NI Contributions/Pension Top Up

BernieLondon

Good afternoon all

I am hoping for some advice & perhaps solving a mystery!

My Wife was surprisingly awarded a State Pension of £556.00 a month when she reached 65 in 2021.  I was awarded a full State Pension in 2024.

I am saying "surprisingly" as she has not worked since 1978.  She started work in 1973 & left in 1978 to become a Stay at Home Mother.  Sadly she had a stroke in the early 1990s & never recovered enough to be able to return to work at any time.  I had to take a 5 year leave of work from 1991 to 1995 to look after her.

When she had a further stroke in 2011 I had to give up work again to become her full time carer. 

As she has not worked since 1978 & paid no NI contributions we really thought she would not get a State Pension as at all.

We are hoping to make some NI Contributions to "fill the gaps" in the hope that her State Pension could be increased. I have tried doing it online but we cannot make her a Gateway Account as she does not have a driving license or passport.  I have tried ringing the Future Pensions people for weeks now but have had no luck in getting an answer.

Any advice or help would be very much appreciated.

Best wishes all.

molerat

If she was in receipt of child benefit after 1978 she would have got credits up until the last child was 16 - MrsM got 20 years of credits for the 2 kids worth £126.40 per week today.

Was she on disability benefits ?  Many of those come with NI credits.

You can register for a callback from DWP. that will hold the April cut off.  Take a screenshot of the form and the "received" screen

https://secure.dwp.gov.uk/request-a-call-back-to-pay-voluntary-national-insurance-contributions/contact-form

BernieLondon

Thank you for the reply.  Yes, there was child benefit paid up until 1984.  She was on Disabled Living Allowance and PiP for a number of years too.

I just registered for a DWP Call Back and got a screenshot too.

Thank you again.