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

441 replies

EllyRoff · 20/06/2025 07:54

So last night I got to thinking about pensions and realised I don’t have one! I’m no longer working (I make a small amount of money through art which DH has always been supportive with). I did have an NHS pension when I was working but DH convinced me to come out of it due to the high payments. There was barely anything in it anyway so I received the contributions back. Since then I’ve made very little contribution in national insurance etc.

DH has always said I’ll be fine in retirement as we have his good pension - but last night I thought “what if he died? Does the pension automatically come to me?” Turns out that no - it doesn’t. It goes to a named beneficiary.

So this morning I asked DH if I was named on his pension - he said “don’t worry, you’d get a state pension” !!! I said “what, £60 a week? I have none pension! Am I named on yours?” He said “why don’t you start a little savings account?”

So I’m not named on yours then?? He said “of course you are, I mean - I’ll check but I’m sure you are”. I’m very unnerved by his response - firstly his lack of concern!! Secondly his reluctance to confirm that I’m named on it. He says he’ll check today.

AIBU here? You’d think he’d want me to be ok in his death surely? Especially since it was him that convinced me to give up my own pension. He is 10 years older than me so not massively unreasonable to consider he might die before me.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
9
Trillie · 22/06/2025 02:28

I’d start by checking your NI contributions, you don’t automatically get a state pension, and then get some financial planning sorted out with an advisor.

Onceisenoughta · 22/06/2025 00:09

She only put 3 messages on and there's 17 pages of everyone telling her she's x, y, z. There is some good information posted but the poor woman won't open up or come back to this barrage. Back off and show some empathy fgs.

Timetochillnow · 21/06/2025 23:56

Idontpostmuch · 20/06/2025 15:35

@Darkling1 Good advice. NI credits continue until youngest child is 16, not 12, but for some yrs now many of us haven't been entitled to child benefit, thanks to unfair decision taken by Tory government.

Are you in the uk? Pension credits from child benefit are until the youngest child is 12 yrs old

Chocolateorange22 · 21/06/2025 21:57

saraclara · 21/06/2025 21:54

Well having been told several hundred times that she's been stupid (including by me, I admit) it wouldn't be surprising if she just can't face reading that any more.

But hopefully she's taken in that she needs to be proactive, and that's what matters.

I hope she has too

GreySkyAtNight · 21/06/2025 21:57

It absolutely boggles my mind when someone doesn't know what their pension looks like.

You don't know whether it's invested in a decent fund or what the projections are, and have zero idea what retirement might look like. It feels like living under a rock to me.

LillyPJ · 21/06/2025 21:57

Chinsupmeloves · 21/06/2025 18:06

Ah, so it may just be private pensions that are transferred not state?

It depends on the individual pension.

saraclara · 21/06/2025 21:54

Chocolateorange22 · 21/06/2025 21:50

I wonder if OP is coming back?

Well having been told several hundred times that she's been stupid (including by me, I admit) it wouldn't be surprising if she just can't face reading that any more.

But hopefully she's taken in that she needs to be proactive, and that's what matters.

Chocolateorange22 · 21/06/2025 21:50

I wonder if OP is coming back?

Manthide · 21/06/2025 21:46

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Every couple's dynamics are different and a lot of women of an older generation did leave all the financial matters to the dh. I have also been rather lax in this regard and looking back I think I must have been mad but at the time I absolutely trusted my now exdh. This has left me in a very difficult position and though I have accrued enough NI credits for a full pension (I am 60 very soon) that's basically all I'll have.

EastGrinstead · 21/06/2025 21:28

exaltedwombat · 20/06/2025 18:51

You're married. That makes you the automatic beneficiary. 'Named beneficiary' is for unmarried couples.

A NHS pension would have been very nice if you had continued working. But if you only did a few years, it's not that much.

Sounds like as if you're pretty OK so long as you stay married! Of course, you might wish to plan for other eventualities...

There is no legal requirement for a married person to nominate their spouse as the beneficiary. The OP's husband can nominate a different person as the beneficiary of their pension.

However, the OP can challenge the will if they believe they haven't received reasonable financial provision. This means the court can intervene to ensure the spouse is adequately provided for, even if the will explicitly excludes them.

Someonelookedatmypostinghistorysoichanged · 21/06/2025 21:23

You have to pay in for 35 years to get a full state pension. How are doing with that? Set up a government gateway and find out !

EastGrinstead · 21/06/2025 21:20

EllyRoff · 20/06/2025 08:17

House is joint owned. We are downsizing soon so there will be some funds freed up also

Consider not downsizing.

If your house is jointly owned as joint tenants, his share automatically passes to you if he dies. This is regardless of what his will says.

If you sell and free up funds, he can do what he wants with this money.

NoBinturongsHereMate · 21/06/2025 21:09

Chinsupmeloves · 21/06/2025 18:06

Ah, so it may just be private pensions that are transferred not state?

There's no transfer of state pension for anyone who reached retirement age after 2016. Before that there were some circumstances in which there could be a partial transfer, but usually only quite a small amount I think.

TiptoeThroughTheToadstools · 21/06/2025 18:59

Do you claim UC? As that pays your NI contributions, obviously it will depend on your husbands salary is, as to whether you qualify.

MyObservations · 21/06/2025 18:58

EllyRoff · 20/06/2025 07:54

So last night I got to thinking about pensions and realised I don’t have one! I’m no longer working (I make a small amount of money through art which DH has always been supportive with). I did have an NHS pension when I was working but DH convinced me to come out of it due to the high payments. There was barely anything in it anyway so I received the contributions back. Since then I’ve made very little contribution in national insurance etc.

DH has always said I’ll be fine in retirement as we have his good pension - but last night I thought “what if he died? Does the pension automatically come to me?” Turns out that no - it doesn’t. It goes to a named beneficiary.

So this morning I asked DH if I was named on his pension - he said “don’t worry, you’d get a state pension” !!! I said “what, £60 a week? I have none pension! Am I named on yours?” He said “why don’t you start a little savings account?”

So I’m not named on yours then?? He said “of course you are, I mean - I’ll check but I’m sure you are”. I’m very unnerved by his response - firstly his lack of concern!! Secondly his reluctance to confirm that I’m named on it. He says he’ll check today.

AIBU here? You’d think he’d want me to be ok in his death surely? Especially since it was him that convinced me to give up my own pension. He is 10 years older than me so not massively unreasonable to consider he might die before me.

I think you are being unreasonable. It seems as though you've done nothing yourself - your NHS pension; what happened there? For your self-employment, I presume you were paying NI? Did you take out a private pension? Don't blame this on anyone else but yourself for not taking some sort of control over your long-term future in advancing years.

Chinsupmeloves · 21/06/2025 18:06

LillyPJ · 21/06/2025 05:58

No - that's not automatic at all. It's probably quite rare nowadays.

Ah, so it may just be private pensions that are transferred not state?

UK2HK · 21/06/2025 18:05

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

MichaelandKirk · 21/06/2025 17:45

These sorts of threads are irritating. OP makes all sorts of statements and then comes out with excuses or worse nothing at all. Some of the PP have given v good advice and yet somehow I think it will all wash over the OP and she will continue to make truly awful decisions.

RoseofRoses · 21/06/2025 15:20

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

JJMama · 21/06/2025 15:06

Oh dear. Sounds like you’ve put yourself in a very vulnerable position. Shame you listened to him and got rid of your pension. You should NEVER rely on anyone else for money, I suggest you put your art hobby aside and go back to your real job and start a pension again. Good luck!

BlueLegume · 21/06/2025 12:25

@EllyRoff as @RaspberryPavlovaPlease suggested perhaps come back with some finer details and then all the sensible, not to mention qualified posters who have suggested ideas and can further point you in the right direction to remedy the situation.

Please don’t focus on those questioning what happened in the past but focus on what YOU CAN DO now and in the future.

Additionally- you have generated a huge thread here but seem to have disappeared. We are here to answer your original post and it would be good to know if any of it has been useful.

RaspberryPavlovaPlease · 21/06/2025 12:09

@EllyRoff You've had loads of helpful comments. Maybe you feel a bit annoyed at some of the more critical ones (?) but would you like to come back and discuss the advice? The most important part of this is your AGE and how long you have to start making changes.
I

12345mummy · 21/06/2025 11:00

springtimemagic · 21/06/2025 09:00

PLEASE get financial advice. Financial planner here. You urgently need financial advice. They will give you advice but a pension fund is likely to be the better place to put savings because of the tax relief (with the caveat you need advice on your particular situation).

Thank you I will 🤩

Fundayout2025 · 21/06/2025 10:56

HazelCritic · 21/06/2025 10:51

It's not really about the value of the fund, it's more about her financial independence and whether her DH is clueless but has good intentions or needed some cash for something frivolous.

But it does seem he h as financially supported her for years since