Work 4 months - earn a “full year” of NI for state pension?

What_time_is_it

If I work for the first 4 months of the tax year, and then don’t work for the remaining 8 months, will I get a full year of NI towards my state pension? Providing I have had taxable earnings of over £6,500 up to 31st July 2025?

is that right?
is the “lel” the figure I need to reach?
is this £6,500?
or does it have to be a certain amount every month to get a full year?

Thankd!

Flugelhorn

I think I managed to do this - retired end of April one year, got my accrued leave paid in the next month ie May and was credited with a years' NI

On-the-coast

Not sure it’s quite that simple but owing to timing of bonuses etc I’d already contributed £1000 in NI payments by the end of May. So yes a full year of contribution. Not that it’ll add to my pension as I’ve already hit the maximum. 

Marcon

A qualifying year is generally a tax year in which an individual has paid (or is treated as having paid) NICs or was credited with NICs on earnings of at least 52 times the lower earnings limit (LEL).

The weekly LEL for the 2025/26 tax year is £125. This means you need to have earned at least £6,500 (for 2025/26), but you need to exclude any week where you earned less than £125.

This means you could satisfy a qualifying year by earning £300 for 25 weeks in the tax year and only earning £100 in total for the other 27 weeks of the year; but you would not satisfy the condition if you earned £300 for 10 weeks and then £100 for the other 42 weeks of the year. 

Source: https://www.litrg.org.uk/pensions/state-pension/national-insurance-and-state-pension#2

What_time_is_it

Thanks for the responses.

Do I have to earn something every week (or month) though? Or can I earn in 4 months, and then not work for the next 8 months? Would that still count as a full year in terms of building my state pension?

Marcon

What_time_is_it said:

Thanks for the responses.

Do I have to earn something every week (or month) though? Or can I earn in 4 months, and then not work for the next 8 months? Would that still count as a full year in terms of building my state pension?

See my post above.

What_time_is_it

Marcon said:

What_time_is_it said:

Thanks for the responses.

Do I have to earn something every week (or month) though? Or can I earn in 4 months, and then not work for the next 8 months? Would that still count as a full year in terms of building my state pension?

See my post above.

Thanks. I read your post, but it doesn’t address my specific circumstances. The examples given are for someone who works throughout the year and earns over the lel, and then someone who works throughout the year but earns under the lel.

My question relates to earning for 4 months, exceeding the lel, and then not not working at all (and not claiming benefits) for the remaining 8 months. It’s this scenario that I am having difficulty in finding clear answers on.

Thanks so much for your responses though. 

Dazed_and_C0nfused

What_time_is_it said:

Marcon said:

What_time_is_it said:

Thanks for the responses.

Do I have to earn something every week (or month) though? Or can I earn in 4 months, and then not work for the next 8 months? Would that still count as a full year in terms of building my state pension?

See my post above.

Thanks. I read your post, but it doesn’t address my specific circumstances. The examples given are for someone who works throughout the year and earns over the lel, and then someone who works throughout the year but earns under the lel.

My question relates to earning for 4 months, exceeding the lel, and then not not working at all (and not claiming benefits) for the remaining 8 months. It’s this scenario that I am having difficulty in finding clear answers on.

Thanks so much for your responses though. 

This paragraph was included in the post by @Marcon

The weekly LEL for the 2025/26 tax year is £125. This means you need to have earned at least £6,500 (for 2025/26), but you need to exclude any week where you earned less than £125.

What_time_is_it

Dazed_and_C0nfused said:

What_time_is_it said:

Marcon said:

What_time_is_it said:

Thanks for the responses.

Do I have to earn something every week (or month) though? Or can I earn in 4 months, and then not work for the next 8 months? Would that still count as a full year in terms of building my state pension?

See my post above.

Thanks. I read your post, but it doesn’t address my specific circumstances. The examples given are for someone who works throughout the year and earns over the lel, and then someone who works throughout the year but earns under the lel.

My question relates to earning for 4 months, exceeding the lel, and then not not working at all (and not claiming benefits) for the remaining 8 months. It’s this scenario that I am having difficulty in finding clear answers on.

Thanks so much for your responses though. 

This paragraph was included in the post by @Marcon

The weekly LEL for the 2025/26 tax year is £125. This means you need to have earned at least £6,500 (for 2025/26), but you need to exclude any week where you earned less than £125.

Dazed_and_C0nfused said:

What_time_is_it said:

Marcon said:

What_time_is_it said:

Thanks for the responses.

Do I have to earn something every week (or month) though? Or can I earn in 4 months, and then not work for the next 8 months? Would that still count as a full year in terms of building my state pension?

See my post above.

Thanks. I read your post, but it doesn’t address my specific circumstances. The examples given are for someone who works throughout the year and earns over the lel, and then someone who works throughout the year but earns under the lel.

My question relates to earning for 4 months, exceeding the lel, and then not not working at all (and not claiming benefits) for the remaining 8 months. It’s this scenario that I am having difficulty in finding clear answers on.

Thanks so much for your responses though. 

This paragraph was included in the post by @Marcon

The weekly LEL for the 2025/26 tax year is £125. This means you need to have earned at least £6,500 (for 2025/26), but you need to exclude any week where you earned less than £125.

Thanks. I did read that. Perhaps I am misunderstanding something here? 

Dazed_and_C0nfused

What_time_is_it said:

Dazed_and_C0nfused said:

What_time_is_it said:

Marcon said:

What_time_is_it said:

Thanks for the responses.

Do I have to earn something every week (or month) though? Or can I earn in 4 months, and then not work for the next 8 months? Would that still count as a full year in terms of building my state pension?

See my post above.

Thanks. I read your post, but it doesn’t address my specific circumstances. The examples given are for someone who works throughout the year and earns over the lel, and then someone who works throughout the year but earns under the lel.

My question relates to earning for 4 months, exceeding the lel, and then not not working at all (and not claiming benefits) for the remaining 8 months. It’s this scenario that I am having difficulty in finding clear answers on.

Thanks so much for your responses though. 

This paragraph was included in the post by @Marcon

The weekly LEL for the 2025/26 tax year is £125. This means you need to have earned at least £6,500 (for 2025/26), but you need to exclude any week where you earned less than £125.

Dazed_and_C0nfused said:

What_time_is_it said:

Marcon said:

What_time_is_it said:

Thanks for the responses.

Do I have to earn something every week (or month) though? Or can I earn in 4 months, and then not work for the next 8 months? Would that still count as a full year in terms of building my state pension?

See my post above.

Thanks. I read your post, but it doesn’t address my specific circumstances. The examples given are for someone who works throughout the year and earns over the lel, and then someone who works throughout the year but earns under the lel.

My question relates to earning for 4 months, exceeding the lel, and then not not working at all (and not claiming benefits) for the remaining 8 months. It’s this scenario that I am having difficulty in finding clear answers on.

Thanks so much for your responses though. 

This paragraph was included in the post by @Marcon

The weekly LEL for the 2025/26 tax year is £125. This means you need to have earned at least £6,500 (for 2025/26), but you need to exclude any week where you earned less than £125.

Thanks. I did read that. Perhaps I am misunderstanding something here? 

It was an explanation of how to gain a qualifying year.  So if one of those weeks where you earned less than £125 was one where you earned £0 and you couldn't get a qualifying year why would that lime be there in the explanation.

What_time_is_it

No worries. I’m still not clear on my original question! Never mind. Thanks again. Appreciate it.