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Legal, pensions and money

Claiming extra pension after paying a reduced NI stamp in the 70’s.

(38 Posts)
Paperbackwriter Mon 11-Aug-25 15:17:31

I was (stupidly) advised to opt for the married woman's reduced NI. Trouble was, that meant the home-care child-raising years somehow didn't count. Pension-wise, I'd have been better off if I'd never, ever worked.

butterandjam Mon 11-Aug-25 14:36:29

Sorry, not "small stamp" women; it's women whose Home Responsibility years were miscounted.

butterandjam Mon 11-Aug-25 14:31:45

Maria59

I would think it unlikely. The choice was pay less receive less or pay more receive more

Your thinking is wrong, and out of date.

Around 15 years ago I was able to convert some of my old "small stamp " contribution years (did not count for SP ) into fully paid up years, resulting in a better state pension ( backdated!) That was the first govt initiative to improve the pension position of affected women. The costs of "buying back" those years has been an excellent investment

The OP is talking about a different Govt mission to identify many "small stamp" women whose contribution years were were wrongly calculated, resulting in big losses to their SP.
They can now get their record checked and corrected to receive the correct SP.

V3ra Mon 11-Aug-25 14:29:18

Greciangirl

I have applied for this and am waiting for a reply.
Not sure if I qualify, but no harm in asking.

I stayed at home for five years after my daughter was born in 1981.

You only get it for full tax years.
My daughter was born at the end of April 1981 and that tax year didn't count.
My son was born in October 1984 and that tax year didn't count.
However over the course of my working life I paid enough years of contributions to now receive the full (new) state pension.
If you have a Government Gateway account you can check your contributions record and it will tell you if you can make up any missing years (or not, if they're too long ago).

Moii Mon 11-Aug-25 14:15:35

I was a stay at home mum in the 90s for over 10years, my stamp was covered in full.

Greciangirl Mon 11-Aug-25 14:11:41

I have applied for this and am waiting for a reply.
Not sure if I qualify, but no harm in asking.

I stayed at home for five years after my daughter was born in 1981.

suelld Mon 11-Aug-25 14:04:16

If with the low pension you have been given it doesn’t match the cost of living, and you have little or no other income you can claim Pension Credit. This should bring you up to NEAR a full Pension. Depends on your circumstances.
www.gov.uk/pension-credit/eligibility

Also if you are a widow you can claim your husbands pension allowances.
I tried for this but I was divorced and he married again, then divorced, then died, so no chance
Look into both options.
As someone mentioned MSE ( Martin Lewis’s website ) no doubt has useful info on both those possibilities.
I actually spoke to someone in the Government dept who deals with this …eventually got to the right place, and they were very helpful. Not sure if that is the case now!
Do look into this. Age Uk and similar organisations are also helpful. Good Luck.

kjmpde Mon 11-Aug-25 14:01:58

no doubt if your income is too low you would be eligible for state benefits ?

shysal Sun 10-Aug-25 17:07:54

Martin Lewis has been urging the relevant people to try to claim. There was a process of all the people being traced and reimbursed, but there were so many cases that they couldn't cope so they have stopped notifying anyone! There are cases involving thousands of pounds being successfully claimed.

Why am I always just outside the age range for claiming or being entitled to increased pension?

www.bing.com/search?q=martin+lewis+home+responsibilities+protection&form=ANNTH1&refig=6898c25479874d86983c174cfdd92db6&pc=LCTS&pq=martin+lewis+home+responsibilities&pqlth=34&assgl=45&sgcn=martin+lewis+home+responsibilities+protection&qs=AS&sgtpv=AS&smvpcn=0&swbcn=10&sctcn=0&sc=10-34&sp=1&ghc=0&cvid=6898c25479874d86983c174cfdd92db6&clckatsg=1&hsmssg=0

Visgir1 Sun 10-Aug-25 16:57:24

The married woman's "Stamp", NI contributions stopped in 1977. Think some employers were aware of the changes, I had a "brief" marriage in the 70's and was told it wasn't advisable.

If you had or have Child Benefit you can: apply for credits missing from your National Insurance record. However, now it only applies until the child is 12 year old.

I have a friend who didn't work for years bringing up her children, she had big gaps between her 3, she gets the full pension, as her "family allowance" contributions counted.

Sarnia Sun 10-Aug-25 16:32:03

The Government at the time said that those years spent in Home Responsibilites, where we were looking after our children, would not affect our pension and neither would paying the married woman's stamp when we went back to work.
Both promises have turned out to be lies. I doubt very much that you will get anything and if like me you were born before the WASPI women then your pension isn't much by comparison. If by some miracle you do get a result, please post on GN so those of us in the same boat can try our luck. All the best!

Maria59 Sun 10-Aug-25 15:01:25

I would think it unlikely. The choice was pay less receive less or pay more receive more

vonnie73 Sun 10-Aug-25 12:43:44

Has anyone managed this?