University years NI

mariahere

I didn't realise that uni years for non government approved courses do not get NI credits.  On the gov site when I'm logged in it says I can apply to get NI for those years but I cannot find the exact place.  Has anybody made a claim for NI credits for their years at uni,  and if you were successful please could you provide a link/guide of how to do this.  I'm in England and uni was in the early 90s, if that makes a difference.  Its shocking that I didn't know this and shocking that it's not transparent... any help welcome tia

Linton

You dont get NI credits for time at university.  You do get credits for approved full time training of up to 1 year but that is different.  You also would have got credits  on your 16th, 17th, and 18th birthday, a benefit  to encourage people to stay at school until 18.  This I believe was stopped about 10 years ago.

greatkingrat

If you have been working since you left university, then it is likely that you will reach the maximum pension anyway, and those missing years will not make any difference.

Simon11

For me, when at university I was working around 20-30 hours a week 12 years ago , so lucky to earn NI years while at university (and very cheaply!). Means that I should be able to reach the age of 50 and have a full state pension (and thus have an option to stop work)

Other comments above are correct around earning NI for time at College/ Sixth form but not during university years.

Scot_39

greatkingrat said:

If you have been working since you left university, then it is likely that you will reach the maximum pension anyway, and those missing years will not make any difference.

The new state pension needs 35 full ni years.

Lose 1/35 for every year below.

Currently. 

Qualification for full old state used to be 40 years, then 30, then 35 for new state.

And may change again in future.

Along with the retirement age and pension taxation, pensions and tax reliefs are an increasingly large burden on taxation, and been at the mercy of chancellors for decades.

And so currently if work 21-66 etc that's 35 of 45 potential years after uni. Or c56/57 to qualify.


Taking years off for kids etc though might need to ensure get credits.  Many women missed out on these in past.

p00hsticks

Scot_39 said:

greatkingrat said:

If you have been working since you left university, then it is likely that you will reach the maximum pension anyway, and those missing years will not make any difference.

The new state pension needs 35 full ni years.

As often stated on these boards, but cannot be reiterated enough, that is only for those starting their working life since the introduction of the new State Pension in 2016 (i.e.born this century). For everyone else they are under transitional rules and may need more or less that 35 (lowest so far reported here is 29, highest 50.

Scot_39 said:

greatkingrat said:

If you have been working since you left university, then it is likely that you will reach the maximum pension anyway, and those missing years will not make any difference.

Qualification for full old state used to be 40 years, then 30, then 35 for new state.

 Actually 44 for men and 39 for women (until 2010), then down to 30 for both before going back up to 35 in 2016. 

SouthCoastBoy

I think it was 32 years for a short while as well, wasn't it?

Scot_39

Thanks, for corrections.

I must be right on the mark.

As have 34 years, and only 1 year missing - with years to go to retirement.

From memery a fraction of a year in £ terms to gain when last checked - pennies not pounds - to the max available.

Must log in and check again.

bostonerimus

SouthCoastBoy said:

I think it was 32 years for a short while as well, wasn't it?

For a while it was 30 years. I got a letter from HMRC when I had 29 years to say that under the new rules I now needed 35 years of NI for full pension rather than 30 to qualify for basic state pension under the old rules. I now have 37 years and just got another letter form HMRC saying that I should look at my SP forecast and see if it's worth continuing to pay voluntary NI; under current legislation I know it isn't.

When I was in Sixth Form College I got 3 free years of NI, there were no free NI payments for my time at university so there's a 7 year gap in my record, however, I worked during the summers and HMRC sent be letters saying how much extra NI I needed to pay to get a full year's contribution...which I ignored...