What do you need to have to claim the full state pension?

Ovaltine55

I am currently receiving a state pension of £161.30. I have checked my national insurance record which states I  have 39 years of full contributions. The DWP says that you need 35 full years to qualify for the full state pension. I have called on numerous occasions to ask them for a written explanation of why I don't qualify when I have more than the 35 years required. Can anyone help? I am 68 and have been getting state pension since 66. Thank you.

Marcon

Ovaltine55 said:

I am currently receiving a state pension of £161.30. I have checked my national insurance record which states I  have 39 years of full contributions. The DWP says that you need 35 full years to qualify for the full state pension. I have called on numerous occasions to ask them for a written explanation of why I don't qualify when I have more than the 35 years required. Can anyone help? I am 68 and have been getting state pension since 66. Thank you.

Ever been a member of a pension scheme which was contracted out, or had a pension you set up called an 'appropriate' personal pension?

Dazed_and_C0nfused

Ovaltine55 said:

I am currently receiving a state pension of £161.30. I have checked my national insurance record which states I  have 39 years of full contributions. The DWP says that you need 35 full years to qualify for the full state pension. I have called on numerous occasions to ask them for a written explanation of why I don't qualify when I have more than the 35 years required. Can anyone help? I am 68 and have been getting state pension since 66. Thank you.

Can you show us where DWP have said that?

You appear to be reading rules for those starting to accrue NI years from 2016 onwards.

The rules for those with an NI record prior to 2016 are completely different and having 35 (or 39) years is of little or no relevance.

Do you have any post 2016 years you could buy?

molerat

It looks like they have rewritten the guide and rewritten the page that many people seemed to misread.

https://www.gov.uk/new-state-pension

Ovaltine55

Thank you all. You have been more helpful than my calls to the pension office. I've never had a contracted out pension. I've also sent off a form requesting the Specified Adult Childcare credits as I gave up working to provide childcare for my grandchildren. I've been told I can expect a reply to that query on 13th December 24 !!!! Thanks again everyone. 

xylophone

I've never had a contracted out pension.

 Are you sure of this? Do you have any pension other than the state pension?

The full NSP has reached £203.85 in the current tax year -  you are on £161.30 a week?

At 6/4/2016, two calculations were done to establish your starting amount for New State Pension. 

It was the higher of 

Old Rules

NI qualifying years (max 30)/30 x Full Basic SP (£119.30) + (Additional State Pension - (if applicable) Deduction for Contracting Out.

New Rules

{NIQY (max 35)/35 x Full NSP (£155.65)} - (if applicable) Contracted Out Pension Equivalent.

How many NIQY did you have at 5/4/16?

And from 6/4/16 to the last full tax year before you reached SPA?

Silvertabby

Have you ever worked in the public sector?  If so, you may have automatically been put into their (contracted out) pension scheme without realising it.