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

RosJess

Marcon 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

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.

I rang the Pension Service from the gov.uk link

Dazed_and_C0nfused

RosJess said:

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!

Who did you ring?

I would be amazed if Future Pension Centre had told you that.

This is the gov.uk guidance.  The section If your National Insurance record started before April 2016 seems fairly clear to be honest.

https://www.gov.uk/new-state-pension/what-youll-get

molerat

RosJess said:

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!

You obviously misunderstood what was being relayed to you, likely told that you have not made any contributions in the past six years since 2016, not that you need to purchase all those years.

Anyway, if you provide the following information

£££.pp current weekly pension

Years showing as not filled and cost to fill them

you will get the information needed if you wish to contact The Pension Service to arrange increasing your pension entitlement. But the clock is ticking and many of those years cease to be available from April.

Marcon

RosJess said:

Marcon 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

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.

I rang the Pension Service from the gov.uk link

I think there might then have been crossed wires over exactly what they said and what you heard - rather too common in anything relating to pensions.

You have six years which are not 'full' and they just happen to be the ones leading up to when you reached state pension age. As someone has already explained to you earlier in this thread, you don't need to buy six years to get a full state pension, nor is 35 the 'magic number' for someone under transitional provisions (which you are, given your age) from old to new state pension.

Have faith in what some of the old hands are posting here - or at least check it out before dismissing it as 'wrong'.

xylophone

On 6/4/16, two calculations were done to establish your "starting (foundation) amount" for NSP.

It was the higher of

Old Rules

NI Qualifying Years (max 30)/30 x Full Basic State Pension (£119.30) + (SERPS/S2P - (if applicable) Deduction for Contracting Out)

New Rules

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

You mention that you had more than 35 NIQY when you retired age 60 some 8/9 years ago.

Your "starting amount " was short of a full NSP because you had been a member of a pension scheme that was contracted out of

SERPS/S2P.

However, you had several years before you reached SPA. 

Had you been working up to your SPA and earning the relevant amount, contributions/credits for years from 6/4/2016 would have

enabled you to achieve qualifying years to improve your SP up to (but not in excess of) a full NSP.

You can still improve your SP by making voluntary contributions.

https://www.gov.uk/voluntary-national-insurance-contributions 

It is just a question of how many years you need to buy to bring you up to/as close as possible to the full new SP.



See https://www.lcp.com/media/1150050/why-is-money-being-deducted-from-my-state-pension.pdf   particularly page 16.

and https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81263089/#Comment_81263089