UC class 3 not crediting for state pension

crikaus

Goodday all

I have a query regarding the  government state pension forecast website which I have just checked for myself the tax year 2020-21

I was claiming universal credit all year from the start to the end and I was also a carer for approximately the first 2 months of that tax year, yet on the forecast I have only 20 weeks of credits and I need to pay £489.60 by 2027 to make the full year, how can this be correct I thought universal credits gave me class 1 credits so how can I only have 20 weeks, or am I missing something. TIA

poppy12345

If you claimed Carers Allowance it pays class 1 NI credits and UC pays class 3. Have you rang HMRC to tell them you were claiming benefits that year?

badmemory

It can take them a while to update the year too!

crikaus

poppy12345 said:

If you claimed Carers Allowance it pays class 1 NI credits and UC pays class 3. Have you rang HMRC to tell them you were claiming benefits that year?

I just seen it today, would class 3 credits still count? 

calcotti

crikaus said:

poppy12345 said:

If you claimed Carers Allowance it pays class 1 NI credits and UC pays class 3. Have you rang HMRC to tell them you were claiming benefits that year?

I just seen it today, would class 3 credits still count? 

Yes, State Pension is the one thing that Class 3 credits count for.

It seems likely that HMRC have not been updated by DWP of your UC credits. 

crikaus

calcotti said:

crikaus said:

poppy12345 said:

If you claimed Carers Allowance it pays class 1 NI credits and UC pays class 3. Have you rang HMRC to tell them you were claiming benefits that year?

I just seen it today, would class 3 credits still count? 

Yes, State Pension is the one thing that Class 3 credits count for.

It seems likely that HMRC have not been updated by DWP of your UC credits. 

So is it possible despite the website asking for the money, it could still update the amount to a full years credits?

should I just wait it out at the moment and check again in a few months? 

calcotti

crikaus said:

calcotti said:

crikaus said:

poppy12345 said:

If you claimed Carers Allowance it pays class 1 NI credits and UC pays class 3. Have you rang HMRC to tell them you were claiming benefits that year?

I just seen it today, would class 3 credits still count? 

Yes, State Pension is the one thing that Class 3 credits count for.

It seems likely that HMRC have not been updated by DWP of your UC credits. 

So is it possible despite the website asking for the money, it could still update the amount to a full years credits?

should I just wait it out at the moment and check again in a few months? 

Unless there is a pressing reason to get the year made up just wait it. Alternatively ring HMRC NI records and/or DWP (although there is a chance they'll play pass the parcel with you).

Depending on you age and NI history there may be no need to make up any shortfalls anyway if you have plenty of time to get up to the required 35 years before reaching pension age (assuming the rules don't change).

p00hsticks

calcotti said:

crikaus said:

calcotti said:

crikaus said:

poppy12345 said:

If you claimed Carers Allowance it pays class 1 NI credits and UC pays class 3. Have you rang HMRC to tell them you were claiming benefits that year?

I just seen it today, would class 3 credits still count? 

Yes, State Pension is the one thing that Class 3 credits count for.

It seems likely that HMRC have not been updated by DWP of your UC credits. 

So is it possible despite the website asking for the money, it could still update the amount to a full years credits?

should I just wait it out at the moment and check again in a few months? 

Depending on you age and NI history there may be no need to make up any shortfalls anyway if you have plenty of time to get up to the required 35 years before reaching pension age (assuming the rules don't change).

NOT (necessarily) 35 years - unless you only started your working life since the introduction of the new State Pension in 2016. For the rest of us, we are under transitional rules and may need more or less than 35 years depending on our individualrecords - everyone needs to check their individual forecasts to find out exactly how many.

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

calcotti

p00hsticks said: NOT (necessarily) 35 years - unless you only started your working life since the introduction of the new State Pension in 2016. For the rest of us, we are under transitional rules and may need more or less than 35 years depending on our individualrecords - everyone needs to check their individual forecasts to find out exactly how many. 

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

Thanks for reminding us of that, p00hsticks. All part of simplifying the benefit system!

crikaus

Thanks to all I will wait for a while, I don't want to waste hours with dwp and hmrc on the phone, regarding the actual pension is states I need 35 years for full, at the moment I've got a couple of years of 'free play' but I fall under the transition rules

crikaus

An update, there was still no change on the pension forecast site, so I phoned HMRC they said universal credit have said I stopped claiming universal credit in March 19! and told to contact UC. Called UC and manager will look into it, totally ridiculous but we'll see what happens ie will they sent to HMRC UC credits from March 19 onwards or do I have a battle on my hands.

Also made me think how many errors here are in the system and all those  unable or unwilling to complain and missing out on state pension