State Pension

Opps I mean older than me!

You do need 35 years of contribution to get the state pension, and you can get credits automatically until the youngest child is 12. You can also get credits if you are receiving Carers Allowance. There are lots of women in their 60s who have been hit hard by the change in the rules. I guess we didn't make enough fuss years ago. I worked with someone a couple of years younger than me who just made the full pension at 60 while I have to wait years more for mine. Must have added up to tens of thousands.

Used to be 39 years for women, and 44 for men, then it changed to 30 for everyone, then it changed again to 35 years for everyone. Anyone who starts drawing a pension from April 2016 is affected by the latest change.

We are not due to get our State Pensions for a few more years annsixty, so the new rules apply to us. Everything changed from April 2017. It's your own contributions that count...no more married couple's pension.
In my case I had a 14 year gap between child 2 and 3, so have many years of Child Benefit contributions. Contributions are also credited if you're claiming other benefits too I believe.

Also according to www.gov.uk/new-state-pension/what-youll-get, the contributing years are 35, not 40.

If it's of any help, the telephone no. to get your state pension forecast (as at Aug 2017) is 0800 731 7898

I get my own pension as of right. It is also supplemented by the married contributions my ex paid up to the time of our divorce. It doesn't make me rich, but it helps while he lives the life of riley 6000 miles away.

That is weird Pittcity I also was a full time mum and only get pension based on my H's contributions.
You do not get it until your H is getting his own pension.
Currently that is £303 every 4 weeks.
Until recently I had been under the impression that if he died before me, I would get a full pension based on his contributions as I think that used to be the case. However I am now told I won't.

DH worked full time for over 40 years and was "contracted out". I have only worked for a few years having been a full time Mum.
Our state pension forecasts are that am only short one year of contributions, while he will get far less than me!
It's a very odd system.
Everyone should check their entitlement to avoid surprise when the day arrives!

I had to use a financial advisor when I retired as I had four pension funds ( 20 years as a teacher, 9 years of AVCs as a teacher, 8 years with British Gas before my children were born and a stakeholder pension as part of my divorce to cover 8 years when I did not work). He did an amazing job amalgamating two funds and helped me work out a plan for my retirement. His advice re the state pension was to ignore it and regard it as index linking my private pensions when I finally get it! I will get less than the expected amount because my teachers pension was contracted out and I have given up trying to work out what I will get. I have to wait another 5 years until I am 66 and 3 months anyway!

The required years of contributions depend on when you were born. My husband and I were both born in 1948 - same school cohort, etc, and you'd have thought the same pension would apply. But some years ago (10?) they reduced the number of years from 40 to 30 for him, but not for me. The cut-off date was the start of the tax year, so as I am January-born, and he was born later in April, the new rules applied only to him. The change was announced only months after he had had to decide whether to pay in a lump sum to make up voluntary contributions, as he didn't start work until 24 and was a few years short. If he had chosen to pay this, it would have been completely wasted, as he already had 30 years' contributions. So I didn't get a full pension but he did.

But for all I know it may have changed again - best to keep checking.

Cherrytree59 its shocking that the DWP can get away with this ,I'm one of the women who had NO communication from DWP about this and only heard about it through socail media....messed up my retirement plans big time !

I have just used the Gov. Web site for Pension Forecast and National Insurance contributions.
I have 38 years so 2 years short

On the National Insurance contributions site it states I can pay a shortfall of £500+ for one year and £700+ for the other year.
However the difference it would make to my pension would be just over £4 per week on todays figures.

On the pension forecast it stated that
on today's figures my yearly pension would be just over £700 per month (8,550 per annum)

But according to the pension forecast I can no longer Add to my pension!
Any further paid National Insurance contributions would be for further NHS
or state benifits???
My pension date has moved from 2019 to 2025.
It also stated on the forecast that this date could change

£50,000+ lost

Those who were not contracted out in my day did not pay the SERPS part of the State pension. There is a limit to the percentage of earnings you can put into a pension scheme. Anything over that needs to be a savings type scheme -or that is how it used to be.

Following up Jane10 and Welshwife I believe many of us with public service pensions - like mine from the Scottish Teachers scheme - may find that the eventual state pension is less than expected because of 'contracting out'. Not sure of the details of why, but the state pension forecast does take this into account so it's worth checking in advance of pension date,

Yes, there is, but it is a lot less than 2 separate pensions.

Me too Jane10 calculated they've done me out of £43000 PLUS the NI I'm still paying thats six years worth so well over 15K.My friend who hasn't paid ANY NI since she was 22 insists she'll get a full pension ...I think she might have a wee shock ahead of her .Is there still a pension rate for married couples where the wife never worked?

Teachers were contracted out of the State SERPS scheme because of the Teachers Pension Scheme -probably something similar. I get my TP and my State pension.

www.gov.uk/new-state-pension/how-its-calculated
Could some-one advise please. Looking at the above link it seems to state that we must have 35 qualifying years to gain the full state pension. Has there been a change? It would definitely affect me.

I discovered too late that apparently my NHS pension was 'contracted out' whatever that means so my state pension will be reduced accordingly. I've no idea what all that means. I get my NHS pension already but will have to wait till I'm 66 for my state OK pension. I'm one of these 'waspi women who lost out with no notice of pension changes or time to make plans.

Lindajane that's me well and truly stuffed then - I thought it was 35 years

I'll have to see what they say when I talk to them tomorrow. I work part-time, but not enough to pay NI. I look after my grandchildren 2 days a week and until Jan 2016 helped care for my mum and father-in-law!
Doesn't pay to be a carer that's for sure!

Yes, I had a similar shock in March when I checked my pension forecast having been told the same 4 or 5 years ago. Since the rules have changed and the state pension age has increased, those like us who now fall short of the minimum contribution years, (providing you’re no longer in employment or receiving any benefits) can make ‘voluntary contributions’ for the number of missing years. Some years have a slightly lower contribution payment, (i.e. £626.60 in 2010/11, and £689 in 2012/13 tax years) so I am able to choose those rather than pay the higher amount of more recent years. It’s interesting to calculate carefully as it’s not always worth making up that shortfall. For example, to pay one year’s contributions (£761.80 for this 2018/19 tax year) may or may not give you that amount back when you compare it to the increase in your existing state pension. HMRC help by showing your current estimated weekly pension which you can compare to the maximum weekly pension you’ll be entitled to if you make up the shortfall. It varies from individual so you can’t compare to a friend or relative, and it’s worth finding out as soon as possible to plan making the extra contributions (assuming those will increase your forecast). I’ve told this to all of my friends who are in a similar age group to me. Many of them who have not paid NI since having children didn’t realise they are eligible for a partial state pension based on them receiving child benefits. I’ve only joined Gransnet today and am so pleased to engage in some helpful and supportive threads.

Since 1978, you are automatically credited with payments if you are not working because of childcare or other caring commitments. That includes caring for disabled or vulnerable adults.

I returned to work in January 1979 just too late to benefit from this concession.

Lindajane - I’m sure I remember getting a similar letter. I checked up on my state pension situation last year and found that I was short of four years NI contributions. This relates to the four years when the company my husband was working for seconded him to the US and our children and I went to. It was the 80’s, I wasn’t allowed to work in the US and although the company paid my husband’s NI during that time, they didn’t pay mine. I thought having children under 16 meant that I was covered by Home Responsibilites allowance whilst we were away but was wrong. It’s not possible to buy back those 4 years ( too late). I’ve stopped paid employment early to look after my elderly mother and grandchildren so I’m glad I can claim my daughter’s Equivalent of Home Resp allowance to pay my NI contributions for these years or I’d have an even larger shortfall. I’m annoyed that I wasn’t warned about this earlier when I could have done something about it.