Like most Gransnetters, I spent a lot of time at home when my children were young but I have always been very independent, I always wanted to return to work and I didnt want to be financially dependent on DH more than was absolutely necessary so in the years I was working between marriage and motherhood and when I was working part time, so excluded from occupational schemes, I always paid the full NI stamp. I never opted for the married woman's rate.
When I was 40 and returning to work full time it was with a large company with a good occupational scheme. Because I was starting paying into a pension scheme relatively late I immediately started paying additional voluntary contributions, the salary hike from a part time job was such that I thought if I did that immediately I wouldnt miss the extra cash. I expected to stay with the company until I retired but when I was in my early 50s it had to drastically reorganise its operations and lose a lot of staff. There was a very good redundancy scheme, which I took, as my future wth the company was uncertain if I decided to stay. As I had a small pension from the time I left I paid voluntary NI payments from the time I left until I hit 60, apart from a short period when I was able to return to work.
Neither my state nor occupational pension is as large as if I had worked until I was 60, but, with Graduated Pension contributions and SERPS my state pension is just above the basic state pension level and my occupational pension gives me a reasonable income and as DH also has his state and occupational pensions between us we are comfortably off.
DS is fortunate to still be in a final salary pension scheme. DD was, but changed jobs and despite me constantly nagging her has made no pension provision for the last 5 years. I am really relieved that the new state scheme is going to force her to put money aside for the future.