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Original poster

Urgent warning to anyone those age 45 + re: National Insurance & state pension

246 replies

lechatnoir · 23/02/2023 12:45

Apologies if this has already been posted but the deadline to plug any NI contribution gaps is closing on 5th April and gaps in contributions could have a significant impact on your state pension so well worth looking at.
It may require you to pay for top-up (apparently not always but not applicable to me) but I was shocked to find I had gaps of a few years even though was employed & paying tax & NI!

Details & instructions on here: www.moneysavingexpert.com/savings/voluntary-national-insurance-contributions/

OP posts:
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7
Popvan · 23/02/2023 14:17

Be very careful with this. I paid a lot for missed years after ringing twice to double check the figures. I then got a letter saying they had his-calculated and I was owed about £1k and to respond asap via post on a form they sent me. This was in September and I have sent the form 3 times. Nothing.

isthewashingdryyet · 23/02/2023 14:17

SimplySeb · 23/02/2023 14:11

Also, I take it theres no way of finding out what contrcating out did to my pension. I was talked into contracting out when I was like 18 or 20, and so I understand there's a big hole that is going to come from that. Anyone know a lot about state pensions here?

Just check on the .gov. U.K. web site.

just search for what is my state pension

FlowersareEverything · 23/02/2023 14:40

Ive just checked via Government Gateway and I have 45 years, so will get the full state pension of £185.15 per week. It reminded me that while I can’t improve my forecast, I still need to pay NI contributions for the next five years and nine months till I reach state retirement age at 67. Hopefully I’ll live longer than my parents did and actually qualify for it.

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Renoir56 · 23/02/2023 14:44

Aphrathestorm · 23/02/2023 13:55

Yes but do we really all expect to be working full time until our state pension date?

I do and so do most people I know.

ednatheevilwitch · 23/02/2023 14:49

Placemarking to rtft later!

medianewbie · 23/02/2023 14:52

EatGrapes · 23/02/2023 13:56

Worth noting this is for missing national insurance years from 2006 to 2016, I have missing years, but prior to 2006, so too late to do anything about those. Thankfully I'm on track to get the full amount anyway.

Same here. My 'missing years' are pre 2006 so I can't pay them up. However, I only have 2 years left to contribute. I anticipate receiving Carers allowance for the next 2 years so I should get the full allowance. But (being morbid sorry) what if you die first? Can your children receive your pension then?

maranella · 23/02/2023 14:54

medianewbie · 23/02/2023 14:52

Same here. My 'missing years' are pre 2006 so I can't pay them up. However, I only have 2 years left to contribute. I anticipate receiving Carers allowance for the next 2 years so I should get the full allowance. But (being morbid sorry) what if you die first? Can your children receive your pension then?

Show quote history

Unfortunately not. It's use it or lose it and it's for YOU, not anyone else.

AlwaysLatte · 23/02/2023 14:54

Plus if (like me) you had kids when the government suddenly changed the rules on child benefit so lots of people were no longer entitled to it, but didn’t tell new mothers that they still needed to apply for child benefit even though they wouldn’t get it, in order to protect their NI contributions…

This is what happened to me - I had no idea about this, gave up work to have my family and didn't find out for several years! I have 6 years of gaps, plus 30 years contributions. But unfortunately it is not allowing me to go right back to fill in the gaps (says 6 years is the maximum. Weirdly though it is inviting me to make a voluntary contribution for the year 2007-08 which of course IS more than six years ago. Very confused.

inloveandmarried · 23/02/2023 14:55

isthewashingdryyet · 23/02/2023 14:16

35 years is the max if you very young and started work in 2016 or later. If you are older you may need more years. Just check it on the .gov.U.K. Site.
Read the information carefully as it is a bit misleading, telling you what you can get if all the years are contributing years, and then underneath, what you will get now

I need 39 years and my dp needed 40 years.
I don’t understand this but it is what it is.

I thought it was less years if you started earlier. Both me and my husband are less. I'm 33 years and my husband is 31 years. Not sure why but our Hmrc forecasts are clear. His says full amount paid and no further contributions. Mine says 33 years required and one more year to contribute.

We are early 50's.

HiccupHorrendousHaddock · 23/02/2023 14:56

THANK YOU!!! I have 12 weeks missing to complete a year and then I'm at my full whack, so it is definitely worth my topping up that partial year as I'm no longer working.I'll have recouped my money in under a year of pension, assuming I live that long.

Great help, OP, thanks very much.

cosmiccosmos · 23/02/2023 14:58

I have 11 years left to contribute and 6 years in gaps - I still have enough years. BUT I started work when I was 13 andvmy first contribution was when I was 16. People who go to uni will be at least 5 years behind this unless they worked. It's very clear when you check your record.

For those with missing years due to the changes in child benefit - I seem to remember reading that you CAN claim those years, might be worth contacting HMRC.

MyriadOfTravels · 23/02/2023 15:02

OK can someone clarify something for me please?

Some years, my record says 'Full Year' but when clicking on the detaisl it then says things such as 'Natioal insurrance credit: 24 weeks' and 'self employment: 5 weeks'.

Does it still mean I do have my full year of contribution or not???

I always thought I had because of the 'Full Year' but now Im starting to wonder....

bigbluebus · 23/02/2023 15:02

@Puravida23 Some people might have partially paid contributions for some years. It's obviously a lot cheaper to 'pay up' those years than to have to pay for whole years at a later date. I paid for the year 2016/17 and it only cost me £60 as I'd paid contributions for most of the year already. I still have 3 years short but 8 years to make that up. Those years will cost around £700-800 each.

fairtrauchled · 23/02/2023 15:09

I checked my NI records a couple of weeks ago and although I have got 40 qualifying years of contributions I still wont get the full maximum state pension.This is because I was contracted out of part of the state pension by my employer(NHS).I have 3 yrs when I haven't paid NI(retired but not yet of pension age).I'm hoping to plug some of that gap by claiming NI credits for looking after my grandchild.

Itcouldhappenabishop · 23/02/2023 15:15

I'm clearly being dense but I can't see how I can actually make a payment? I have a gap and would like to pay to fill it. I called the helpline which just cuts you off. Where can I find a link to pay the damn thing?!

Tinkerbyebye · 23/02/2023 15:20

@Puravida23

yes it matters. I had 35 years worth, but it changed in 2016 so now I have gaps that I am paying in

i am not sure there is actually a deadline for doing it, you get x number of years to pay, if you don’t you can still pay later but you have to pay more

RemoteControlDoobry · 23/02/2023 15:20

Puravida23 · 23/02/2023 13:19

Does it matter though? I have gaps in mine I could pay up but I am sitting on 31 years with another 12 years of working potentially. Once you get to 35 years that’s it isn’t it . Or am I missing something.
Are people paying up only because they don’t think they will get to 35 years?

It doesn’t matter I don’t think. I have four years missing that could be paid and I know one or two of the years are very cheap (self employed). I’m tempted to pay them but I’ve already faffed about phoning them only to be treated like a moron and then no sent the documentation. It’s more for peace of mind so that you know they’re paid. Or if you plan to earn a lot more in the future.

Tinkerbyebye · 23/02/2023 15:22

@Itcouldhappenabishop

phone the hmrc number and ask for PAYE and making a personal contribution. They will then confirm the amount, give you the reference and the bank details for you to make a payment

Itcouldhappenabishop · 23/02/2023 15:22

Thanks @Tinkerbyebye I did call them (twice) but it just cuts you off.

Eatyourfoodtina · 23/02/2023 15:24

I'm in my 30s and scared of the gaps due to ill health.

I checked online and thankfully my work history means I dont have gaps in contributions.

But if I don't find work asap then there will be (struggling to find work! I'm in Cornwall where there isn't much about!)

RemoteControlDoobry · 23/02/2023 15:26

@Puravida23

you can work it out using the pension forecast calculator. I think you need your government gateway password. It says I have six years to pay and I’m 50 so I probably won’t bother.

AlwaysLatte · 23/02/2023 15:28

So I have 30 full years of NI contributions, and am currently 52. I can't see anywhere on the Gov website saying how many contributions I need to make in total. I'm being invited to pay for two of the qualifying gap years (4 of the 6 were too long ago, when I was studying) but I don't want to pay for these two years if 30 were enough.
Also, does anyone know what age the children need to be for exemption as a full time parent? 18?

RahRahOhLaLa · 23/02/2023 15:29

They 6 years I have missing are from when I was a student and just had summer jobs. It’s far too late for me to pay them now & I didn’t know, until it was too late to pay, that you needed to make payments up for the student years.

Daffodilsandtuplips · 23/02/2023 15:29

SimplySeb · 23/02/2023 14:11

Also, I take it theres no way of finding out what contrcating out did to my pension. I was talked into contracting out when I was like 18 or 20, and so I understand there's a big hole that is going to come from that. Anyone know a lot about state pensions here?

My DH contracted out for a number of years, he then contracted back in after a pension review advised him to do so.
He now gets a pension from the contracted out contributions on top of his full state pension, he also has a couple of private pensions.
I’m short by six years for a full pension, We did look into making them up but it didn’t seem worth it at the time. It’s too late for me to pay them back anyway now.
I don’t qualify for the new state pension as I retired prior to 2016.

RahRahOhLaLa · 23/02/2023 15:30

@AlwaysLatte it says 35 years are needed
www.moneysavingexpert.com/savings/voluntary-national-insurance-contributions/

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