NI wrong year

[Deleted User]

Last year following advice from the Future Pensions Service I purchased 7 additional years, which I was advised would entitle me to a full state pension. I waited 9 months for these to show online and after all that the SRP forecast advised I was still 1 year short. After further discussion with the FPS I decided to purchase yet another year, even though I was less than £2 per week short, I gambled it would be worth it in the long run. 5 months later the additional NI is showing correctly online but my SRP forecast is still 1 year short. On querying this with the Pensions Service I was advised that because the additional year purchased was pre 2016 it didn't count!
At no time was I advised of this rule and it would appear that HMRC are happy to take payments in the knowledge that it will make no difference. It would be nice if they had notified me of this error, but they let me carry on thinking I had prepared fully for a maximum pension. As I am 4 years away from my SRP age I doubt this would have been able to have been rectified when I came to claim it. I wonder how many other people have paid in the wrong years & are unaware of the possible shortfall? This pre 2016 rule should be notified to everyone that rings the FPS so no one else contributes to the HMRC coffers.

Dazed_and_C0nfused

You are the first person I can recollect who claims to have received incorrect advice from Future Pension Centre.  

They are usually the First Direct of the civil service!

It sounds like you don't really understand how the new State Pension works but if you post your NI history and State Pension forecast details you will get some help on here.

Buying pre 2016 years don't usually add value if you already have 30.

molerat

Something is not right here - did you buy the specific years that FPC told you to or did you just go and buy the random 7 cheapest and then another ? It would also seem that one of those 7 did not add to the pension.  HMRC have no knowledge of how buying NI years will affect your pension, they are simply a collector of taxes, it is not their job.  The "2016 rule" does not affect everyone, it is down to your personal circumstances and the .gov page only mentions adding post 2016 years.

If you bought specific years as advised by FPC then you would have cause for complaint but it would be very unusual if that was the case as they are very good at giving accurate information. Otherwise all you can do now is go cap in hand to HMRC and tell them you made a silly mistake, all your own fault, and would they consider refunding that payment or if you  have any gaps left post 2016 - your pension forecast would be clear on if you could add any more - ask them to reallocate that payment. 

Which years did you buy overall ?