Do I need any voluntary contribution?

Widewheels

Hi.
I think I am on track to get full state pension but I just want to clarify. I have the option to make voluntary contributions before April 2023 for up to 3 missed years.
I am not planning to retire before pension age so I think I should have enough full years before then.
Here is what it says on my pension forecast:

You have:

• 30 years of full contributions
• 15 years to contribute before 5 April 2037
• 6 years when you did not contribute enough

Does this mean that I only need 1 more full year of contributions to qualify for the full pension, or does it mean I need to make 1 year of voluntary contributions to qualify for full pension in 2037? I am assuming the former, but just want to confirm.

Thanks in advance!

Dazed_and_C0nfused

You need one more year.  It doesn't matter how you get that year.

If you will get it by working then you would be wasting your money with a voluntary contribution.

If you have been working in the current tax year you may already have done enough to add the final year.

Check your forecast again in May/June time.

pinnks

It is the former.  If you are working, then you are almost certain to pay 1 full year of mandatory NIC between now and 2037, so no need to think about voluntary payments. 

Widewheels

Ok great, thank you for confirming

Nelliegrace

Expect the unexpected. 
I am near to completing the six year extra wait for my pension.
I have 41 years NI contributions. I was told when I checked that had sufficient years. 

I have just had to buy five more years NI contributions at short notice, to get nearly the full pension. 
Nobody told us the NHS had contracted us out of the full state pension, even though we were still paying the full amount. 

It is worrying to be transferred to another phone number to get an account number to make a payment of several thousand pounds, and then get no confirmation of the payment for two months. 

Dazed_and_C0nfused

even though we were still paying the full amount. 

You weren't though, you were paying a reduced amount of NI.

You just don't understand the new State Pension at all and how it has benefited you.

eskbanker

Nelliegrace said:

Expect the unexpected. 
I am near to completing the six year extra wait for my pension.
I have 41 years NI contributions. I was told when I checked that had sufficient years. 

Who told you that?

GrubbyGirl_2

Nelliegrace said:

Expect the unexpected. 
I am near to completing the six year extra wait for my pension.
I have 41 years NI contributions. I was told when I checked that had sufficient years. 

I have just had to buy five more years NI contributions at short notice, to get nearly the full pension. 
Nobody told us the NHS had contracted us out of the full state pension, even though we were still paying the full amount. 

You have never paid the full NI while working for the NHS, the money went into our gold plated NHS pensions. You may not have realised but you have benefitted hugely by being contracted out. If you’ve worked in the NHS for the whole if your working life like I have you’ll need around 50 years contributions give it take a year. When you’re retired you’ll realise how lucky you are to have an NHS pension. 

molerat

eskbanker said:

Nelliegrace said:

Expect the unexpected. 
I am near to completing the six year extra wait for my pension.
I have 41 years NI contributions. I was told when I checked that had sufficient years. 

Who told you that?

Probably before 2016 so correct at the time.

And as for the 6 years extra wait, 5 of which were announced in 1995 !!

msallen

Nelliegrace said:

Expect the unexpected. 
I am near to completing the six year extra wait for my pension.
I have 41 years NI contributions. I was told when I checked that had sufficient years. 

I have just had to buy five more years NI contributions at short notice, to get nearly the full pension. 
Nobody told us the NHS had contracted us out of the full state pension, even though we were still paying the full amount. 

It is worrying to be transferred to another phone number to get an account number to make a payment of several thousand pounds, and then get no confirmation of the payment for two months. 

Utter drivel