Missing years

Mega_Lazy

My wife was born in 1954, she left school aged 15 in 1969 and was issued with a National Insurance ID but didn't start work. In 1970 we got married when she was 16 and we had our first child that same year. This meant that she stayed home to look after our son. We soon found out that our son had muscular dystrophy and other disabilities. He walked until he was 7 and after that took to a wheelchair. His care was always full time so we had such things as carers allowance and mobility allowance. It also meant that my wife didn't work. Our son passed in late 1985 and it was after this that my wife started work. She had a part time job with the local authority starting as a home help. She worked for the same authority, albeit with different names as the boundaries changed over the years, until she was 60. At 60 she retired through ill health as she couldn't physically do her job any more, even though she loved it.

Meanwhile the government had changed the age at which she could claim state benefit. We had the initial letter and were a bit disappointed but what could we do. Later the government changed it's mind and imposed another delay to the retirement age. She did not get a letter or any other official notification of this, which was wholly unfair.

When she retired at 60 she signed on the sick as she couldn't work. The doctors were perfectly happy to give her sick notes. However the DHSS had other ideas and dragged her in for a board. Now we have had very little in the way of dealing with the DHSS and don't know the system. They asked her loads of questions, which she answered honestly and to the best of her ability. The decision was that she was fit for work and they ordered the doctor to sign her off. She didn't go back to work and she never claimed any benefits.

Now she is officially retired her state pension is a few pounds a week less than mine and looking back at her record there are obviously missing years because she didn't start work until late 1985.

Sorry for the long story but my question is, shouldn't she have got some sort of credit for all the years she was the carer of our teenage son?

What galls me about this is that her friend, who was the same age, worked a few years in the 70s and then went on disability benefits and never worked again. When her state pension came out she had the same money that I get, which was more than my wife's.

molerat

How many pre 2016 years does she have? If working for a local authority it is likely she was contracted out so limiting her pension amount without the addition of post 2016 years.

How much is she receiving per week ?

Does she have any post 2016 years full?

sheramber

Has she been given Home responsibility for the years prior to 1985?

Did she claim child benefit?

https://www.gov.uk/home-responsibilities-protection-hrp