SERP - how to find out if I was contracted out?

djdw

Hello

I'm reasonably confident I contracted out of SERPS around 1987 / 88 (I worked at an insurance brokers and it was encouraged).  But I left this employment in 1989 to return to full time education and didn't return to work full time until around 1994.  I don't recall ever receiving any documentation.

Most of my enquires have resulted in a dead-end so far.  I've tried various free tools which have so far not found any matching policies or details of providers.

However, the gov.uk pension website suggests I was most likely contracted out due to the time frame.

With no payslips from this period (and employers long gone), is there any other method to find out conclusively whether any policy might exist?

Marcon

djdw said:

Hello

I'm reasonably confident I contracted out of SERPS around 1987 / 88 (I worked at an insurance brokers and it was encouraged).  But I left this employment in 1989 to return to full time education and didn't return to work full time until around 1994.  I don't recall ever receiving any documentation.

Most of my enquires have resulted in a dead-end so far.  I've tried various free tools which have so far not found any matching policies or details of providers.

However, the gov.uk pension website suggests I was most likely contracted out due to the time frame.

With no payslips from this period (and employers long gone), is there any other method to find out conclusively whether any policy might exist?

Yes. See my post of 15 May 2021: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6267734/is-there-a-really-detailed-online-method-to-check-nics/p1

If you read the whole of that thread (sorry for the length!), you'll see why that would help you - and also be conclusive. 

djdw

Marcon said:

djdw said:

Hello

I'm reasonably confident I contracted out of SERPS around 1987 / 88 (I worked at an insurance brokers and it was encouraged).  But I left this employment in 1989 to return to full time education and didn't return to work full time until around 1994.  I don't recall ever receiving any documentation.

Most of my enquires have resulted in a dead-end so far.  I've tried various free tools which have so far not found any matching policies or details of providers.

However, the gov.uk pension website suggests I was most likely contracted out due to the time frame.

With no payslips from this period (and employers long gone), is there any other method to find out conclusively whether any policy might exist?

Yes. See my post of 15 May 2021: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6267734/is-there-a-really-detailed-online-method-to-check-nics/p1

If you read the whole of that thread (sorry for the length!), you'll see why that would help you - and also be conclusive. 

Thanks for the swift response and saving me searching.  I'll read it through.  Thank you.

dunstonh

I'm reasonably confident I contracted out of SERPS around 1987 / 88 (I worked at an insurance brokers and it was encouraged).  But I left this employment in 1989 to return to full time education and didn't return to work full time until around 1994.  I don't recall ever receiving any documentation.

Contracting out started in 1988 with an APPP.   If you left work in the 1988/89 tax year, then its likely that you may have contracted out on paper but not actually built up enough for a rebate.   The period you were a student could not be contracted out as you were not paying NI.

However, the gov.uk pension website suggests I was most likely contracted out due to the time frame.

Statistically likely if you were working.   However, you wouldn't have been during your period of education.   From 1994, did that employer operate a pension scheme?   Did you contract out again for the new employment?

If the advice firm that you were working for still exists, then it's possible that they would retain a record.

Silvertabby

Contracting out started 6 April 1978 and finally ended 5 March 2016.

April 1988 marked a GMP tweek (and a LOT of new pension scheme rules!).