State pension letter

Surely it is our own responsibility to find out the necessary info? If we are able to post on this site, we are obviously able to use technology and the Internet. A simple search will bring up the required information, that's what I did.

Thank you, rafichagran, it certainly wasn't meant to be spiteful nor directed solely at Gwyneth.
I prefer facts to heresay. Its relatively easy to set up a Government Gateway account and take responsibility. If you find it daunting and some may do, ask a family member or friend for help.

Who would have guessed what should be a helpful, informative thread would become unpleasant?

From HM Government website:

You do not get your State Pension automatically - you have to claim it. You should get a letter no later than 2 months before you reach State Pension age, telling you what to do.
You can either claim your State Pension or delay (defer) claiming it.

If you want to defer, you do not have to do anything. Your pension will automatically be deferred until you claim it.
Deferring your State Pension could increase the payments you get when you decide to claim it. Any extra payments you get from deferring could be taxed.
Your State Pension will increase every week you defer, as long as you defer for at least 9 weeks.

Your State Pension increases by the equivalent of 1% for every 9 weeks you defer. This works
out as just under 5.8% for every 52 weeks.
The extra amount is paid with your regular State Pension payment.

I have always found you to be pleasant to posters Marydoll I do know alot of people who have trouble with technology and they need help, not everybody knows about these things.
In my work I have had to advise people on things that I thought was obvious, but believe me it is not obvious to them.
I agree about the unpleasantness but I am finding this in everyday life too I really think people are at the end of their tether.

I deferred mine for a year as I wasn’t ready to retire. You won’t lose out if you do this so please don’t feel worried about it.

Gwyneth

This has actually happened to a friend of mine so I am not scaremongering. Why do you have to be so unkind, you’ve really upset me and I was feeling bad enough anyway so thanks.

Did your friend have the deferred pension increase and not realise that it had perhaps been incorporated?
I don't think it is paid as a lump sum unless you request that but please check.
I'm not sure how anyone could not remember to chase up something so important, though!

I paid Graduated Pension for years and that part has just gone up by 1p a week.
What shall I spend it all on?

I think we need to be aware and follow up something so important as our pension especially as the Civil Service may be working under a lot of pressure at the moment.

The problem is, Gwyneth, other posters don't know if you are feeling particularly sensitive because you are having a bad day.

I don't think anyone was unkind at all - just correcting misinformation which could cause alarm.
There is a lot of misinformation presenting as fact out there on the internet.

www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/deferring-state-pension-and-what-you-will-get

Marydoll

Surely it is our own responsibility to find out the necessary info? If we are able to post on this site, we are obviously able to use technology and the Internet. A simple search will bring up the required information, that's what I did.

Yes of course it is but that’s not the point is it. Why are some people getting letters and others not?? Very random.

Poppyred, my comments are general and not directed at any specific poster.
As for missing letters, some possibilities?
Letters lost in post?
Letter gone to wrong address?
Not confident using technology, a phone call to DWP asking about the missing letter, checking personal details, including DOB and address, would set things in motion. Citizens Advice will also offer support, if one doesn't have the confidence to deal with it.

It turned out that a few people, who didn't receive vaccination letters, hadn't actually informed their GP surgery of their change of address, but still complained about not receiving an appointment. It was their responsibility to inform of change of address.

For example, I'm shielding, but my vaccination appointment letter never arrived, despite all my details being kept up to date. I knew I should have received one, I didn't mess about and chased it up. It was my responsibility, no-one else's.
Before I'm accused of being sanctimonious and critical, suffering from chronic ill health and often having brain fog, I do not find these tasks easy, but I try.

I've just had a horrible wake up call regarding my pension. I've got 37 full years, and ten 'incomplete' years. I'm predicted to get £150 pw, my SP was calculated on the old rules.

Apparently because of the 2016 pension change, buying anything up to this date won't add any value to my pension. I've now got to decide if I want to spend some of the money left from my house sale to get an additional £5 a week, per year I purchase.

Yes of course it is but that’s not the point is it. Why are some people getting letters and others not?? Very random.

I don't remember ever getting a letter and I do think the Civil Service, like so many workers, are under pressure at the moment and perhaps working from home.

We each need to take responsibility for ourselves.

Shandy it's a gamble!

I didn't take the gamble but on reflection, perhaps I should have done.
Although you might be better putting that sum into Premium Bonds!

Are you still working and paying NI Shandy? If so you’ll be credited for each year since 2016.

If you’re claiming a benefit, you’ll also be credited.

If neither of the above, any chance you can claim child care for grandchildren while your son/daughter works? Again you can claim a credit.

I received a letter a few months ago, went online, filled in a few details and all sorted. My first payment is on 14 April. This is two weeks paid in arrears and then payments will be every four weeks. The payment is exactly what I was expecting.

Shandy Have you actually spoken to anybody from the DWP or Citizens Advice? There's something not quite right about what you've written and I'm wondering if there are other factors involved.

I finally reached my state pension age a few months back (hurrah!) and the process has been challenging. Yes, claiming is easy, I did it online in a few clicks. But....the Specified Adult Childcare credits I applied for in early October weren’t credited till February, well after my SPA. Until they were I couldn’t get the details of what payments I could make to buy up incomplete years. Getting that figure (you have to wait till they send it in writing) took another four weeks. Thank goodness I didn’t jump the gun and pay what I thought I should from my Government Gateway account - please don’t rely too heavily on that information. Paying for one of the years wouldn’t have increased my entitlement at all and I wouldn’t have had the overpayment refunded.

I’m told it could be 6 weeks before the payment I’ve now made will be credited.

It’s been frustrating. I have been proactive. I’ve sent emails and letters that dropped into a black hole. I’ve hung on telephone lines for 40 minutes at a time, I’ve spoken to a lot of people (all of them, I must say, polite and friendly and keen to help, even if some of the advice they gave me was completely wrong ). I sympathise - like so many they’re under pressure and working from home. But getting anything out of the ordinary sorted isn’t easy at the moment.

Your first port of call, Shandy, to find out what’s best for you, is the Future Pension Service. They liaise with the HMRC and the Pensions Service and you eventually get a letter detailing what you could pay and what difference it will make to your entitlement.

Hindsight is a great thing, but I have been wondering, would it have made things easier for us and a lesson for the future, if much earlier, we had looked at the predictions and the implications of missing years. This is definitely not a dig at anyone, just a thought in my head.

When I ran out of sick pay, before I was forced to retire on ill health, the DWP contacted me and informed me that although I was still employed, but I was no longer receiving a salary, my NI contributions were not being paid. Naively, that thought had never occured to me.
However, the DWP (pre-Covid) were most helpful and I did eventually receive credits for the missing payments, as I was deemed unfit to ever work again. It took months and was very stressful, but it was eventually sorted.

It's all a bit of a minefield.

Thanks for your feedback everyone, I haven't worked for ten years now, my late husband supported me.

I did phone Future Pension service and the young man said if I purchased the years from 2016 I would get the full state pension. I said I was worried if I paid now I might not live to see the benefits, and he said I would have the option of paying just before my SPA date.

@growstuff what sounds odd? If it's my forecast figure it was calculated on the old rules, I was contracted out with my Teacher's Pension. My COPE is £40.20.

I'm dithering over doing it, and buying Premium Bonds instead.

It’s difficult, isn’t it, Shandy? But I worked out that buying up my couple of incomplete years would pay for itself if I’m spared for just over 3 years. Fingers crossed it’ll pay off.

And as my saga above shows, you can buy in the extra years even after you start getting your pension. There’s no rush to decide.

I can't really understand the maths of it Maggiemaybe, spending £800 to add £5 per week, an increase of £250 over the year - but as you say I should recoup it over three years. I'm just always nervous of making a mistake, thanks for the reassurance.

Pantglas2

Are you still working and paying NI Shandy? If so you’ll be credited for each year since 2016.

If you’re claiming a benefit, you’ll also be credited.

If neither of the above, any chance you can claim child care for grandchildren while your son/daughter works? Again you can claim a credit.

That is not totally correct under the 2016 those of us who have already paid in have what they call a starting amount, if that starting amount is already more than the new full pension amount (currently £175.20) then we have what is called a protected payment which is added to the basic and paid at the same time, any NICs/Credits accrued after 6th April 2016 will not increase the amount of pension we get.

If our starting amount is lower than the new full pension then additional NICs/Credits accrued after 6th April 2016 will increase our pension until we get the basic amount or reach pension age which ever comes sooner, again once the basic amount has been reached (if still working or getting benefits) then any additional NICs/Credits will not increase the pension amount you get. This makes it clearer www.gov.uk/new-state-pension/how-its-calculated

Shandy57

Thanks for your feedback everyone, I haven't worked for ten years now, my late husband supported me.

I did phone Future Pension service and the young man said if I purchased the years from 2016 I would get the full state pension. I said I was worried if I paid now I might not live to see the benefits, and he said I would have the option of paying just before my SPA date.

@growstuff what sounds odd? If it's my forecast figure it was calculated on the old rules, I was contracted out with my Teacher's Pension. My COPE is £40.20.

I'm dithering over doing it, and buying Premium Bonds instead.

Shandy The fact that you were contracted out when you paid Teacher's Pension has affected your pension. That's what was odd.

I have paid NICs for 47 years, but was contracted out for some of that time and won't receive a full state pension. You've answered my query, because I suspected there were further details.

In my case, I couldn't possibly buy extra years to make my pension up to the full amount, but everybody's situation is different.

BTW Shandy If your prediction is £150, you've done well. I will be getting just over £160pw and I have 10 more years contributions than you.