If I was a Sahm in the U.K., would I get my pension paid into?

[Nomoresundaynightdread]

I’m British, but live abroad at the moment.
I was speaking to my mum, she was a Sahm for years when we were kids (common in the 80’s) she then when to work when we were a little older. She was saying to me that she received payment towards her pension? For staying at home, I’m sure it was until we were 18? Is this true and does that happen now?
Where I am, I’m sure it’s not the case at all and I have to work in order to pay into my future state pension.
Also, if you’re at home and not working, do you have free access to uni/college courses? I’ve always wanted to do a masters, but would have to pay for it myself where I am and we simply can’t afford it at the moment.
I’ve heard both these things, is it true?
Seems so much harder where I am, we don’t get benefits/help in the same way at all.

@Lcb123 We can’t afford that, it’s very different where we are, he pays into the system pension as do, but we’re unable to afford private pensions too. Everyone I know in the U.K. has one also, then when my mum told me about her being a Sahm and it going to her pension and a friend is studying for her masters, isn’t free but she has support, it just sounded a lot better than our situation. I’m worried now about the future I suppose and having things in place. We have our own house with only a small mortgage owing now, but no private pensions etc.

If you can’t afford to pay into a private pension in Portugal, why would it be different in the U.K.? You’d presumably be in the same boat?

@AlmostWife I suppose it’s hard to understand as I haven’t been there for so long, but 40k sounds a good amount.
I’ve worked all my life, I’m fine working, but in an ideal world, I’d love to take a bit of time out and study to progress, it’s impossible doing that here as I can’t afford it.
Paying into the state pension is surely something to worry about though? It seems I can’t do this here by not working, whereas i can even if I stayed at home in the U.K., that’s what I’m interested in

If you work in UK you are enrolled into a workplace pension scheme as a minimum unless you opt out.

@NoSquirrels I could get a much better job in the U.K. (v low pay here) especially (I would hope 🙏) if I am able to do a masters before too.
Very limited job choices here, my pay full time is around €1250 per month, that’s as a qualified graduate with over twenty years experience in my field.
The lifestyle is incredible and obviously why we’re here, but I worry about the *Serious parts, such as our pensions mainly.

How old are you, how long have you been in Portugal and how old are your DC? And how many years did you work in the U.K. before you left?

@LIZS Yes, this too, my friend’s teacher one is very generous apparently. It’s that security that’s lacking here.

@NoSquirrels 45, been here almost twenty years, worked from 15 for 8 years (part time though in holidays and weekends to supplement school/college/uni) in the U.K.
Dc is 5

Paid into the system here for all the time I’ve been here and into one workplace pension scheme for ten years when working there.

worked from 15 for 8 years (part time though in holidays and weekends to supplement school/college/uni) in the U.K.

Do you have 10 years NI record in U.K., or 8 partial years?

If you’re 45, then state retirement age in U.K. is 67, so you have 22 years left and need 35 for a full state pension- which as PP mention is not much anyway. So you’d want to urgently check your U.K. NI contributions record before you made a decision on that basis.

What income does the Portugal state pension give you in retirement?

Does your DP also have a U.K. NI record?

Adding to what @NoSquirrels has said, I’d check with the International Pension Centre (I think that’s what it’s called) to see if any of your years in Portugal / Portuguese pensions would count towards a U.K. one. Not sure about the post Brexit rules but in some countries years spent working, paying tax etc do count if there’s a social security agreement with the UK

Pension schemes may well have changed since your friend was enrolled. Public sectors were the last to changed from generous final salary schemes but now relatively few remain, hence the current wave of strikes. Workplace ones I mention are very basic, generic and low cost, but there are some specific schemes in some sectors and companies which pay into funds and investments.

@AlmostWife Yes, I’ve been told they def do, I’d receive pensions from both places. I’ve got a fair number of years, was just thinking of the future

@NoSquirrels 8 partial as I was studying too. Dh has full years as he started working full time at 16

Will those years count for us? 😳I hope so!

I think what some posters (me included) are finding hard to understand is that you keep writing things such as this is great, it seems like a lot but so, so many are telling you that this will not stretch that far. It's not a lot of money in the UK, and if you factor in UK price rises, it's really really not a lot. But you keep coming back and saying how great it is. It's as if you are looking at what you would get, and thinking about getting it while paying Portuguese prices.

Also, stinks of "what can I get for free if I move back to the UK"

There is a minimum contribution for each year to count, or be on the relevant benefit to get credits. You need to look up your record.

@darjeelingrose Fair point, I am comparing to where I am now, where things are still v expensive, some things more than the U.K. and wages so so much lower.

@justteanbiscuits Quite a rude comment!
It’s not the case at all. I’ve worked and studied all my life, I would like to take a year to do a masters, it’s true and where I am, that’s impossible, I would like to be able to do that in an easier way, be it cheaper fees or a loan to pay back. I would also not like to worry as much about ensuring I work every second in order to contribute to my pension.
Does that make me a bad person or a freeloader? Do you really think that’s why I’d be coming back to the U.K.? Seriously?
No, it would be to help my elderly parents, for my Dds education and for me to *Hopefully advance in my career a little more and finally to, shock, horror, maybe just spend a bit more time with my Dd before she’s grown up and gone.
It was just an interesting discussion for me to compare the two places, before I have to make a life changing decision, that’s all.

@LIZS Ok, thank you

I'd be surprised if any woman in the UK with 2 DC would actively become a SAHM due to the prospect of receiving £160 child benefit per month. The salary they'd be giving up to do would ordinarily far outweigh this amount. Every little helps though, I suppose.

OP, your husband’s salary of 26,000 euros would be quite a low one in the UK (the average in London is 36k I believe). The cost of living here is frightfully expensive, and frankly, adding child benefit to that is not going to give you the great lifestyle you seem to be thinking of. You may be underestimating just how expensive things are here.

@SundaySundaySunday The wages are low, v low where we are in comparison to the U.K., his wage is considered good here. He wouldn’t be on this wage in the U.K., I would hope a fair bit higher!

@Starseeking I wasn’t talking about giving up work for the child benefit though 🤷🏻‍♀️That was just a comparison with what you get (or don’t get here) it’s a lot better for that in the U.K.
My post was mainly about the fact it pays into your pension if you aren’t working, whereas where I am doesn’t.