Peacocks

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I heard Martin Lewis of Moneysavingexpert.com on the radio last week talking about 5 April being the deadline for purchasing any missed NI contributions (through time off for having children/non-working etc) to ensure you get the full state pension when you retire. This option may be removed after 5 April.

 

It also works if you've already retired but you'll only get backdated payments if you apply before 5 April.

 

As I had quite a few years off for my kids and have only worked part-time since, I was interested to find out for myself. So I went onto Direct Gov and got myself a pension forecast. You have to register with the Government's Gateway system but it's fairly simple. They send you a code and User ID then you can access the forecast, which gives you an answer straight away after answering a few questions.

 

You can go for a more simple State Pension Profiler but as it doesn't access the NI information the Government holds for you, it relies on you putting in accurate information.

 

I'm pleased to report I have 28/30 of required contributions and as long as I keep working for a few more years I'll have the full complement .

 

I am clueless about pensions so I hope I've presented the facts correctly - please read all the links for yourself if you want to go ahead .

[Cinnamon]

I am interested to do this,but am having real problems with the gateway registration.

It isn't allowing me to type in any R's or Y's, & misses some of my S's too

 

Anyone else in the same boat?

[MummyHen]

Thanks for posting this - I have register both myself and hubby (I had no problems and used both Rs and Ys). So await the other codes in the post

I also called the NI help line and was told that I had already contributed 24 years which is about right as I'm in my mid 40s. At the moment my retiring age is 66 seems a long way off OMG thats another 22 years to work

[Patricia W]

ANH- help!

 

I've got lost! I registered with the Gateway and have a ID but how do you get from that to the Pension forecast? I can't see Pensions in the list of services you can access.

[Old Speckled Hen]

Yes they recently changed the rules so that you have to have only 30 years contributions, male or female. It used to be quite a lot longer.

I'm OK and just got in (phew!!) to retirement at 60, though I have to wait 9 months for my pension....

[Tiggy]

ANH- help!

 

I've got lost! I registered with the Gateway and have a ID but how do you get from that to the Pension forecast? I can't see Pensions in the list of services you can access.

 

same here I cant see pensions on the list

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Try this for the "Profiler", it's the orange box near the bottom of the page.

 

Or this for the "Forecast" also near the bottom. You need to "Apply for a State Pension forecast", then "Launch the State Pension forecast e-service" then choose "I have not used this service before" to open the application for the Gateway account.

 

It is a bit confusing when they talk about a "profile" and a "forecast". The "profile" is the simpler on-line tool and just seems to give you an estimate. The latter needs the Gateway account (you need to fill that form in & wait till the log in details come in the post) but is more accurate.

 

Just ask if you need more help .

[Egluntyne]

Thanks. That has been really helpful.

[Charlottechicken]

Yes, very helpful!

 

I have only one more year of contributions to pay before I have completed 30 years and qualify for a full state pension. No doubt I'll still have to continue to pay the contributions though

[Patricia W]

I got some log in details by email. When I registered on the Gateway they only asked for my email address. I'm confused! I think I'll phone someone up tomorrow...

[Charlottechicken]

I also got an immediate user number when I registered with the Gateway I can't get anything online for pensions from it though as it is sending me in circles

 

The profiler is a good indicator, and as far as I can think back, appears to be not far off the mark for years I have contributed. I have over 20 years to go before I can think about retiring though so I'm sure I'll pay all my contributions by then

[Chicken Licken]

I have 20 years of contributions - does that mean I can retire in 10 years time?? If the government have anything to do with it I will have 49 years of contributions before they allow me to retire - Grrrrr!!

[bronze]

I have no idea

 

I'm really dim

 

I have no idea what I am supposed to be doing. I have been a sahm mum for the last 8 years.Am I supposed to be doing something?

Occassionally I get a letter saying sont worry we know you ae a sahm mum blah blah which I just file

 

 

And why if theres a date to do something by are they not telling people

 

 

ahhh

 

help

 

edit- I can actually get on the site now.

I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to be doing still.

You have up to 37 years to build up the remaining 18 qualifying years you need to get a full basic State Pension.

Buying ni back? buying? What does that mean? what do I need to do?

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Bronze, I think it just means that you can top up your NI contributions, if you haven't got enough for the full State Pension, by paying for them now. Martin Lewis seemed to be saying that it was a better deal financially if you did it before 5 Apr. Also, I think they're looking at removing the option to top up so you might not have the option in future.

 

Follow the links in my post above for the Forecast - that's much easier as you don't have to know any information apart from your NI number and what you were paid in a particular month this year and last. Presumably, if you're not working or you don't know, you put zero and you'll still get the information from their records.

 

If you find out that you are short of contributions, I'm sure there's info on the Moneysavingexpert website on what to do next . I'll try and help too .

[laurmurf]

thanks for this ANH!

I've got my USER ID from Government Gateway and am waiting now for the activation code for the Pension Forecaster.

 

An excellent post and a real help for omleteers!

[Ain't Nobody Here]

[bronze]

You have up to 37 years to build up the remaining 18 qualifying years you need to get a full basic State Pension.

 

Ok thanks

so I don't need to worry as I'm pretty sure I'll manage to earn the 18 years in the 37 years I have

 

I probably wont make it to the retirement age of 69 anyway which will be bound to have gone up again as I get nearer

 

Thank you for calming me. I have real problems with things like this because however hard I try to get it right it goes wrong- thing tax credits

[freddie]

I tried the site, it wouldn't do r or k, so I rang them 08453000168, and spoke to a very helpful lady, who told me all I needed to know, and when I asked for a load of other stuff to do with redundancy, answered all that too!!

Thanks Vikki, ideal check up, and in my case not too bad, 3 yrs of contributions left to go, but 17 yrs left to work perhaps I will retrain after all!!