Qualifying Year means what?

ann_droid

Hi

I have sat in the "Job Centre" face to face and been told I would get the full state pension.

I did checks with a BR19, and got the same result.

So the day I began the process to bring my State Pension into payment it was insufficient years for a full amount.

I have 42 (forty two) qualifying years, above the required amount .....
""To get the full amount (£203.85 in 2023-24), you need 35 years of National Insurance contributions."" 

I thought, reinforced by the DWP forecasts and verbal assurances, that all was well.


""Qualifying Years

Up to the 5 April 2017, (the last recorded year available to DWP) Mr XXXXX's National Insurance (NI) record shows he has 43 qualifying years.""

Above is an extract from a DWP email.

In 2018 I had 42 years, why one less I know not.


I just feel the arithmetic is awry.

Dazed_and_C0nfused

You are under transitional rules so having 35 years isn't relevant.

The 35 years rules applies to those starting to accrue qualifying years this century.

What is your award?

Which tax year do/did you reach State Pension age in?

molerat

I did checks with a BR19, and got the same result.

When did you do this ?  That was likely a forecast as to what you could get if you complied with the caveats mentioned.

To get the full amount (£203.85 in 2023-24), you need 35 years of National Insurance contributions.

Only if you were born after 2000 and clearly stated in any official documentation

You have failed to understand the nuances of the post 2016 state pension.

If you have in excess of 35 pre 2016 years and will not / are not receiving the full amount then you were in a contracted out pension which could have limited your 2016 starting amount to the old pension amount which would need post 2016 contributions to bring it up to the new pension maximum. If you have post 2016 gaps then they can be filled with voluntary contributions to give you more pension, the capital outlay being recovered in around 3 years.

QrizB

ann_droid said:

I have sat in the "Job Centre" face to face and been told I would get the full state pension.

When exactly did you do this?

ann_droid said:

So the day I began the process to bring my State Pension into payment it was insufficient years for a full amount.

And when exactly was this?

ann_droid said:

I have 42 (forty two) qualifying years, above the required amount

As has been explained above, 35 years only applies if you were born this century.

ann_droid said:

Up to the 5 April 2017, (the last recorded year available to DWP) Mr XXXXX's National Insurance (NI) record shows he has 43 qualifying years."

It's possible that, as of 2016, your starting amount was only equivalent to the old basic state pension. You could need another five years of NI credits after 2016 to qualify for the full new state pension.

What have you been doing since 2016? Have you been employed and paying NI, or have you been receiving state benefits that include NI credits?