Total pension contribution years required

Sausagedoge

On the government gateway I can see the I'm eligible to full state pension even though some years I was contracted out (Although they don't state on the website which years were opted out). This maximum state pension is based on me working until 67. What I want to know is how many years I'm required to work? I'm luck to be retiring early. I will have 40 years of contributions (an unknown number opted out). How do I find out how many years in my personal case I require to get a full state pension? I guess the government doesn't want you knowing that you are contributing "unnecessarily" but equally I should be able to request total years required.

Does anyone know how to get this information from the government?

eastcorkram

Your state pension forecast should tell you that information.

molerat

It is clearly stated in the texts below the big green box.

El_Torro

If the forecast on the gov.uk website is saying that you are eligible for a full state pension then it could be that you have already qualified, no more years required. That might be why you are confused by the wording.

sammyjammy

You are not paying National insurance just to entitle you to a state pension, think of it as a tax just like income tax.

itsthelittlethings

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6664093/total-pension-contribution-years-required

The information is on the pension website, it says log in to check my pension and then it clearly tells you. Not sure if it tells you if you are thinking of retiring early.

molerat

It will either show something like (the amounts are out of date but the format is the same)

Which clearly states you need to contribute another X years to reach the full amount

or

which means you are already there.

itsthelittlethings

Oh yeah so it tells you exactly how many more years you have to work.

Sausagedoge

The website is based on me contributing until my retirement age. That's the assumption in the calculations. As it says I can't do anything else to increase your pension (If I work and contribute until I'm 67) It doesn't state if I stop working (contributing) 9 years early what my pension would be!

molerat

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81962876#Comment_81962876

No it isn't. The forecast clearly states, in the big green box, what you are expected to receive by the time you reach retirement. It then goes on to state how much you have already achieved and how many more years, if any, that you need to contribute to reach that big green box amount and is depicted in those two illustrations I posted.

If it is telling you, in the text below the box, that you have £241.30 and that is the only amount shown and you cannot improve your forecst with no mention of contributing further years then you have reached the max and if you stopped working today that situation would not change.

Suhusa

You also won't be able to draw your state pension early if you retire early. You will get a bit more if you defer your state pension, but there's no option to draw it earlier and getting a bit less.