I have 35+ years of NI contributions but they aren’t the right years!?

RosJess

I thought I would look into my pension given all the publicity about NI contributions. It turns out I am not getting the full pension although I have more than 35 years of contributions. I am told the reason is that I didn’t make contributions in the 6 years before I reached retirement age. I have searched everywhere to see exactly where this requirement is stated but all I see is that you need 35 years to get the pension. Does anyone know where I can find out about this? I would just like to see know exactly what the rules are

Silvertabby

RosJess said:

I thought I would look into my pension given all the publicity about NI contributions. It turns out I am not getting the full pension although I have more than 35 years of contributions. I am told the reason is that I didn’t make contributions in the 6 years before I reached retirement age. I have searched everywhere to see exactly where this requirement is stated but all I see is that you need 35 years to get the pension. Does anyone know where I can find out about this? I would just like to see know exactly what the rules are

This oft quoted 35 years only really applies to those who started work after April 2016.  The rest of us are under transitional arrangements, each with our own very individual calculations.  At the moment, the going rate for the  new single tier pension is anything between 28 and 50 years of NI contributions. 

When did you retire/stop paying NI,  when did you reach SPA, and how much is your pension?

Linton

35 years only applies to people who only paid NI after the new pension arrangements came into effect in 2016, which is virtually no-one retiring now, People who paid NI previously are subject to transition arrangements, Depending on your detailed circumstances the number of years for the full new SP can vary between about 29 to around 50.

You should to go https://www.gov.uk/check-state-pension to find out precisely how much SP you are due and how many NI years you need to pay to reach the maximum. If you are still confused tell us the data from the website and people here can explain exactly what is going on.

RosJess

Silvertabby said:

RosJess said:

I thought I would look into my pension given all the publicity about NI contributions. It turns out I am not getting the full pension although I have more than 35 years of contributions. I am told the reason is that I didn’t make contributions in the 6 years before I reached retirement age. I have searched everywhere to see exactly where this requirement is stated but all I see is that you need 35 years to get the pension. Does anyone know where I can find out about this? I would just like to see know exactly what the rules are

This oft quoted 35 years only really applies to those who started work after April 2016.  The rest of us are under transitional arrangements, each with our own very individual calculations.  At the moment, the going rate for the  new single tier pension is anything between 28 and 50 years of NI contributions. 

When did you retire/stop paying NI,  when did you reach SPA, and how much is your pension?

I stopped working at 60 and reached pension age two years ago. I get about £15 a week less than the full pension. 

I could pay about £7,000 for the last six years to top up but don’t think it’s worth it. I was just curious as to why everyone quotes 35 weeks being the important figure when it isn’t really that at all

Dazed_and_C0nfused

RosJess said:

Silvertabby said:

RosJess said:

I thought I would look into my pension given all the publicity about NI contributions. It turns out I am not getting the full pension although I have more than 35 years of contributions. I am told the reason is that I didn’t make contributions in the 6 years before I reached retirement age. I have searched everywhere to see exactly where this requirement is stated but all I see is that you need 35 years to get the pension. Does anyone know where I can find out about this? I would just like to see know exactly what the rules are

This oft quoted 35 years only really applies to those who started work after April 2016.  The rest of us are under transitional arrangements, each with our own very individual calculations.  At the moment, the going rate for the  new single tier pension is anything between 28 and 50 years of NI contributions. 

When did you retire/stop paying NI,  when did you reach SPA, and how much is your pension?

I stopped working at 60 and reached pension age two years ago. I get about £15 a week less than the full pension. 

I could pay about £7,000 for the last six years to top up but don’t think it’s worth it. I was just curious as to why everyone quotes 35 weeks being the important figure when it isn’t really that at all

Why do you think paying 6 years is remotely necessary 🤔

Have you actually read anything at all about the new State Pension?

Each post 2016 year will add £6.32/week.  Capped at £221.20 for you.

So if you are exactly £15.00 short of £221.20 two additional years will take you from £206.20 to £218.84.  Fantastic value for money.

A third year adds the final £2.36, not so good value but still an extra £122/year.  Which will become nearly an extra £128/year from April 2025.  And benefits from the triple lock increases each year thereafter. 

Silvertabby

RosJess said:

Silvertabby said:

RosJess said:

I thought I would look into my pension given all the publicity about NI contributions. It turns out I am not getting the full pension although I have more than 35 years of contributions. I am told the reason is that I didn’t make contributions in the 6 years before I reached retirement age. I have searched everywhere to see exactly where this requirement is stated but all I see is that you need 35 years to get the pension. Does anyone know where I can find out about this? I would just like to see know exactly what the rules are

This oft quoted 35 years only really applies to those who started work after April 2016.  The rest of us are under transitional arrangements, each with our own very individual calculations.  At the moment, the going rate for the  new single tier pension is anything between 28 and 50 years of NI contributions. 

When did you retire/stop paying NI,  when did you reach SPA, and how much is your pension?

I stopped working at 60 and reached pension age two years ago. I get about £15 a week less than the full pension. 

I could pay about £7,000 for the last six years to top up but don’t think it’s worth it. I was just curious as to why everyone quotes 35 weeks being the important figure when it isn’t really that at all

Everyone who quotes 35 years as being the magic figure is quite simply wrong.

We are much of a much the same age, and I also retired at 60.  In my case I needed to pay 4 years of voluntary NI to take me up to the full nSP rate.  Even as a (BR) taxpayer in retirement, the break even point is less than 4 years.

In your case, as your State pension is already around £206 per week, you would only need to pay 2 or 3 years of NI.  Each year will add £6.32, so 2 years will take you up to £218.64.  You can't exceed £221.20 per week, so a 3rd full year of NI contributions will only give you £2.56.  Either way, the cost will be much less than the £7K you think it would cost you.

Even though you have passed SPA, it's still worth doing, but you need to get a wriggle on - your pension will only be increased from the date your payment is received, ie won't be back-dated to your 66th birthday. 

pinnks

I too retired at 60 and am shortly to join the state pension club having paid 5 years of voluntary NI.  Assuming the Triple Lock adds only the minimum 2.5% annually for 2026/27 and 2027/28, I will break even (before tax) after 2 years and 5 weeks.  So add about 6 months onto that for the after tax return and you're done and dusted in under 3 years.

molerat

If you post up exactly how much your weekly pension is, £££.pp, and which years are showing as not full in your NI record and the price shown to fill them someone will help point you in the right direction.

p00hsticks

RosJess said:

. I have searched everywhere to see exactly where this requirement is stated but all I see is that you need 35 years to get the pension. Does anyone know where I can find out about this? I would just like to see know exactly what the rules are

This doesn't detail the calculations used to work out your 2016 'starting amount'  (they've been quoted a large number of times on these boards over the last few years, but not recently I think) but Section 3b shoudl explain things a bit for you
Your State Pension explained - GOV.UK 

Marcon

RosJess said:

I thought I would look into my pension given all the publicity about NI contributions. It turns out I am not getting the full pension although I have more than 35 years of contributions. I am told the reason is that I didn’t make contributions in the 6 years before I reached retirement age. I have searched everywhere to see exactly where this requirement is stated but all I see is that you need 35 years to get the pension. Does anyone know where I can find out about this? I would just like to see know exactly what the rules are

There is no such requirement. Who 'told' you this spurious non-reason? It may be that you are short of the full pension and because you retired at 60, the years from then until state pension age are 'not full', which could be where the misunderstanding arose.

RosJess said:

I stopped working at 60 and reached pension age two years ago. I get about £15 a week less than the full pension. 

I could pay about £7,000 for the last six years to top up but don’t think it’s worth it. I was just curious as to why everyone quotes 35 weeks being the important figure when it isn’t really that at all

Not everyone does (read this site!), but unhappily this figure is routinely reported in the media and, quite reasonably, people tend to believe it, given that it is often well regarded financial journalists and the like who spout this bit of misinformation.

RosJess

Dazed_and_C0nfused said:

RosJess said:

Silvertabby said:

RosJess said:

I thought I would look into my pension given all the publicity about NI contributions. It turns out I am not getting the full pension although I have more than 35 years of contributions. I am told the reason is that I didn’t make contributions in the 6 years before I reached retirement age. I have searched everywhere to see exactly where this requirement is stated but all I see is that you need 35 years to get the pension. Does anyone know where I can find out about this? I would just like to see know exactly what the rules are

This oft quoted 35 years only really applies to those who started work after April 2016.  The rest of us are under transitional arrangements, each with our own very individual calculations.  At the moment, the going rate for the  new single tier pension is anything between 28 and 50 years of NI contributions. 

When did you retire/stop paying NI,  when did you reach SPA, and how much is your pension?

I stopped working at 60 and reached pension age two years ago. I get about £15 a week less than the full pension. 

I could pay about £7,000 for the last six years to top up but don’t think it’s worth it. I was just curious as to why everyone quotes 35 weeks being the important figure when it isn’t really that at all

Why do you think paying 6 years is remotely necessary 🤔

Have you actually read anything at all about the new State Pension?

Each post 2016 year will add £6.32/week.  Capped at £221.20 for you.

So if you are exactly £15.00 short of £221.20 two additional years will take you from £206.20 to £218.84.  Fantastic value for money.

A third year adds the final £2.36, not so good value but still an extra £122/year.  Which will become nearly an extra £128/year from April 2025.  And benefits from the triple lock increases each year thereafter. 

I have tried to do some research but as I said, everything says you need 35 years to get the maximum and as I have that  I rang for clarification and was told I needed to have paid for the previous six years to qualify and as I haven’t paid for any of those years that is why I understood I needed to pay the full amount!