter confirming dates of continuous employment, then I'd be sending that in to HMRC.  I'd be doing everything in written format so that I can keep record of their responses.

Tony4625

I checked my  state pension online last year and discovered I made no NI contributions for 1998/99 . I was employed by same company from 1984 till 2007 ,  I managed to get in contact with my previous employer who did not hold records going back that far but said they would contact HmRC on my behalf .
 I never had any correspondence from HMRC since but it has now been corrected on my account , well worth checking in my opinion.