Only 32 years' NI but checker says full pension?

[Tinyhands]

I'm confused by my NI record vs pension prediction.

I am 52. I have 32 years' full NI contributions plus 5 partial in the 90s when I was at uni and jobhunting.

I thought full pension had to be 35 years of full contributions but the state pension checker tells me I will get the full state pension. Are the partials making up the other 3 years?

Basically, if I left work today, never worked again (sadly a risk I am having to plan for) and lived off savings/downsize money til pension age, will I still get the full pension at state pension age?

I think they mean that by the time you retire you will have paid 35 years.

Do you have children as that counts towards your pension.
Have you ever claimed a benefit that does as well.

It said that on my forecast. I was a carer for our child. I'm now retired and get full pension.

If you look here there's an explanation of the screenshot you posted

https://www.royallondon.com/guides-tools/pension-guides/pension-basics/how-to-check-your-state-pension-forecast/

Does it say underneath the bit you have posted that you need to continue to contribute NI to reach your forecast?

I'm not sure....

It says I can't get any hihger but I have to keep paying. It doesn't explicitly say that is to reach the full amount, it says to fund other services like NHS.

So I read this as "you have paid enough now to get the full amount, but undertsand that you don't get to stop paying NI if you are liable for it, it's not just there to pay for your pension"

Even if you don’t get full state pension you can claim a top up benefit which makes it more or less up to the full state pension anyway

Ah - that link is very helpful, thank you. Looks like I have paid enough - I guess the partials must add up to enough to cover the full 35.

Hopefully this is a non issue and I'll have more working years ahead, but very reassuring to know, thank you.

No children. I did claim JSA before and after uni but neither was for a full year so I assume they only gave me partial years.

Mine shows the full amount in the forecast at the top but then below it shows what I’d get if I stopped working now. According to the guidance online, partial years don’t count?

Mine says that I need to do another 4 years contribution before retirement age. If I look at my National Insurance contributions that shows whether each year was a full or partial year, I can see that I have 34 years listed, but 4 of those are not full years. So, after this year which isn't complete yet, I need to do another 4 years to get to the 35 years requirement.

Mine appears to be the same OP. I started paying NI at 18 and worked on and off through uni. Lots if partial years and maternity leave but according to hmrc I'm paid up for the full state pension so I'm not complaining 😁

35 years only applies to those starting work from 2016

All of us who started before then have a personalised calculation, you can only know yours by logging in. Some are lower, others are higher than 35 years.

If your forecast says you are done, you are done.

It wasn’t always 35 years needed. I will have paid mine by 52 but my state pension age is 68, that’s a lot of extra NI to pay.

Mine also says the same that I can't add any more - I was surprised as thought needed one more year but presumably HMRC should know and I think it is a personalised calculation. I do have part time years from university.

Though I think if you were contracted out then extra years can still replace those years contracted out part though I am also not sure about it.

Just checked my f/c and it says I only need another 5 yrs of contributions so even less.

Gaps aren’t counted or added up.

Usually it says how many years left you need to do to reach the full amount so that is odd it doesn’t show you? Give them a call

Ah that is super helpful, thank you.

2016! Surely that was only last year? 😂

Only if you have no other income

Mine says can't add any more and its 34 full years - it does also say you were contracted out and this will be taken off your pension - it used to give an amount but don't do that now. The contracted out years can be replaced by additional full years though and then you get £6.39 per week more but not clear how many of those you can add. Mine originally said it would take off £25.86 or something like that so presumably 3 or 4 years for me.

The contracted out (COPE) sum isn;t subtracted from the headline amount on your forecast - it's already been taken into account when working out that headline amount. What it may mean though is that you need more than 35 years to reach the maximum amount.... ;

Thanks @P00hsticks

Mine says I am at maximum amount already
£241.30 is the most you can get
You cannot improve your forecast any more.
So maybe I don't have to do any extra years for contracting out now - that's at 34 full years.

If you started your working life before 2016 then 35 years is irrelevant. If it says you cant improve your forecast any more then you have enough years already. Anyone with a NI record prior 2016 would have a personal calculation done at that time to determine what was needed. It could be anything from 28 years to 49 years. It depends on your circumstances in the working years before 2016.

Thanks very much @rainbowunicorn and @P00hsticks I am very happy thanks to this thread and your knowledge I checked and don't have to pay COPE amount back and looks like I have max in state pension already.

Pre 2010, 16 and 17 year olds were awarded ‘starter’ NI credits, basically giving you two years full NI contributions. I was surprised when I saw I had two full years for NI contributions when I was still in 6th form!