HMRC have lost record of some of my contributions

Debs24_2

I worked in the same job (on pretty low pay but very long hours) from 1983 until 1991. Recently I checked on the government website what I should be receiving in terms of state pension as I will be 60 this year. It claims that I have three missing years of contributions from 1984 - 87. This is not possible as I worked in the same job from 83 - 91, and there is no way that I would have paid contributions in 1983, but not for the next three years. When I queried this with HMRC recently, they said it was up to me to prove that I HAD paid NI contributions during those years. Unfortunately I have long since disposed of any P60s from the last century, and this was long before the internet age. I have absolutely no proof that I paid them other than that there is no possible explanation why I would not have paid them, being in the same job all those years, with a responsible employer who would have done all the necessary legal stuff properly. Unfortunately I am in danger of not having the necessary number of years to make up the full state pension, so it is really important to me to be able to claim back those missing three years. I have approached the employer I was with then, but they no longer have any records going back that far. I have also contacted the private pension company I was part of then, but the pension didn't start until 1987, so they are also unable to help me in terms of contributions made. 

Is it possible that HMRC have just LOST any record of my contributions for those three years, and if so, how could this possibly have happened? 

molerat

It is quite possible that the records have been lost / not transferred from the employer, a lot of it was done on pieces of paper. Unusual for more than one though.

Post up some details from your forecast and someone will help with the way forward

Current weekly £££.pp amount up to April 2024.
Number of full NI years 15-16 and earlier
Number of full NI years 16-17 and later
Tax year you reach state retirement
Any COPE amount.  If you have "You've been in a contracted-out pension scheme" on your forecast then click
here https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/check-your-state-pension/account/cope whilst logged into your tax account
Years which show not full and prices

Veteransaver

Is it possible that you were somehow "off the books" for 84-87 at that employer? Maybe you were too low paid or an apprentice to have been properly on the books.
And 1983 was maybe for a different job, earlier in the tax year?

QrizB

Debs24_2 said:

I worked in the same job (on pretty low pay but very long hours) from 1983 until 1991. Recently I checked on the government website what I should be receiving in terms of state pension as I will be 60 this year.

You were born in 1965? If so, you'll probably have automatically been given "free" NI years when you were 16, 17 and 18. Those will be from 1981 to 1983, I think?

Debs24_2 said:

This is not possible as I worked in the same job from 83 - 91, and there is no way that I would have paid contributions in 1983, but not for the next three years.

1983 will potentially be one of your "free" years, unrelated to your employment.

Debs24_2 said:

I have also contacted the private pension company I was part of then, but the pension didn't start until 1987, so they are also unable to help me in terms of contributions made. 

Is it possible that your employer didn't start reporting your NI payments at all until you joined the private pension scheme in 1987? Did something else change in 1987, eg. you got a py rise / promotion, and you were now earning enough to pay NI when you weren't before?

Debs24_2

QrizB said:

Debs24_2 said:

I worked in the same job (on pretty low pay but very long hours) from 1983 until 1991. Recently I checked on the government website what I should be receiving in terms of state pension as I will be 60 this year.

You were born in 1965? If so, you'll probably have automatically been given "free" NI years when you were 16, 17 and 18. Those will be from 1981 to 1983, I think?

Debs24_2 said:

This is not possible as I worked in the same job from 83 - 91, and there is no way that I would have paid contributions in 1983, but not for the next three years.

1983 will potentially be one of your "free" years, unrelated to your employment.

Debs24_2 said:

I have also contacted the private pension company I was part of then, but the pension didn't start until 1987, so they are also unable to help me in terms of contributions made. 

Is it possible that your employer didn't start reporting your NI payments at all until you joined the private pension scheme in 1987? Did something else change in 1987, eg. you got a py rise / promotion, and you were now earning enough to pay NI when you weren't before?

I think now that QrizB may have hit the nail on the head. I was a student and got credit for NI for 1981, 2 and 3, and therefore I thought the 1983 contribution was based on my pay, whereas actually it was more likely for being in full time education. I was on very low pay from the middle of 1983 - so much so that I got rent rebate. Therefore I have to assume that I did not earn enough to pay NI contributions until 1987, which is annoying, but kind of makes sense now.

Many thanks to all who were kind enough to reply to this. 

squirrelpie

Debs24_2 said:

Unfortunately I am in danger of not having the necessary number of years to make up the full state pension, so it is really important to me to be able to claim back those missing three years.

It sounds unlikely that you will not be able to fill some gaps and claim the full state pension. If you post the details molerat asked for, somebody can calculate and tell you exactly what you need to do to get a full state pension.

GunJack

Also, if you're only turning 60 this year you won't be due the state pension until 66 or 67, so you have time to either earn more years through employment or voluntary contributions.