Pension

[ailie]

I worked full time for 4 yrs, spent 16 yrs with HRP & since then have worked 9yrs but only part time.
How do my part time years count towards the 30yrs I need to accrue/acquire full entitlement for State pension. I have 9 yrs left till I retire & maybe I need to be buying extra years now...?
I'm sureure I read that the price of extra years was set to rise next year.

[factor-fiction]

I'm not sure the fact that it was part time work matters per se- roughly what did you earn ?

[ailie]

Varied ....12K ish to 14K gross for about 3 days/ wk

[dasherman]

You don't necessarily have to have 30 years of work history to get the full state pension. If you have recieved certain state benefits,that qualifys you aswell.See here:

http://www.pensionsadvisoryservice.org.uk/stat e_pensions/credits/

You can also get a state pension forecast here:

http://www.thepensionservice.gov.uk/state-pens ion/forecast/home.asp

[factor-fiction]

I would have thought that with those earnings you'd have been paying your fair share of NI contributions so think you'll be okay. You pay NI based on your earnings- I don't see it matters whether it's for 3 days a week or 7 days a week. I'm happy to be corrected though if someone knows for sure.

[buildersmate]

For each particular (tax) year to 'count' for the purposes of pay-based accrual towards your Basic State Pension, you have to go over the threshold of the NI for that year. It is currently just over �5k per annum salary, so at your earnings you will have exceeded it.

Good idea to get the pension service to check for you THEIR record of your contributions though, as per Dasherman's suggestion.

[ailie]

Thanx chaps, it's not easy to keep up with & understand all the changes

[Whoever]

It may be a good idea for you to get a pension forecast for yourself as soon as possible, bearing in mind how slowly the Dept of Work and Pensions respond, and if you decide you need to pay some additional NPI contributions, to do so before April because the cost of buying additional years is going up then. The extra cost of these contributions was apparently buried in the Budget fine print but I believe I read it was going to be around �200 extra for each year bought.

[ailie]

That's what I read so I will get an up to date forcast. Apparently I can use my husband's contributions ...... need clarification.