Additional NI contributions if you have full history but were contracted out

Spivved1987

I can provide all of those, apart from the COPE amount. I took early retirement, and am in receipt of an occupational DB pension, but I can't see any mention of this amount in anything I have routinely received from my pension provider. Presumably I need to write to them, and I hope it is routine for them to provide that figure?

molerat

Spivved1987 said:

I can provide all of those, apart from the COPE amount. I took early retirement, and am in receipt of an occupational DB pension, but I can't see any mention of this amount in anything I have routinely received from my pension provider. Presumably I need to write to them, and I hope it is routine for them to provide that figure?

COPE is part of your State Pension forecast.  There is a "You've been in a contracted out pension scheme" statement further down the front page with a click link to the COPE

Spivved1987

It's real archaeological work, this ie of no practical use, but interesting! I note that in 80-81 year I got 51 weeks of credits but not a full year. I can recall that year I was unemployed for the whole year, but signed off in the last week of March to take a temp job in France pitching tents. Little did I realise that 42 years later that would catch up with me.......

molerat

One gap back in 80-81 is unlikely to have had any effect on your pension.  Providing the few simple numbers asked way back we would be able to explain exactly where those numbers came from

xylophone

You mention that you are in receipt of an occupational DB pension.

Is this from other than a Public Service Scheme?

Were you in the scheme between 1978 - 1988/1988-1997? 

Have you yet reached age 65?

Spivved1987

molerat said:

One gap back in 80-81 is unlikely to have had any effect on your pension.  Providing the few simple numbers asked way back we would be able to explain exactly where those numbers came from

Yes, I realised it was irrelevant in the grand scheme of things, which explains my throwaway remark that it's real archaeological work, this ie of no practical use, but interesting!

I think in my declining years I'm allowed a bit of nostalgia

Spivved1987

Moneybox had a piece on it yesterday, with Steve Webb. It doesn't seem that you can do much without speaking on the phone to both the Pension Forecast people (to get a decision as to whether and which years to buy back) and HMRC (if you do want to buy the years). This is a recipe for frustration and hours of wasted time - and high call charges if you're not on an unlimited minutes call plan. Given that the deadline has been extended to 31st July, I can't see why these things can't be done by mail.

Spivved1987

xylophone said:

You mention that you are in receipt of an occupational DB pension.

Is this from other than a Public Service Scheme?

Were you in the scheme between 1978 - 1988/1988-1997? 

Have you yet reached age 65?

No, public sector schemes only those years.

Not quite 65 yet.

xylophone

No, public sector schemes only those years.

Then count yourself lucky.

https://www.actuarialpost.co.uk/article/gmp-indexation-the-winners-and-losers-19655.htm

If you had been in a private sector contracted out scheme between 1978 and 1997, part of your accruing pension would have been a GMP.

if you drew the pension pre GMP age (60 F/65 M), then the whole of the pension you received would have increased each year under scheme rules (for example, uncapped RPI/CPI). 

 When you reached age 65, (GMP age for males) your occupational pension would have been split into three as regards increases.

Pre 88 Guaranteed Minimum Pension ( ie the minimum amount your scheme had to pay you because you were contracted out of SERPS) would not  henceforward be increased by your scheme.

Post 88 GMP would have increased but only up to 3%CPI.

The excess over GMP would have been increased under scheme rules.

The Government gave a valuable concession to the PS Schemes  who were required to index the whole pension whether before or after GMP age.

xylophone

It doesn't seem that you can do much without speaking on the phone to both the Pension Forecast people (to get a decision as to whether and which years to buy back) and HMRC (if you do want to buy the years).

It depends - if you are certain which years are both available to buy and will improve your state pension, you can simply send a cheque to HMRC as here

https://www.gov.uk/pay-voluntary-class-3-national-insurance/by-post#:~:text=Make your cheque payable to,the payslip HMRC sent you.

Could you give the information requested

 https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6431160/additional-ni-contributions-if-you-have-full-history-but-were-contracted-out/p1

• Maximum amount of forecast
• Current amount up to April 2022
• Years you have available going forward until you reach State Pension Age
• Number of full years prior to April 2016
• Number of full years after April 2016
• Years which are not filled and the cost of filling them
• Whether there is a COPE mentioned and if so what the amount is (this will show by clicking a link there is a statement along the lines of ' like many, you have been contracted out.....'.)