UK state Pension qualifying Years.....

[BobBKK]

8 minutes ago, Chivas said:

 

0800 731 0175 is the number I've called them on several times over last couple years

 

The wait never seems to be more than quarter of an hour if you phone before 9am UK as I did.....they open 8am

 I have 14 years of gaps at around 800 quid a gap so I doubt it is viable for 2000 increase a month

[BobBKK]

UPDATE

I just got off the phone. They are double-checking, but it appears that I cannot pay additional contributions, and the government gateway is wrong.

It might be academic, as I owe 14 years of top-up NI due to contracting out, and it would cost 500,000 to top up to give me a 2000-a-month additional pension (20 years before breaking even).

[Burma Bill]

On 8/8/2024 at 1:19 PM, Chivas said:

I have spent so long in Thailand this last 4 decades that the contribution record was fractured

 

  With the greatest respect, this is why you experience problems with your State Pension. 

 

For each of the 35 qualifying years, you must pay full National Insurance (NI) contributions to get your full State Pension.

 

I have 40 qualifying years of full NI payments "in the bag". I started paying NI when aged 16 and then throughout my continuous working career until I retired at the age of 56. 

 

Unfortunately for me, when I reached the age of 65 whilst living in Thailand, my full State Pension for a single person at that time was 102 GBP per week.  15 years later I still get just 102 GBP per week!! Fortunately I have two additional index linked pensions. I never returned to live back in the UK. 

 

For reference for those that may qualify for a lower State Pension having made part NI payments:

 

You will need 10 qualifying years on your National Insurance record to get any new State Pension. A qualifying year is one in which you were: working and paid National Insurance contributions. (Google)

 

 

[BritManToo]

45 minutes ago, BobBKK said:

UPDATE

I just got off the phone. They are double-checking, but it appears that I cannot pay additional contributions, and the government gateway is wrong.

It might be academic, as I owe 14 years of top-up NI due to contracting out, and it would cost 500,000 to top up to give me a 2000-a-month additional pension (20 years before breaking even).

It's been 8 years since the new pension, each year costs around £1,000, adding £6/week for each year you pay, so for £8,000 you can buy an extra £ 50 pounds a week, or £2,000 pounds a year, getting you 8k back in 4 (ish) years. Or viewing it as an investment, a return of 20% a year.

 

Obviously adding extra years won't get you more than the maximum new pension.

[BobBKK]

4 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

It's been 8 years since the new pension, each year costs around £1,600, adding £4.60/week for each year you pay, so for £13,000 you can buy an extra £36 pounds a week, or £1,900 pounds a year, getting you 13k back in 6+ years. Or viewing it as an investment, a return of 15% a year.

 

Don't know how you got 20 years!

 
I owe approx 824 for 14 years = 11,500 (500,00 THB)

217 GBP a week would increase to 221 GBP a week



 

 

[BritManToo]

9 minutes ago, BobBKK said:

 
I owe approx 824 for 14 years = 11,500 (500,00 THB)

217 GBP a week would increase to 221 GBP a week



 

 

Years before the new pension don't get you anything!

Only the 8 years 2016-2023 can increase your pension entitlement. But obviously not get you more than the maximum new pension.

I've edited the numbers in my previous post to reflect recent increases in the new pension 

[BobBKK]

27 minutes ago, Burma Bill said:

  With the greatest respect, this is why you experience problems with your State Pension. 

 

For each of the 35 qualifying years, you must pay full National Insurance (NI) contributions to get your full State Pension.

 

I have 40 qualifying years of full NI payments "in the bag". I started paying NI when aged 16 and then throughout my continuous working career until I retired at the age of 56. 

 

Unfortunately for me, when I reached the age of 65 whilst living in Thailand, my full State Pension for a single person at that time was 102 GBP per week.  15 years later I still get just 102 GBP per week!! Fortunately I have two additional index linked pensions. I never returned to live back in the UK. 

 

For reference for those that may qualify for a lower State Pension having made part NI payments:

 

You will need 10 qualifying years on your National Insurance record to get any new State Pension. A qualifying year is one in which you were: working and paid National Insurance contributions. (Google)

 

 

I was told I had paid the max NI - I think it was 30 or 35 years I forget. But this 'contracted out thing' was a surprise - but the difference is only 3 pounds a week it seems. Like you I have an index-linked pension.

[BobBKK]

1 minute ago, BritManToo said:

Years before the new pension don't get you anything!

Only the 8 years 2016-2023 can increase your pension entitlement.

 That is a screenshot straight from the government gateway. I scanned the letter, which said I could not pay anything. But even if I did, it amounts to 156 pounds per year, which would actually take 70 years to break even unless I made a miscalculation somewhere?

[BritManToo]

8 minutes ago, BobBKK said:

I was told I had paid the max NI - I think it was 30 or 35 years I forget. But this 'contracted out thing' was a surprise - but the difference is only 3 pounds a week it seems. Like you I have an index-linked pension.

Not worth paying any extra NI if you're already near the maximum of £220/week.

 

Which is probably why they wrote and said you can't pay any more.

[BobBKK]

11 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Not worth paying any extra NI if you're already near the maximum of £220/week.

 

Which is probably why they wrote and said you can't pay any more.

 I think I made a mistake. 211 a week, 221 a week with paying 11,500

520 increase a year - 22 years to break even - so my original approx 20 years was correct
 

[mancub]

9 minutes ago, BobBKK said:

 I think I made a mistake. 211 a week, 221 a week with paying 11,500

520 increase a year - 22 years to break even - so my original approx 20 years was correct
 

 

[sometimewoodworker]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

Years before the new pension don't get you anything!

Only the 8 years 2016-2023 can increase your pension entitlement.

That information is incorrect. If you don’t have 35 years and are eligible to complete under paid years or add years for any years, each completed year counts as 1/35 of the full pension. It may well that HMPO has blocked completing years before a cutoff counting as 1/35th. 
 

I can assure you that I added qualifying years after 2016 that completed years before 2016 and my pension increased for each completed year.
 

However there is a limit to the number/age of historical years that you are permitted to complete.

[mancub]

1 hour ago, mancub said:

 

Sorry, posting issue !

Trying to say that I believe the OP has misunderstood the forecast. Essentially, although it shows 14 "payable" or "qualifying "years, you have already contributed enough to get near enough the full state pension and would only need to pay one year to achieve the maximum.

[topt]

38 minutes ago, sometimewoodworker said:

That information is incorrect. If you don’t have 35 years and are eligible to complete under paid years or add years for any years, each completed year counts as 1/35 of the full pension. It may well that HMPO has blocked completing years before a cutoff counting as 1/35th. 
 

I can assure you that I added qualifying years after 2016 that completed years before 2016 and my pension increased for each completed year.
 

However there is a limit to the number/age of historical years that you are permitted to complete.

This is why they say you have to take advice before paying out for missing years as every person is different. I am like @BritManToo in that although I had some missing years that I could have paid very cheaply, they were before 2016, they would have added nothing to my pension.

There was a big campaign in the Money Mail online about this as some people had paid many thousands in top ups and were then being told they weren't getting any extra.

So info may be incorrect for some but for many it isn't/wasn't.

[Chivas]

5 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

That information is incorrect. If you don’t have 35 years and are eligible to complete under paid years or add years for any years, each completed year counts as 1/35 of the full pension. It may well that HMPO has blocked completing years before a cutoff counting as 1/35th. 
 

I can assure you that I added qualifying years after 2016 that completed years before 2016 and my pension increased for each completed year.
 

However there is a limit to the number/age of historical years that you are permitted to complete.

 

Yep both my 2 years I've topped up where completed pre 2016

 

In fact a pre recorded message when you dial that number I put up earlier (after you press 1 for English) immediately states firstly the dateline has been extended till april 5th 2025 for years from 2006

 

Literally the first words spoken

 

(Edited in.....yes I think 6 years is the maximum you can add to)

[Chivas]

6 hours ago, Burma Bill said:

  With the greatest respect, this is why you experience problems with your State Pension. 

 

For each of the 35 qualifying years, you must pay full National Insurance (NI) contributions to get your full State Pension.

 

 

 

 

 

I havent experienced problems BB

I was already aware my record was fractured and was pro active in rectifying it to my satisfaction

[Chivas]

4 hours ago, mancub said:

Sorry, posting issue !

Trying to say that I believe the OP has misunderstood the forecast. Essentially, although it shows 14 "payable" or "qualifying "years, you have already contributed enough to get near enough the full state pension and would only need to pay one year to achieve the maximum.

 

Talking to wrong poster mancub

I was OP

[Dene16]

13 hours ago, BobBKK said:

I have 14 years of gaps at around 800 quid a gap so I doubt it is viable for 2000 increase a month

Is that 14 years you need? That's about 7 years to break even. Your figures don't make sense?

Due to retiring at 50 and being contracted out for 25 years i need 5 more years of contributions (i have 10 years of gaps). My present forecast, if i do nothing, will leave me £30 a week less than the full pension. If i pay the £4125 for the remaining 5 years i will get the full pension which will take approximately 2.5 years to recoup my outlay.  My retirement is from age 67 so as long as i live to 70 i will be quid's in.

However at this moment i am stuck looking after my mother (full time but it only needs to be 20 hours per week from which i claim carers credit which gives me NI credits). I also claimed a years back dated credits.

[mancub]

10 hours ago, Chivas said:

 

Talking to wrong poster mancub

I was OP

Yes. apologies !

Post was meant for BobBKK.  Confused me as he was the one asking all the questions !😁

[BobBKK]

16 hours ago, mancub said:

Sorry, posting issue !

Trying to say that I believe the OP has misunderstood the forecast. Essentially, although it shows 14 "payable" or "qualifying "years, you have already contributed enough to get near enough the full state pension and would only need to pay one year to achieve the maximum.

 
Are you saying 824 to complete the total owed?  I think that's not clear from the info they supplied. Even so the letter I posted says I cannot pay the shortfall?

[BobBKK]

1 hour ago, mancub said:

Yes. apologies !

Post was meant for BobBKK.  Confused me as he was the one asking all the questions !😁

 Chivas situation was a success so I felt I could ask a different question rather than start a new thread - maybe I should have done that - apologies.

[mancub]

2 hours ago, BobBKK said:

 
Are you saying 824 to complete the total owed?  I think that's not clear from the info they supplied. Even so the letter I posted says I cannot pay the shortfall?

Yes. Well pretty much so.

If you contribute for 1 year eg2023-24 ( pay &824 ) you entitlement will rise from 211 to 217.

If you pay another additional year (+ &834 )it will rise to the maximum being 221 per week.

Essentially pay &834 and get &6 per week extra - &300 year 

or pay &1668 ang get &10 per week extra             -&500

 

[BobBKK]

21 hours ago, mancub said:

Yes. Well pretty much so.

If you contribute for 1 year eg2023-24 ( pay &824 ) you entitlement will rise from 211 to 217.

If you pay another additional year (+ &834 )it will rise to the maximum being 221 per week.

Essentially pay &834 and get &6 per week extra - &300 year 

or pay &1668 ang get &10 per week extra             -&500

 

 But the letter I posted here - says it's too late. They are investigating anyway so let's see - thank you.

[rickudon]

I retired at 57, having my (then) 30 years in the bag. But the new state pension was then started just before my 65 years of age pension date - but i now needed 35 years! Had to return to UK and sign back on as unemployed. Didn't claim JSA, but got the pension credit. Fortunately they credited me for some incomplete years and i soon got the 35. However, as i had been contracted out of full rate NI for 25 years, they deducted 1/6th from the new state pension rate - which strangely enough gave me exactly the same as the old state pension rate - minus the married/widows pension benefits i had expected when retiring.

 

Do not count your chickens until they hatch, as they say.

[john donson]

illegals and their whole family are brought over to my home country

 

everybody gets state pension at 67, if they have work or NOTHING at all, with their imported parents and uncles and aunts, it is mostly never paid a cent in tax, still got at least the minimum ....

 

I have checked and I will get , maybe, minimal, in a few years... even I worked 2 decades at least overthere...

[sandyf]

On 8/10/2024 at 4:18 AM, Dene16 said:

Is that 14 years you need? That's about 7 years to break even. Your figures don't make sense?

Due to retiring at 50 and being contracted out for 25 years i need 5 more years of contributions (i have 10 years of gaps). My present forecast, if i do nothing, will leave me £30 a week less than the full pension. If i pay the £4125 for the remaining 5 years i will get the full pension which will take approximately 2.5 years to recoup my outlay.  My retirement is from age 67 so as long as i live to 70 i will be quid's in.

However at this moment i am stuck looking after my mother (full time but it only needs to be 20 hours per week from which i claim carers credit which gives me NI credits). I also claimed a years back dated credits.

Strange how many that were contracted out seem to think they are being deprived of a full state pension.

Following the 1975 pension reforms the government ditched the Graduated Pensions scheme and introduced a two tier State pension arrangement. In their infinite wisdom they allowed those on an occupational pension scheme to "contract out", where part of their NI contributions that would have provided the Earnings Related Additional State Pension was diverted and paid into the occupational pension. Initially this arrangement applied to a certain type of scheme and then in 1988 the scope was widened to include other types and private pensions. At this point in time the government paid an additional 2% of earnings into these pensions for 5 years as an incentive for people to "contract out"

The whole arrangement was blatant discrimination against those that were unable to "contract out", with many of the participants being quite oblivious to what was happening in respect of their NI contributions.

We now have people receiving their occupational pensions which were partialy funded by the state to include their Additional State Pension and those that receive their Additional State Pension directly from the state. The former will have their ASP index linked whereas the latter may not.

More recent reforms brought about an end to contracting out and changed the rhetoric around the state pension to that of a single entity in moves to try and hide the injustice and eventually turn the state pension into an old age welfare benefit.

 

[RichardColeman]

Sad thing to me is that someone that has worked 35 years in the UK is entitled to the same full basic pension as someone sat on the dole for 35 years !

 

 

[Scouse123]

On 8/8/2024 at 3:12 PM, BobBKK said:

 I can't be bothered to phone up and chase it. Luckily I'm not relying on the State Pension.

There is now a faster online chat link which passes everything to HMRC and is quite efficient

[Scouse123]

1 hour ago, RichardColeman said:

Sad thing to me is that someone that has worked 35 years in the UK is entitled to the same full basic pension as someone sat on the dole for 35 years !

 

 

Yes

[BobBKK]

On 8/12/2024 at 9:58 AM, sandyf said:

Strange how many that were contracted out seem to think they are being deprived of a full state pension.

Following the 1975 pension reforms the government ditched the Graduated Pensions scheme and introduced a two tier State pension arrangement. In their infinite wisdom they allowed those on an occupational pension scheme to "contract out", where part of their NI contributions that would have provided the Earnings Related Additional State Pension was diverted and paid into the occupational pension. Initially this arrangement applied to a certain type of scheme and then in 1988 the scope was widened to include other types and private pensions. At this point in time the government paid an additional 2% of earnings into these pensions for 5 years as an incentive for people to "contract out"

The whole arrangement was blatant discrimination against those that were unable to "contract out", with many of the participants being quite oblivious to what was happening in respect of their NI contributions.

We now have people receiving their occupational pensions which were partialy funded by the state to include their Additional State Pension and those that receive their Additional State Pension directly from the state. The former will have their ASP index linked whereas the latter may not.

More recent reforms brought about an end to contracting out and changed the rhetoric around the state pension to that of a single entity in moves to try and hide the injustice and eventually turn the state pension into an old age welfare benefit.

 

 I understand that part went to my occupational pension. I'm trying to see if I can top up that portion, but it seems unclear. I have posted the two contradictory items previously - I'll post the email that I'm told they will send when they figure it out.