35 years for full state pension.

[NebulousWhistler]

Evening. Any pension experts around? I’m in my 40s and have 24 years of NI contributions under my belt. I assumed I had another 11 to go to be eligible for the full state pension, but the HMRC website (or maybe DWP? (Either way it’s the same link as my tax return), when I log in, shows all of my contributions (24 years) and says I only have 3 years to go until I’m eligible for a full state pension. Which won’t actually be payable until the 2040s.

My question is, I suppose, how am I eligible for a full state pension with only 27 years of NI credits. Am a bit baffled. Have never been self employed or overpaid into NI (not sure if it’s even possible). I am a high earner but don’t see how that could be relevant, could it?

Sorry, I don’t know any more about it than that it is possible sometimes.

I don't think you are quite correct there. I was contracted out for a while and my state pension will be reduced as a consequence. I can never make up that reduction, even if I pay in for more than thirty five years. Same for my DH. He will get a smaller pension than me ( and can't do anything about it) because he worked (contracted out) for longer than me. It's a ridiculously complicated system.

35 years only applies to those who started contributing after 2016

Not sure that's right. I started contributing in 1994 and I still need a few more years

I got NICs for my years at university and didn't work. I was born in the 70's and need 35 years.

The only way you can't make it up is if you reached state Pension Age before you have time to acquire the additional post-2016 years you need. If you are still under State Pension Age, had at least 30 years NI prior to the new State Pension being introduced (and so would have been entitled to at least the old basic state pension at that point) and have continued to accumulate all the NI years up to now, either by working, credits or voluntary contributions, then you should find you will get the maximum new State Pension Amount.

Check your state pension forecast
Check your State Pension forecast - GOV.UK

This is incorrect, 35 years of contributions needed for a full pension applies to people retiring after 2016.

Those who were contracted out through a works pension scheme will find their state pension reduced as a result, but additional years over the 35 will increase it.

Call them and check

No that's not true - @timestressed had it correctly. The '35 years for a full state pension' only applies to those who have only been paying NI since the new State Pension was introduced in 2016 - i.e. those born this century. Everyone older will have paid in /been creditted under both old and new systems and so are under transitional rules - they could need as few as around 28 NI years or as many as 45 to get to the maximum amount (or may not be able to reach it at all if they reached state Pension age soon after 2016).

The person that you are quoting was correct. The 35 years only applies to people with no NI record before 2016. Anyone basically born this century will need exactly 35 years to obtain the Full New State Pension. Anyone with contributions before then may need anything from about 28 to 49 years.
Contracting out refers to the Additional or 2nd state pension not the new state pension.