N.i. Conributions

[barney4444]

Hi. Due to a disablement I have had to leave my job as a driver, not well enough to work at the moment but I do receive a pension from which I pay no tax or national insurance.
I am concerned that not making N.I contributions will reduce my state pension which I should begin receiving in 5 years time.
Will be grateful for any information.

[EDDIE51]

As long as you have made the minimum number of NI contributions you will get a full state pension. Making more contributions will not increase your state pension.You need 30 contribution years to get a full state pension . So as you are just 5 years from pension age you should have sufficient contributions.
https://www.gov.uk/state-pension/eligibility

[EDDIE51]

^ once you reach state pension age you will get the state pension as well as your private pension.

[murraymints]

https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/articles/disability-and-sickness-benefits-check-your-entitlements

look here..you can claim ESA and conts will continue

[New Judge]

I think you'll find it is now 35 years, Eddie. I believe that change came in when the new "flat rate" pension (which is nothing of the sort) was introduced. I haven't looked it up, though.

[barney4444]

Thanks Edddie.

[EDDIE51]

^ I was thinking it was 32 years but the 'gov UK ' link says 30.

[roslyn251254]

You defo need 35 years ... i paid the shortfall ... just under £3000... which you recoup after less than 3 full yrs on full pension.
I thought it was 40 yrs for men?

[EDDIE51]

^ From the official government link I just posted>>
To get the full basic State Pension you need a total of 30 qualifying years of National Insurance contributions or credits. This means you were either:

working and paying National Insurance
getting National Insurance Credits, for example for unemployment, sickness or as a parent or carer
paying voluntary National Insurance contributions
If you have fewer than 30 qualifying years, your basic State Pension will be less than £122.30 per week but you might be able to top up by paying voluntary National Insurance contributions.

[murraymints]

https://www.gov.uk/new-state-pension/your-national-insurance-record-and-your-state-pension

[murraymints]

35 for new state pension see my link

[EDDIE51]

^ Can't see anything about 35 years on your link murray.
I looked up and posted the official government link and it says 30 qualifying years.

[roslyn251254]

It 's under point 6 in that link Eddie

[EDDIE51]

^ Point 6 just says you need 10 qualifying years to get a minimum state pension. My link clearly says 30 qualifying years to get the maximum pension

[barney4444]

I understand it as you do Eddie, but I am biased because that`s what I want it to be of course.
Thanks to everyone though.

[ubasses]

Eddie, look again at Murraymint's link, the last sentence in the section that says you need a minimum of 10 years clearly says 35 years for for the full £155 new pension. Your link refers to the lower £122 for those that retired prior to 2016.

[mikey4444]

Barney....go to the Pensions website and ask for a Old Age Pension forecast.....that will let you know how much you can expect.

[Gizmonster]

I've been doing a bit of googling - a bit of confusion as to whether you need 30 or 35 years.
Eventually, I ended up on the same link that murray provided ..... it clearly says in that link,

"You’ll need 35 qualifying years to get the new full State Pension if you don’t have a National Insurance record before 6 April 2016."

The way I interpret that is it's going up for people who started working (or at the very least, paying NI contributions) after 6th April 2016.

[Baldric]

FYI Eddie, From Murrays Link

///You’ll need 35 qualifying years to get the new full State Pension if you don’t have a National Insurance record before 6 April 2016///

[hc4361]

Not very clear, is it?
From murray's link:

You’ll need 35 qualifying years to get the new full State Pension if you don’t have a National Insurance record before 6 April 2016.

barney does have a NI record prior to April 2016 as he has been working and is only 5 years off retirement. So, does he need 30 or 35 years of contributions?

barney, you can get a pension statement now - that will definitely tell you what you qualify for.

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

[THECORBYLOON]

The guidance isn't as clear as it could be.

Folk who reached pensionable age before 6.4.16 may be entitled to Retirement Pension (RP) and folk who reached pensionable age on or after 6.4.16 may be entitled to State Pension (SP).

To get full-rate RP, you need to have thirty Qualifying Years and for full-rate SP, you need thirty-five if you had no NI record before 6.4.16. When folk come to claim SP, there will be a calculation done under the new rules and one done on the assumption the claimant had retired on 6.4.16 and claimed RP (with the amount re-value where appropriate).

The claimant will then get the higher of the amounts as State Pension.