Pension - I have none and I’m a little unsettled by DHs response!

Nobody should be making retirement plans based on the state pension and pension credit. Those are things that the government can change on you, and you don’t get a say in reality.

I don’t think that would benefit OP.

Which might be a relief to him. She's not working, has no savings/pension, and is reliant on him.

If they divorce, OP's lost her safety net.

@EllyRoff if he’s added you, ask to see the paperwork, don’t take any chances xx

I agree with those suggesting that you may be better off divorced than staying married as you would be entitled to at least 50% of ALL marital assets, including his pension.

This may seem extreme but, seeing that he clearly does not have your (financial) interests at heart, one wonders about the state of your marriage as a whole. It just doesn’t sound like a loving and considerate partnership to me, at least from his side.

I wouldn’t be downsizing. I’d be divorcing. Now. He’s shown you who he is.

My DF did something (possibly paid NI contributions for her) that meant my DM got full state pension despite not having worked after the age of 22, plus paid into a private pension for her and she got half his occupational pension.

I’m not saying it was wise to opt out of the NHS pension, but if Op had less than 2 years contributions then she would be getting barely any pension paid to her.

My DH has some university pension. He worked for such a short period of time for low pay, over 20 years ago now, that it’s less than £100 a year he’s entitled to. Better than nothing though and better than the equivalent defined contribution pension he’d get from that those same pension payments.

I hope you get it worked out OP - at least try and make sure you’re entitled to your state pension!

1. Get a job if you haven’t got one already.
2. take your share of cash from the home sale and put in a high interest savings account (or a lifetime ISA if you’re under 40). Add as much as you can to this every single month for the rest of your working life.
3. Contact HMRC and see what gaps are in your NI history and if possible fill them with money from house sale.

Will your new place have more than one bedroom? If so you could in theory retire with full state pension, a decent little pot of cash and income from a lodger.

obviously your DH should look into this now but tbh it doesn’t sound like he’s super reliable or has your best interests at heart. You need a robust back up plan.

I think it’s just a rule for public sector defined benefit schemes. If you don’t stay in the scheme for very long, either because you withdraw or because you leave the job, you can get the contributions back.

Exactly this. Good lord.

Yep and going forwards stop asking your husband for financial advice. At best he's clueless, he also doesn't appear to have your best interests at heart. You need to educate yourself on money and wise up very quickly.

You need to start planning - how old are you and did you ever have children? Check your NI record and look at buying additional contributions. https://www.gov.uk/voluntary-national-insurance-contributions

Do you have any savings in your own name? You need ISAs and/or a private pension https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/pensions-and-retirement/pensions-basics/personal-pensions#:~:text=Personal%20pensions%3A%20set%20up%20your,your%20employer's%20workplace%20pension%20allows.

You say you earn a small income from art, is it less than £1k a year? Otherwise you should be declaring to HMRC and should be making NI contributions. It’s a small amount to pay in to ensure your state pension is as much as possible.
And of course no tax to pay under £12,570
It’s not hard to do online (if I can do it, literally anyone can 😂)
You need to protect yourself as much as possible.

I didn't know you could get your contributions back i thought they just stayed there
You need to sit down with him and discuss this properly
I say this as someone who was widowed quite young. You just don't know what the future holds

Another proof the benefits system in the UK is totally not fit for purpose.

This is one of those cases where you may well be better off divorced than widowed. To be honest I wouldn't trust him at this point. He doesn't have your best interests at heart. He should never have persuaded you to come out of that pension scheme and if you stopped work he should've insisted on paying towards a pension for you.

Pension credit is only around £3pw less than full state pension now: £227-odd v £230-odd.

It's one of the reasons pensioners were so pissed off when the WFA was restricted to pension credit claimants. It mean that pensioners who had never worked got more from the state than those who'd worked all their lives.

Even if you are named as his pension beneficiary you won’t get all of it, but half as I understand it. You need to start providing for yourself.

This, use some of the money released from downsizing to try and improve your state pension if possible. If I were you I'd get a Financial advisor to do a plan for you. You really need a job/your own income and a plan. You are in a very precarious position.

Perhaps see an independent financial advisor together, in order to prepare for your downsizing and retirement.

The information here is reliable.
https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/getting-help-and-advice/financial-advisers/choosing-a-financial-adviser

If your DH really won’t agree to protect you in your old age, I would seriously consider divorcing him, then you should be entitled to half the assets - including his pension and proceeds from the house sale.

OH and I have occupational pensions through the same provider and we have nominated each other for the survivor pension…….otherwise, on death, the payments would cease completely.

I also think it was irresponsible to bin the NHS pension and if your NI contributions are not made you won’t get a decent state pension either. I get the impression that your OH isn’t particularly clued up on what will happen to his pension if he dies…….best to get that in order sooner rather than later and certainly don’t let him put you off……make it very clear that you need to feel financially secure.

And, as an added security bonus, in your position I would be saving every penny I could lay my hands on.

@Greenartywitch i've been unable to work since my 40's and am never likely to work again....but my husband has paid into a pension on my behalf. We are extremely fortunate to be able to do that but being married means being a team and even if we hadn't been in that financial position , we would have been discussing ways for both of us to have provision of some sort....not for a husband to have his own pension and then go to his wife "oh you can survive on the state pension" even when they may not have full contributions.

Given he doesn't seem financially savvy (nhs pension!), even if you are named etc, its still his and some pensions let you take our lump sums. There is nothing to stop him drawing down a significant portion of his money and spending it as he wants (yes, this could be a selfish spend but he may also just make a poor financial decision made in good faith, based on his nhs pension recommendation).

In summary, even with the best of intentions, you may find yourself penniless.

You may be unable to work, or you may have found that job untenable, but I'd strongly encourage you to seek some financial independence.

If you are not the beneficiary on his pension...who is?