Advice if I can claim old nhs pension years please

Juan55

I would really be grateful for any advice please about this matter. I came to the UK in 1996 to work in the nhs, where I am still working, when I was young and didn’t know a thing about pensions, also I am not naturally good with numbers. I didn’t realise I had to get a national insurance number as no one told me, so I worked for 3.5 years without one, although the ni money was deducted from my salary (I still kept one old payslip from this time so I can see this. The number field is blank and it says category D ).

I only got a national insurance number in 1999 when I moved to another hospital and they told me I needed one to work. I should have realised then that I would not be credited for NI in the years I didn’t have a number, and done something about it, but it didn’t click with me until recently. I looked up on the government website and those 3.5 years are indeed missing from my record. 

What I am wondering is can I someway try to reclaim those years, or is it too late now, does anyone know? If there is a chance of doing this, who should I write to- the government NI office, or my old hospital (don’t know will they still have a record)? Really appreciate any advice- I feel like an idiot so I am grateful for your patience!

best wishes to all,
Juan

Marcon

Juan55 said:

I would really be grateful for any advice please about this matter. I came to the UK in 1996 to work in the nhs, where I am still working, when I was young and didn’t know a thing about pensions, also I am not naturally good with numbers. I didn’t realise I had to get a national insurance number as no one told me, so I worked for 3.5 years without one, although the ni money was deducted from my salary (I still kept one old payslip from this time so I can see this. The number field is blank and it says category D ).

I only got a national insurance number in 1999 when I moved to another hospital and they told me I needed one to work. I should have realised then that I would not be credited for NI in the years I didn’t have a number, and done something about it, but it didn’t click with me until recently. I looked up on the government website and those 3.5 years are indeed missing from my record. 

What I am wondering is can I someway try to reclaim those years, or is it too late now, does anyone know? If there is a chance of doing this, who should I write to- the government NI office, or my old hospital (don’t know will they still have a record)? Really appreciate any advice- I feel like an idiot so I am grateful for your patience!

best wishes to all,
Juan

See https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6267734/is-there-a-really-detailed-online-method-to-check-nics/p1 (see the second post in the thread - mine of 15 May 2021). I suggest you make a Subject Access Request for the period (tax years) 1995 to 2001.

Depending on whether or not that resolves anything, this might then help in terms of how to take things forward if your employment with the NHS from 1996 to 1999 (or possibly 2000) isn't shown in the documents you receive in response to your SAR: https://community.hmrc.gov.uk/customerforums/ni/1efd9a90-44e4-ed11-913a-00155d974e5f. Although HMRC's response says you are only ever allocated one NI number, it used to be the case that you could have a temporary NI number. That practice was abolished some time ago and employers were simply told to leave the NI box blank, which sounds as if that is what has happened in your case. It makes tracking things down a bit harder, so be prepared for a bit of a wait.

The fact you have a payslip with category D shown is extremely helpful, because that 'D' means you were 'contracted out' of the state additional pension - which in turn means you were enrolled into the NHS pension scheme. Does your payslip show a deduction for a pension contribution (it should, as you were paying reduced rate NI). So quite apart from getting another 3 years credited to your NI record, I think once you've sorted out that bit you should take up the matter of NHS pension scheme membership with the NHS pension administrators.

You aren't the only one, so don't feel like an idiot! The much more interesting question is why your employer didn't prompt you to apply for one...

Juan55

Dear Marcon
Thank you so much, that sounds like great news, I will try what you recommend. Yes my payslip does show the nhs pension contribution as you say. 

I can’t thank you enough for your help, it is deeply appreciated!
Juan

Marcon

Juan55 said:

Dear Marcon
Thank you so much, that sounds like great news, I will try what you recommend. Yes my payslip does show the nhs pension contribution as you say. 

I can’t thank you enough for your help, it is deeply appreciated!
Juan

Excellent. Just what was needed!

RAS

You aren't the only person who didn't have a proper NINO number. I encountered dozens who quoted 'TN' numbers. These were TNxxyyzz where the digits were the date of birth in xx/yy/zz format.

The problem of course is that there is always the possibility that there were other people with the same employer and the same date of birth.

And some of the folk I encountered had been working over a decade. I always refused to process any further until they sorted out a unique NINO and suggested they sort out their contribution history.

Marcon

RAS said:

You aren't the only person who didn't have a proper NINO number. I encountered dozens who quoted 'TN' numbers. These were TNxxyyzz where the digits were the date of birth in xx/yy/zz format.

The problem of course is that there is always the possibility that there were other people with the same employer and the same date of birth.

And some of the folk I encountered had been working over a decade. I always refused to process any further until they sorted out a unique NINO and suggested they sort out their contribution history.

I too remember the chaos caused by TN - clearly the person answering on the HRMC forum is under 40 and thus not old enough to have the same unhappy memories!

OP - just another thought. Have a look at your NHS pension record/personal details https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/member-hub/my-nhs-pension#:~:text=My%20NHS%20Pension%20is%20a,details%20we%20hold%20for%20you and check what it shows as your start date in the pension scheme - it's possible (although not probable) that the pension scheme records might actually be correct and show 1996. 

Juan55

That’s great Marcon, I will do, thanks again and thank you also to Ras!

mark55man

Let us know how you get on, we love a happy ending on this forum - and I sense happy is the likely ending

Juan55

Well, following on Marcon’s advice (thanks again!), I received my employment history in the post today. 

It says for the tax year 1995/96 (my first job in the UK started July 1996): “Entered National Insurance Scheme 1 July 1996”. But all the other columns (source of income, earnings, tax, NI, are blank)

then it says 1996/7 to 2000/1: “No Employers Recorded”. All other columns blank.

then it says 2001/2: Nottingham City Hospital (where I worked from Jan 2000, which is the month I applied for my NI number. And has my earnings, tax and NI paid listed.

I am wondering what I should do at this point? Should I contact the hospital I worked at from 1996 to 2000, to ask them to get in touch with HMRC to tell them I did pay NI for those years although I didn’t have a NI number (I think they have probably outsourced their payroll by now). 

Or should I write to HMRC again about this? Thanks very much once more for any advice! 

Marcon

Juan55 said:

Well, following on Marcon’s advice (thanks again!), I received my employment history in the post today. 

It says for the tax year 1995/96 (my first job in the UK started July 1996): “Entered National Insurance Scheme 1 July 1996”. But all the other columns (source of income, earnings, tax, NI, are blank)

then it says 1996/7 to 2000/1: “No Employers Recorded”. All other columns blank.

then it says 2001/2: Nottingham City Hospital (where I worked from Jan 2000, which is the month I applied for my NI number. And has my earnings, tax and NI paid listed.

I am wondering what I should do at this point? Should I contact the hospital I worked at from 1996 to 2000, to ask them to get in touch with HMRC to tell them I did pay NI for those years although I didn’t have a NI number (I think they have probably outsourced their payroll by now). 

Or should I write to HMRC again about this? Thanks very much once more for any advice! 

Nothing lost (and potentially much to gain) by doing both. I'd enclose a photocopy of your payslip to show you were paying category D NI.

Please keep this thread updated, especially if you encounter any 'resistance'...!

Juan55

Thanks Marcon, I will try this and let you know here what happens. 

Thanks again
Juan