The day after my state pension qualifying age, nothing heard from the DWP

Listlad

p00hsticks said:

Listlad said:

rosalind110 said:

Update on my situation. 

I wrote to my MP, who wrote back the next day, asking for further details so that she could contact the DWP.  Today she emailed me a copy of the reply sent to her by the DWP.  It states the amount that I will receive and says that my first four weeks of pension will be paid in arrears into my bank account on 26th August, and four weekly thereafter.  I still haven't received a letter from the DWP, but they claim in the email to my MP that they sent one out on 19th August, so it may still be in the post.

Thanks to everyone for your advice and help, without which I would still be in the dark.

I now have another query concerning the amount of the pension they have said I'll receive.  According to my Government Gateway account, I have, and I quote, 

"45 years of full contributions

1 year to contribute before 5 April 2021

4 years when you did not contribute enough"

by my estimation, that would mean that I have around 40 years of full National Insurance contributions, and the 'New State Pension' page of the UK Government website states that "a woman born on or after 6 April 1953", will "need 35 qualifying years to get the full new State Pension" of "£179.60 per week".  However, they've awarded me £149.29 per week. 

Since I still have no means of contacting them, does anyone have any suggestions as to what to do about this?


 

  

My understanding is I only need 35 and they don’t need to be continuous.

Your understanding is incorrect. Only those starting their working lives after 2016 needs 35 years. Those of us who started work prior to then are under transitional rules and may need more or less than 35 years to get to the maximum amount depending on their exact individual circumstances (for example whether they were contracted in or out and how much additional State Pension they had accumulated).

My statement issued earlier in the year and my NI record tells me I have 41 years of full contributions. 37 were accrued before 2013. I have contributions now up to 20/21 and so that makes 42 years, The estimate was £229.76 pw earlier in the year around March time. 

Dazed_and_C0nfused

Listlad said:

p00hsticks said:

Listlad said:

rosalind110 said:

Update on my situation. 

I wrote to my MP, who wrote back the next day, asking for further details so that she could contact the DWP.  Today she emailed me a copy of the reply sent to her by the DWP.  It states the amount that I will receive and says that my first four weeks of pension will be paid in arrears into my bank account on 26th August, and four weekly thereafter.  I still haven't received a letter from the DWP, but they claim in the email to my MP that they sent one out on 19th August, so it may still be in the post.

Thanks to everyone for your advice and help, without which I would still be in the dark.

I now have another query concerning the amount of the pension they have said I'll receive.  According to my Government Gateway account, I have, and I quote, 

"45 years of full contributions

1 year to contribute before 5 April 2021

4 years when you did not contribute enough"

by my estimation, that would mean that I have around 40 years of full National Insurance contributions, and the 'New State Pension' page of the UK Government website states that "a woman born on or after 6 April 1953", will "need 35 qualifying years to get the full new State Pension" of "£179.60 per week".  However, they've awarded me £149.29 per week. 

Since I still have no means of contacting them, does anyone have any suggestions as to what to do about this?


 

  

My understanding is I only need 35 and they don’t need to be continuous.

Your understanding is incorrect. Only those starting their working lives after 2016 needs 35 years. Those of us who started work prior to then are under transitional rules and may need more or less than 35 years to get to the maximum amount depending on their exact individual circumstances (for example whether they were contracted in or out and how much additional State Pension they had accumulated).

My statement issued earlier in the year and my NI record tells me I have 41 years of full contributions. 37 were accrued before 2013. I have contributions now up to 20/21 and so that makes 42 years, The estimate was £229.76 pw earlier in the year around March time. 

I'm not sure what point you are trying to make?

As you had started accruing NI years prior to April 2016 but have a State Pension age after that you fall under transitional rules.

In your situation any contributions after your starting/foundation amount was established do not increase your State Pension.  It does however get inflation increases under the double/triple lock provisions.

The transitional rules mean that some people with more than 35 years need to pay more to reach £179.60.  Others who have exceeded £179.60 (or equivalent at April 2016) can no longer increase that amount irrespective of any additional post 2016 contributions.

TaweJohn

Update
Still no payment. My wife telephoned DWP again, another 50 minute wait, spoke to another adviser, told she would send an urgent email, and my wife would be contacted soon. That was yesterday.

We sent a letter of complaint yesterday and also wrote to the Minister with a copy of the letter.

Don't know if either letter will make any difference, but hoping. 

Listlad

Dazed_and_C0nfused said:

Listlad said:

p00hsticks said:

Listlad said:

rosalind110 said:

Update on my situation. 

I wrote to my MP, who wrote back the next day, asking for further details so that she could contact the DWP.  Today she emailed me a copy of the reply sent to her by the DWP.  It states the amount that I will receive and says that my first four weeks of pension will be paid in arrears into my bank account on 26th August, and four weekly thereafter.  I still haven't received a letter from the DWP, but they claim in the email to my MP that they sent one out on 19th August, so it may still be in the post.

Thanks to everyone for your advice and help, without which I would still be in the dark.

I now have another query concerning the amount of the pension they have said I'll receive.  According to my Government Gateway account, I have, and I quote, 

"45 years of full contributions

1 year to contribute before 5 April 2021

4 years when you did not contribute enough"

by my estimation, that would mean that I have around 40 years of full National Insurance contributions, and the 'New State Pension' page of the UK Government website states that "a woman born on or after 6 April 1953", will "need 35 qualifying years to get the full new State Pension" of "£179.60 per week".  However, they've awarded me £149.29 per week. 

Since I still have no means of contacting them, does anyone have any suggestions as to what to do about this?


 

  

My understanding is I only need 35 and they don’t need to be continuous.

Your understanding is incorrect. Only those starting their working lives after 2016 needs 35 years. Those of us who started work prior to then are under transitional rules and may need more or less than 35 years to get to the maximum amount depending on their exact individual circumstances (for example whether they were contracted in or out and how much additional State Pension they had accumulated).

My statement issued earlier in the year and my NI record tells me I have 41 years of full contributions. 37 were accrued before 2013. I have contributions now up to 20/21 and so that makes 42 years, The estimate was £229.76 pw earlier in the year around March time. 

I'm not sure what point you are trying to make?

As you had started accruing NI years prior to April 2016 but have a State Pension age after that you fall under transitional rules.

In your situation any contributions after your starting/foundation amount was established do not increase your State Pension.  It does however get inflation increases under the double/triple lock provisions.

The transitional rules mean that some people with more than 35 years need to pay more to reach £179.60.  Others who have exceeded £179.60 (or equivalent at April 2016) can no longer increase that amount irrespective of any additional post 2016 contributions.

I am not trying to make a point. Just trying to convey my circumstance as I see it. And from  the information I have been given. 

Are you suggestion the pension forecast for me personally is woefully inaccurate at £229.76 a week?

Dazed_and_C0nfused

Not at all.  

As you are under transitional rules it is entirely possible to get more than £179.60 and your forecast suggests you have earned additional State Pension whilst not contracted out.

Listlad

Dazed_and_C0nfused said:

Not at all.  

As you are under transitional rules it is entirely possible to get more than £179.60 and your forecast suggests you have earned additional State Pension whilst not contracted out.

Trouble is I don’t know my own history. I seem to recall some contracted out work but I am not certain and if so then it was probably only for a very small number of years. I presume DWP have a record of that. 

I actually phoned in annually this last 5 or 6 years and asked if the estimate was fairly accurate and would a deduction need to be made and on each occasion they said “no deductions” and yes it was fairly accurate. Even four or five years ago it was about £200. 

Listlad

TaweJohn said:

Update
Still no payment. My wife telephoned DWP again, another 50 minute wait, spoke to another adviser, told she would send an urgent email, and my wife would be contacted soon. That was yesterday.

We sent a letter of complaint yesterday and also wrote to the Minister with a copy of the letter.

Don't know if either letter will make any difference, but hoping. 

Thanks. I am in a similar position. Long phone calls and no answers and no payments. I made a complaint a few days ago and will email my MP tomorrow. 

Good luck with yours. 

xylophone

Are you suggestion the pension forecast for me personally is woefully inaccurate at £229.76 a week?

Not at all. it is perfectly possible to have a state pension (whether under the old or new rules) that is in excess of the Basic State Pension or the full New State Pension.

It would seem that at 6/4/16, you had at least 35 years NI.

Two calculations were done to establish your "starting amount" for NSP.

Old Rules

£119.30 (full BSP because you had least 30 Years) + (Additional State Pension - (if applicable) Deduction for Contracting Out.

New Rules

£155.65 (full NSP because you had at least 35 years) - Contracted Out Pension Equivalent (if applicable).

Your "starting amount" was the HIGHER of the two.

In your case, this seems to have been the calculation under the old rules and was higher than a full NSP.

Since then, that part of your pension that was equal to a full NSP has been  revaluing by the highest of CPI, increase in average earnings or 2.5%, while the balance (your "protected payment")  has been revaluing by CPI.

This was the "triple lock".

For the year 22/23 your  NSP portion (£179.60) will increase in payment by the higher of CPI or 2.5% and the "protected payment" (£50.16) by CPI.

You can obtain a full NI history here

https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/shortforms/form/DPU_SAR_NI?_ga=2.230026460.1544670040.1621021753-1315656139.1609178084

Listlad

xylophone said:

Are you suggestion the pension forecast for me personally is woefully inaccurate at £229.76 a week?

Not at all. it is perfectly possible to have a state pension (whether under the old or new rules) that is in excess of the Basic State Pension or the full New State Pension.

It would seem that at 6/4/16, you had at least 35 years NI.

Two calculations were done to establish your "starting amount" for NSP.

Old Rules

£119.30 (full BSP because you had least 30 Years) + (Additional State Pension - (if applicable) Deduction for Contracting Out.

New Rules

£155.65 (full NSP because you had at least 35 years) - Contracted Out Pension Equivalent (if applicable).

Your "starting amount" was the HIGHER of the two.

In your case, this seems to have been the calculation under the old rules and was higher than a full NSP.

Since then, that part of your pension that was equal to a full NSP has been  revaluing by the highest of CPI, increase in average earnings or 2.5%, while the balance (your "protected payment")  has been revaluing by CPI.

This was the "triple lock".

For the year 22/23 your  NSP portion (£179.60) will increase in payment by the higher of CPI or 2.5% and the "protected payment" (£50.16) by CPI.

You can obtain a full NI history here

https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/shortforms/form/DPU_SAR_NI?_ga=2.230026460.1544670040.1621021753-1315656139.1609178084

Thanks. I am not sure what to make of that. Yes I had a letter in 2013 showing two figures from 2 different calculations. They took the higher of the two. But gave them as a forecast for 2016. I didn’t contribute for 4 years as I was overseas, returning in 2017 and continued to contribute every year after that. But basically I had 37 years of contributions already  in 2013. 

So you seem to be saying that there are two combined elements to my estimate? The basic pension plus a top up, bringing it up to £229 currently? 

Listlad

xylophone said:

Are you suggestion the pension forecast for me personally is woefully inaccurate at £229.76 a week?

Not at all. it is perfectly possible to have a state pension (whether under the old or new rules) that is in excess of the Basic State Pension or the full New State Pension.

It would seem that at 6/4/16, you had at least 35 years NI.

Two calculations were done to establish your "starting amount" for NSP.

Old Rules

£119.30 (full BSP because you had least 30 Years) + (Additional State Pension - (if applicable) Deduction for Contracting Out.

New Rules

£155.65 (full NSP because you had at least 35 years) - Contracted Out Pension Equivalent (if applicable).

Your "starting amount" was the HIGHER of the two.

In your case, this seems to have been the calculation under the old rules and was higher than a full NSP.

Since then, that part of your pension that was equal to a full NSP has been  revaluing by the highest of CPI, increase in average earnings or 2.5%, while the balance (your "protected payment")  has been revaluing by CPI.

This was the "triple lock".

For the year 22/23 your  NSP portion (£179.60) will increase in payment by the higher of CPI or 2.5% and the "protected payment" (£50.16) by CPI.

You can obtain a full NI history here

https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/shortforms/form/DPU_SAR_NI?_ga=2.230026460.1544670040.1621021753-1315656139.1609178084

Yes, looking at the letter from 16/10/14 which I didnt ask for - it just arrived, there were two sets of figures. The New Rule figure was £125.28pw and the old rule figure was £193.61pw. They had already made a deduction in both cases for contracted out work. They then have taken the higher figure and done that ever since. Increasing year on year till the last figure I received earlier in 2021. 

And yes, in 2013 I had 37 qualifying years according to that letter, which I had managed to keep in a folder. 

So it makes a bit more sense now. Thanks.