Pension years "not yet decided"

[KatyMac]

I was doing a pension forecast (I'm 55) and there are 8 pension years "not yet decided" on HMRC website

So I rang Pension Futures, had a lovely chat feel quite good about everything they explained and was told to get the NI contributions missing for those years I need to ring HMRC

So I rang HMRC who said no I have to ring pension Futures despite me saying pension Futures told me to ring them had a bit of an unsatisfactory chat and then they hung up on me

So I rang PF again who said so sorry but it is HMRC

So how do I deal with this - who actually knows the info?

I've heard a number of people are having this back and forth. Even consulting financial advisors gets them nowhere.

Are you missing years for which you can claim (SAHM and Child Benefit) or years you can top up (the 12 years has been extended).

Are you looking at your NI history via the Government Gateway?

If there are gaps there then I think that's a matter for you and HMRC to sort out.

How they count for pension if/when they're confirmed as full or part years is a different question.

Yes its on Gateway

Its years I was both self employed and employed plus a couple of SE years

HMRC are just blanking me

2015 to 2022 so I can top up if I need to but I dont know if I need to

@KatyMac the later of those years don't just affect your pension. They also count for Contribution Based Jobseekers or ESA if you cannot work due to health.

The responsibility for reconciling those with PAYE or Self Assessment records is squarely with HMRC.

@KatyMac If you go on Government Gateway and look at your NI record it should show each years NI record. If you have paid a part year it will show the amount to make a full year - use the expand feature.

Sorry @Sisterpita that's not true

Less worried about contributions based benefits thanks tho @Bromptotoo

Finally spoke to someone at HMRC who had the info & its because I was both self employed and employed for some of those years

& the information I needed would never be present on that screen

@KatyMac sorry, I always go back to basics when trying to help. That is unusual to have so many years where HMRC are investigating.

Glad you managed to finally speak to someone at HMRC and get an answer.

Have you tried to get a pension forecast using the more detailed request? https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-a-state-pension-statement. This should, fingers crossed, look at your full NI record.

Yes I have a forecast and I have 7 years to pay

But my self employment is currently and Historically low profit & my health is uncertain

So I need to decide between paying class 2 for future or for past years

As I had some employment in previous years they would make more sense to top up but only 2 are any less than the full amount (& 15-16 is a large amount!!)

Will I work for the next 5 years? I dearly hope so but if not I have to decide before 2025 whether to pay the back years

Class 2 are £3.45 per week or £179.40 per year.

Currently the full state pension is £203.85 per week. Buying one year of state pension currently increases your pension by £3.92 per week. So based on current rates you will in one year recoup your costs.

However, state pensions rise each April e.g. in April 2024 it will be £221.20 so one extra year of pension = £4.25 a week. Obviously the annual increases vary but what you know is paying Class 2 now will be reimbursed with one years state pension.

My view is if one of the past years is a low amount top that up. For 2023/24 pay class 2 that gives you 2 years with 5 left to pay. If in the future your health sadly deteriorates and your GP will provide fit notes send these to DWP even if you don’t get any benefits you would get NI credits which count.

This gets so confusing - is it individual?

Ive been told £3.15 a week and £163.80 a year giving me £5.82 a week for every additional year paid

They say I cant pay in installments only in whole year payments, so I/m going to try and pay 23/24 plus the oldest/cheapest (18/19) year & 24/25 & 17/18

Then after that the extra years should still be within the 6 years I can backdate

Or I might borrow some money and pay 2 old years off at once

No it’s not individual the rates are always on the gov.uk website.

Worked it out