Voluntary NI Contributions

Marbles55

xylophone said:

21, having stopped work for health reasons in 2012 by which time I had accrued 41 years of NICs - never contracted out.

Were you a member of a Defined Benefit occupational pension scheme between 1978 and 2016?

No, but thanks for the thought.

xylophone

Have a look at this concerning contracting out.

https://techzone.abrdn.com/public/pensions/Tech-guide-contracting-out#:~:text=Contracting out was a method,SERPS) for particular tax years.

If you were not a member of a COSR Scheme (DB),  what about COMP or APP?

You say that you had 41 qualifying years by 2012 when you retired from paid employment on health grounds.

At 6/4/16, two calculations would have been done for you to establish your starting amount for NSP.

It was the higher of

Old Rules

NI years /30 (max) x £119.30 (Full Basic) + (Additional State Pension - (where appllicable) Deduction for Contracting Out.)

New Rules

{NI years/35 (max) x £155.65 (Full NSP)} - (where applicable) Contracted Out Pension Equivalent.

If you were never contracted out, you could not fail to have at least full NSP.