Gaps In National Insurance

[Scarlett]

Until I signed onto the Gov Gateway I had no idea that I had lots of years where I had a gap in my NI. No idea why! It doesn't say anything about how I can pay to get it all up to date. Any idea how I can sort it all out?

[Buenchico]

https://www.gov.uk/voluntary-national-insurance-contributions

[fiction-factory]

If you were in a company pension scheme you'd have been contracted out of your company scheme so paid lower NI contributions and the GMP would have gone in to your company pension

[fiction-factory]

Actually, that doesn't appear as a gap on your NI- it's just that you get a lower state pension. So my first answer may be wrong,
It's caught out quite a few of us who were expecting to get the new full state pension at maybe 66/67 based on past contributions but now find we need more years.

[bednobs]

i think you're self employed arent you? Plus i think you are also recieving benefits? Perhaps that's why you have gaps

[fiction-factory]

Often the ni contributions are credited when uc/jSA are paid and perhaps dla/ pip although I'm not sure on these disability ones

[Gizmonster]

Your gaps could be due to one of several reasons:
Working part time and not earning enough to pay NI contributions;
Unemployment and not claiming benefits;
Gaps in between employment of a full week, where you paid no NI contributions.

All you need is to be a week short in your NI contributions and that year does not count towards your qualifying years.
You can query the gaps by contacting HMRC and you can fill the gaps by making the missed payments for up to 6 years ago (I think!!)

[Captain2]

Same thing happened to my Good Lady last year. She was able, via her Gateway account to print out a summary of her 'missing or incomplete years' via
https://www.gov.uk/check-your-state-pension/account/nirecord

then a summary of which years are missing, via

https://www.gov.uk/check-your-state-pension/account/nirecord/gapsandhowtocheck

and then how much of a downfall there was for those years and how to pay, via

https://www.gov.uk/check-your-state-pension/account/nirecord/vouluntarycontribs

Hope that works and is of some help.

[Captain2]

Oh, and I think you have 4 years to make up any shortfalls.

[Gizmonster]

//// Oh, and I think you have 4 years to make up any shortfalls. ////

I just checked, as I thought it was 6 years, but wasn't too sure

https://www.gov.uk/voluntary-national-insurance-contributions/deadlines

It's 6 years.

[Captain2]

I'll go along with you Gizmonster.
I was looking at my GL's printout dated 4/4/2019 and it says to pay voluntary contributions by 5/4/2023 but I don't know if there is a final backstop date.

[Old_Geezer]

The links don't work Capt. Did you have to register or something first ?

[Captain2]

Possibly so O_G - you probably have to go in with your Gateway number.
I'm not au fait with the site, I've got my full pension already. :0))))

[Mamyalynne]

Yes, you need to get a Gateway Accpunt, then.

https://www.gov.uk/check-national-insurance-record

https://www.gov.uk/check-state-pension

[Old_Geezer]

Ok ta. (Recall trying to check about 8 months ago, but couldn't because I said I had a passport, but as it wasn't with me at the time I couldn't give details, so it wouldn't let me continue. A good reason not to have a passport !)

[Arrods]

Just to add, they do get it wrong sometimes. Mrs Arrods had to claim some sort of benefit for a short while a few years back and she was told she wasn't eligible because of insufficient NI payments. We supplied proof that she had in fact paid more than enough over her employed and self-employed time.