Confused about buying Pre 2016 and Post 2016 years

molerat

My calculations, from the information provided, show that moving that year from pre to post must increase the pension from the current £226.33 to £227.50. And it only works with a COPE as without that deduction the current amount cannot be £226.33. I am afraid there is nothing more that I can add and you are now banging your head against the DWP / HMRC brick wall.

snowstormcat

Thanks for your help. I had a feeling this wasn't going to be easy!

molerat

To get to the bottom of this you need to ask the questions "what was my 2016 starting amount" and "what was my pre 2016 additional pension amount" as they can then be compared to the 2024 figure to see if that was correct and included the COPE. There have been a few cases where previously unrecorded contracted out service has been found and amounts have been adjusted.

snowstormcat

Thank you. I will call next week and ask the suggested questions.

molerat

I have done a bit more playing around with the spreadsheet. If the contracted out service was only found after that 24/25 forecast was generated then using a figure of £188.53 instead of the £189.59, £205.66 v £206.82 at today's rate, gives the exact scenario you are seeing - moving the payment from pre 2016 to post 2016 makes 1p difference to the new amount. So it could well be that the starting amount, both old and new and so the 24/25 amount, was decreased by the contracted out service being added in to the mix.

snowstormcat

I asked the questions and my 2016 starting amount was £137.10 and pre 2016 additional pension amount was £9.22

molerat

That then, as I suspected, reduces the 24/25 amount to £188.52 from the previously quoted £189.59 due to the late application of the contracted out deduction. On that basis their calculations are correct. You are being credited with the full £6.89 for each year but from a lower starting point than was advised in the 24/25 forecast.

snowstormcat

Thanks for this. So had I purchased all 3yrs post 2016 the result would have been the same and there's nothing further for me to do?

molerat

Correct, well, within that 1p anyway.

snowstormcat

Thank you for all your help molerat - it's really appreciated!