FUTURE PENSIONS CENTRE

MAD_JACK

Like many others, I have been trying for weeks to get in touch with the Future Pensions Centre, as I have questions that a website can't answer.  Every single time I ring I either get immediately cut off, or continuously get the engaged tone after the automated message.  In despair, I wrote to them on 21 February 2023 and sent it via Royal Mail's signed for service, so I know they got it.  However, I have yet to receive a reply.  How on earth are we supposed to make informed decisions when we cannot speak to a knowledgeable person?  I am due to get my long awaited state pension in July and urgently need answers to my questions before then.  What is one supposed to do if one cannot get any response from the people who are supposed to be assisting?  Frustrated of Horsham!

Dazed_and_C0nfused

There are a lot of (very) knowledgeable people on here so if you tell us your question(s) you will probably get an answer inside half an hour.

If your question is about the benefit of buying additional years then you should provide all the pertinent data about your current position.

Amount accrued to date
Tax year you reach SPa
How many pre 2016 years you have
How many post 2016 years you have
Which pre 2016 years are available 
Which post 2016 years are available

Would be a start.

p00hsticks

You are very unlikely to get a reply any time soon - the mail backlogs for both The Pensions Centre and HMRC will be gonig back months. 

If you post your questions and details of your forecast here people may be able to help.  
Can you tell us 

• Headline amount that you are forecast to get
• How many more years going forward available to contribute before State Pension Age (presumably only up to April 2023) 
• What you current entitlement is shown as , and is it up to to April 2022 or April 2023
• How many full NI years do you hav prior to April 2016
• How many full NI years do you have after April 2016  
• Is there a COPE figure mentioned (it will be behind a clickable link that says something like 'like many you were in a contracted out pension scheme at some point) and if so how much is it 
• What past gaps there are in your NI record available to fill, and the cost given 

Harley100

Can anyone help me please as I cannot get through on the helpline either.  I've got the details as requested above. 

·       Headline amount that you are forecast to get - £92.07

·       How many more years going forward available to contribute before State                Pension Age (presumably only up to April 2023) – 2 years

·       What you current entitlement is shown as , and is it up to to April 2022 or                 April  2023 - £180.42 April 2022

·       How many full NI years do you have prior to April 2016 – 41 years

·       How many full NI years do you have after April 2016  - Nil, retired early

·       Is there a COPE figure mentioned (it will be behind a clickable link that says            something like 'like many you were in a contracted out pension scheme at              some point) and if so how much is it  - £54.49

·       What past gaps there are in your NI record available to fill, and the cost                  given – From 2016/17 going forward, no amount given for 16/17 ;                      £824.20 for 2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20 ; £795.20 for 2020/21 and no                    details for 2021/22

I hope someone is able to help please?  Many thanks.

 

molerat

You are £23.43 short of the max so need to purchase 5 more years to get there.  4 will take you to £203.72 and the 5th will only add 13p.

I assume that top line is a typo and should be £192.07

What are 16-17 and 21-22 showing, there must be something stated ?  Is it "checking" ?  If so were you self employed during those years ?

Your cheapest options would be 20-21 at £795.20, 21-22 at £800.80 plus any other 2 at £824.20 each.

After July 16-17 ceases to be available and years 20-21 and earlier increase to £907.40.

Harley100

Thank you molerat, very helpful, I just didn't understand why I have 41 years full year, yet still don't get the full pension, I'm guessing it's because of being "opted out" for some of them?

Yes the topline was a typo thank goodness   

Years 16-17 and 21-22, I wasn't working then but it did show "checking".  

Thank you once again.

jem16

Harley100 said:

Thank you molerat, very helpful, I just didn't understand why I have 41 years full year, yet still don't get the full pension, I'm guessing it's because of being "opted out" for some of them?

Yes it’s because you have been contracted out - not opted out as that’s an entirely different thing. 

xylophone

Thank you molerat, very helpful, I just didn't understand why I have 41 years full year, yet still don't get the full pension, I'm guessing it's because of being "opted out" for some of them?

Contracted Out.

https://www.gov.uk/contracted-out

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/210299/single-tier-valuation-contracting-out.pdf

In your case, at 6/4/16 (when you had 41 qualifying years) your calculations were

Old Rules

Full Basic (because you had at least 30 QY) + (Additional State Pension - "COD")

£119.30 + (ASP - "COD")

New Rules

Full NSP (because you had at least 35 QY) - Contracted Out Pension Equivalent (Rebate Derived Amount).

£155.65 - £54.49.

Your "starting (foundation) amount" was the higher of the two and clearly was the  amount given under old rules.

It was under a full NSP and you had a number of years from 6/4/16 to the last full tax year before you reached SPA.

Contributions/credits for those years could improve your starting amount up to (but not in excess of) a full NSP.

You did not make contributions (or receive credits) for those years but can make up the deficit by paying voluntary contributions now.

See molerat's comment above.

CogT

Hello, also having no luck with the phone line. If some kind sole would look at my figures, I would be very grateful.

Bear with me! I have 20 years of 'full year' contributions. The forecast says I should get £203.85 with another 10 years of contributions, with 17 more years to contribute. 2022-2023 should be another year (not available). 2020-2021 is "checking", self-employed, but I paid NI. I know that sounds easy to achieve, if I just keep working for at least 8 - 10 years. 

I have worked overseas and am likely to again. I do not have any pensions from those times overseas. I would like to get closer to the 30 year contribution mark before heading overseas, just to make myself feel more comfortable about it.

I worked overseas from April 2015 to March 2020. I did not pay any national insurance (I didn't know I could). Is it possible to pay a voluntary contribution for these years? Is that class 2? How much is that likely to be?

How do I actually pay a voluntary contribution? Is it via the Future Pensions phone line or HMRC (I can't get through on either)? Who calculates it and gets the payment?

Also, can anybody explain why my forecast reaches it's limit at 30 years, rather than me having to make contributions for 35 years? I can't find any information that makes sense.

Headline amount that you are forecast to get: £203.85 a week (from April 2040)

How many more years going forward available to contribute before State Pension Age: 17 years

What you current entitlement is shown as , and is it up to to April 2022: £146.90

How many full NI years do you have prior to April 2016: 19 years

How many full NI years do you have after April 2016: 1 year

Is there a COPE figure mentioned (it will be behind a clickable link that says something like 'like many you were in a contracted out pension scheme at some point) and if so how much is it: £4.74

What past gaps there are in your NI record available to fill, and the cost given:
1991 - 1993 - too late
1994 - 1996 - too late
1999 - 2003 - too late
2015 - 2016 - £332.85
2016 - 2020 - £824.20 (for each year)
2020 - 2021 - Checking (self-employed)
2022 - 2023 - Should be fine

Sorry to ramble on.
Many thanks.

molerat

At April 2016 your starting amount was based on the old rules, you had £107.74 old, £75.76 basic + £32.18 S2P and £79.76 new, £84.50 - £4.74 COPE.  That old scheme amount was equivalent to 24 years meaning you only needed 11 post 2016 years to reach the max.

For overseas time  https://www.gov.uk/voluntary-national-insurance-contributions/who-can-pay-voluntary-contributions  and scroll down to the relevant link. If you look through this forum there are several posts on the subject. Class 2 costs under £170 per year. 

CogT

Hi Molerat,
Thank you so much for your time.