Can someone explain why I don't get a full State Pension please?

Just to clarify, I was born in 1957 so should have retired at 66.

You have just answered your own question. You should have worked until 66.

You can check on one of the on-line calculators ( just Google UK State pension calculator) or get in touch with Citizens Advice who will check it for you. It may be that you did not pay the full rate for part of the period.

But on many SM threads, web sites etc. it says that the receive a full state pension you have to have X number of years NI contributions, and my 46 years always exceeds the amount stated...a bit misleading then?

Gin, I've always paid the full rate NI for the years I was working.

Your best bet is to check with the Pension Service.

www.gov.uk/contact-pension-service

Were you employed in the public sector for any of your employment years, as they operate contracted out pension schemes, so you would not get a full state pension?

Yes as above if you were in contracted out employment your state pension is reduced (as were your contributions)

Casdon, ahh, yes I was employed in London strategic Government for much of my working life. That might explain it. Thank you! I'm obviously not up to scratch on the ins and outs of my pensions...

contracting out was such bad advice in those days. I get £79 pm as my half share of my husbands contracted out pension, I was widowed 2015. That £79 is always that amount and will be for the rest of my life

It does seem as though you were contracted out OP.

I would still check that it's all up to date. It may be worth topping up the last few years...

Fleurpepper

You have just answered your own question. You should have worked until 66.

You need 35 years to qualify for a full state pension. Many have managed that without working til 66.

but it's not just for the pension, there is NHS.
doesn't every adult under SP age need to make NI contributions, or be credited them by DWP ??

thinking about it like that, it's v fortunate that lack of NI contributions only affects SP.
one is still allowed to access and receive services of NHS, notwithstanding NI gaps.

Ask Alice. I’m the same age as you, I received my pension this year. I receive £815 every four week. Is this the full pension? Everyone I know receives the same amount. I’ve only ever worked part time with big gaps too.

Yes Katyj that's the current full amount, due to rise in April.

If you log into your Government Gateway account you can check your pension status.
If you can improve it for any years, it will tell you.
You can back pay for up to six years so that might be an option for you (a friend did that as she'd misjudged her contributions).

I do not understand the pension system but you are best off contacting them yourself. My biggest gripe is the fact that I get a lot less than my husband and I started work when I was 15 and worked until I was 62. My state pension back in 2014 started when I was nearly 62 but I know it has changed now.

welbeck

but it's not just for the pension, there is NHS.
doesn't every adult under SP age need to make NI contributions, or be credited them by DWP ??

Hospital treatment is free of charge for people who are ordinarily resident in the UK. This does not depend on nationality, payment of UK taxes, National Insurance contributions, being registered with a GP, having an NHS number, or owning property in the UK.
www.gov.uk

I think that's the full amount Katyj because it's £203.85 x 4 per month. As I haven't worked 35 years in this country to qualify, my understanding is that I will get a proportion of the new State Pension. My poor Maths assumes I divide the £203.85 by 35 and then times it by the number of years I worked in the UK, which will bring me out to around half the full amount.
I don't think you have to work until you're 66 years old to actually qualify for the full amount, do you? My DH isn't there yet but is considering stopping work early.

Agree you need to contact them they will inform you why. Or look on the Government website for assessment.

Like many Government workers I worked in the NHS I was Contracted out, I know a lot of people didn't know about this.
My pension which I received at 67, is £31.20 in total less every 4 weeks than my DH's who gets the full amount.

However I'm fortunate have a NHS pension.
When I received my SP at 67, I already had my full contributions NI in year's by the time I was in my 50's.
I recall that the contracted out NI was phased out about 10 years ago as I paid year by year more NI until I paid the full amount.

I carried on working 2 days a week my NI just went in the "pot". Still doing the 2 days and now I don't pay it, if I had to I would.

Joseann

I think that's the full amount Katyj because it's £203.85 x 4 per month. As I haven't worked 35 years in this country to qualify, my understanding is that I will get a proportion of the new State Pension. My poor Maths assumes I divide the £203.85 by 35 and then times it by the number of years I worked in the UK, which will bring me out to around half the full amount.
I don't think you have to work until you're 66 years old to actually qualify for the full amount, do you? My DH isn't there yet but is considering stopping work early.

You may be able to top up your NI payments in order to increase your pension (investigate this asap as l think there is a limit on time to do this).
Depending where you lived outwith the UK it may count towards your state pension and/or a pension from that country.
The pension department were extremely helpful when I've spoken to them, including sending me forms to claim from another country - check out the website for contact details etc
www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/understanding-and-qualifying-new-state-pension#:~:text=You%20will%20usually%20need%20at,and%20paid%20National%20Insurance%20contributions

Thank you OldFrill. Good advice to speak to someone who knows. It did cross my mind to try that, as long as they dont say I'm required to live until 100 to make it worthwhile! I also need to look on the French side of things, more for DH than for me, but something tells me there is a 10 year minimum to qualify which is longer than our 6 stay. Their bureaucracy is mind-boggling too.
Looks like I'll have an interesting New Year researching this!
AskAlice from what I've quickly read you should receive the full amount.

Contracting out only affects the extras you can get such as earnings related supplement, there were others over the years.
The reason you didn't get the full new SP is because things changed in 2016. You needed to have paid 5 years of contributions since 2016 to qualify for the full new pension. Instead you fall somewhere between the full old pension which you have paid plenty to qualify for and the full rate of the new state pension.
I was in a similar postion but only one year short and I didn't feel it was worth paying extra to make up that year for just a couple of quid a week.