To be shocked if this is true . State pension and benefits …?

[Springtimesoo]

I have worked all my life apart from
4 year degree( 3 year plus prof qualification )
and
a period at home when I had 2 dc under two and we could not afford nursery fees.

have just checked my pension forcast Which says that although I have paid 35 years in full , i will not get a full pension .

it seems that to get a full pension i need to pay just over 3k .

my friend , who is by choice long term unemployed. ( long story) says that she will get a full pension as she is on benefits .

how is that fair ? Its not true is it ?

Oh come on. We all know it does, in fact, work like that in a great deal of situations.

35 years no longer guarantees it.

rtsfinancialplanning.co.uk/why-you-might-not-get-a-full-state-pension-even-with-35-years-national-insurance-contributions/

God, just trying to get a forecast. They have deleted my government gateway account because of some reason. So trying to set the next one up, going all round the houses with id this, id that, now it wants passport and driving licence. I thought it just wanted driving licence details but now it wants passport as well and thats in the loft with the suitcases.

So cant even set up an account today. Why do they make it so hard to do anything these days

Yes , i know this seems like a benefit bash post

maybe because it is a benefit bash post?

Mamma .. it does for the person I am talking about .
she wont do it and openly says so . She has a sort of personality that says she is depressed, or ill , or has a bad back .. she seems to go through an alphabet of illnesses . Goes to doctor all the time .Its not exactly munchousas disease but she really will not work . She says she wont work for min wage , after 3, that her adult son is depressed and needs to support him as his carer.. she really does work the system . At the moment on another free course for womwn to help her get back into the workforce. She has asked benefit agency to pay for driving lessons ( not got ) and goes on course after course. I didn't want to get into this but you did say it does not work like that . In this situation it really does.

Do your calculations before buying those 'missing years'.. compare the 3k to what the increase would be.. how many years would you have to get the SP to get the 3k back.. allowing for say 3% rise each year.. this years 10.1 is EXTRA extraordinary remember.. would you be better off sinking the 3k into your private pension?? Or a stocks and shares isa.. or high interest accounts which you chase the best rate?

Do you believe that benefits should never be questioned by the taxpayers who fund them?

It doesn’t surprise me although all sorts of excuses will be made for her here.

If you were contracted out, does that not mean that you will get a pension/lump sum from the contacted out part. I am unsure, but would make enquires to the employers.

Ive been paying into my employers pension scheme since 2014, does that mean Im contracted out? ( Im completely befuddled by pensions). Its the LGPS

Why is that a shock? Retirement age is 67.

Yep exactly this. You won’t get full state pension because by contracting out you diverted some funds that would have gone towards your state pension to another investment vehicle. You’re not missing out. If you didn’t read/understand what you were doing that’s regrettable - maybe ask a friend/family or financial adviser to help you check paperwork next time if it’s something you struggle with.

Also what @RedCarsGoFaster said about checking your own state pension forecast.

Also ask Iif any payment can be made for your child bearing/ university years.

Citizens Advice Bureau are quoting 30 years. Perhaps contact them?

With respect OP it's not your friends fault that you opted out of your state pension. In reality you should check your pension forecast yearly. It's your own responsibility not a case of its not fair.

Yep! Same here!!

The real sickener is that both DH and I earned roughly the same throughout our respective careers, were both contracted out for roughly the same period of time and both retired early at the same age. However, DH is 5 years older than me so his State Pension is governed by the "Old rate" whereas mine is on the new rate. (I retired 5 years later than him but we both had 44 years worth of contributions.)

DH receives over £200 a month more than I do! 😡

People have all sorts of reasons why they are out of work and need benefits. It would be wrong to deny them a full state pension if they have genuine reasons, wouldnt it? I don't begrudge them the money.

you can get it set up with payslips etc too apparently

It doesn't make sense that one person can sit on their arse for 35 years and the person working has to pay to make up years if they've missed them. It's not fair at all.

Are you automatically contracted out if you contributed to an employers pension scheme?

Being on benefits does not always equate to someone being sat on their arse....

Im at home and cant access my online account at work which is the only way to get that info

Same for me due to the change in 2016. I did 44 years and even after topping up i don't get the full amount. I was part time for a couple of years due to ill health wgich made me short on contributions. Everyone needs to log on to government gateway and check their forecast.

You know you don't just rock up and say you have a bad back and they accept it.

I had cancer, was going through chemo, and had a disability resulting from it, and still had to go through 2 years and 3 tribunals to be accepted after working my whole life and having masses of evidence from multiple doctors.

The process of claiming is absolutely brutal, and you get an absolute pittance as well.

Sorry about the shock you had about your pension, but let's not pretend disability benefits are easy to get.

@Foundryside No, only if you were contracted out by your employer (and paid less NI as a result).

I had to pay in over £5k!