State pension - missed NI contribution

[Blue_star]

Hello Piston-head experts!

I need some help!

In one person working families housewives miss out on putting NI contributions. Assuming that there is correlation between ni contributions and pension (tell me if this is not correct) what ways are there for not working people not to miss out on pension? Is there such thing as voluntary contribution? Can you back date?


I really dont know how pensions work; sorry. I was reading the other topic and my head was spinning when you got down to discussing triple locks and Blair.


Root cause for my question is that I suspect im gonna be planted way before the wife and I want to make sure she benefits from my 60 hour work weeks

[randlemarcus]

If you claim Child Benefit, your wife automatically gets her base level NI contribution, which is nice.

If you dont, because your income is too high, you have a choice either to claim, and repay on your own Self Assessment, or pay her NI out of post tax income.

[Happy Jim]

Phone these peopleand they will tell you what your state pension forecast looks like, they will also tell you what it would be if you paid for any missing years…..and how to do it. Dead easy to do (I topped up my Wife’s a couple of weeks ago).

Regards

Jim

[caziques]

At the present time you can go back 16 years with NI contributions - have a look at:

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

To get the full state pension of 203 odd quid a week you need 35 years of contributions. Otherwise it's done on a pro rata basis.

[duckson]

randlemarcus said:

If you claim Child Benefit, your wife automatically gets her base level NI contribution, which is nice.

If you dont, because your income is too high, you have a choice either to claim, and repay on your own Self Assessment, or pay her NI out of post tax income.

You can also register for Child Benefit (to claim the NI contribution) but opt to receive no actual payment.

[LastPoster]

May or may not be applicable to the OP but the NI credit for a non working parent (or working but under the NI income threshold) only applies until the youngest child is 12

[alscar]

Happy Jim said:

Phone these peopleand they will tell you what your state pension forecast looks like, they will also tell you what it would be if you paid for any missing years…..and how to do it. Dead easy to do (I topped up my Wife’s a couple of weeks ago).

Regards

Jim

Were you able to top up your wife’s yourself or did she have to be there on the call / give permission ?

[Simpo Two]

The NI issue cropped up some months ago, notably after Martin Lewis promoted it and promptly crashed HMRC with the number of people all trying to top up. As it was impossible for people to top up NI contributions I believe the opportunity was eventually extended until some time in 2025.

You can get a pension forecast online easily enough, and it will say which years if any are short, but not by how much, and then actually paying them is whole new can or worms which I failed to open. I'll have another go sometime.

[Happy Jim]

alscar said:

Happy Jim said:

Phone these peopleand they will tell you what your state pension forecast looks like, they will also tell you what it would be if you paid for any missing years…..and how to do it. Dead easy to do (I topped up my Wife’s a couple of weeks ago).

Regards

Jim

Were you able to top up your wife’s yourself or did she have to be there on the call / give permission ?

I did it on speakerphone with my wife next to me for the “can I speak to your wife” bit, once they had done some rudimentary security checks I took over again - really simple, took less than 20 mins on the phone (and only about 5 mins in the queue).

Regards

Jim

[alscar]

Happy Jim said:

I did it on speakerphone with my wife next to me for the “can I speak to your wife” bit, once they had done some rudimentary security checks I took over again - really simple, took less than 20 mins on the phone (and only about 5 mins in the queue).

Regards

Jim

Thanks Jim - will give it a go.

[uknick]

Happy Jim said:

I did it on speakerphone with my wife next to me for the “can I speak to your wife” bit, once they had done some rudimentary security checks I took over again - really simple, took less than 20 mins on the phone (and only about 5 mins in the queue).

Regards

Jim

How long did it take to get through? Last time my partner tried a few months ago, she'd get to about 45 minutes hold and it'd then cut off.

[Michael_B]

uknick said:

How long did it take to get through? Last time my partner tried a few months ago, she'd get to about 45 minutes hold and it'd then cut off.

I called at 9h47 UK time today on the overseas number and got through in less than 30 seconds from when it started ringing after the various menu choices.

I have a Govt Gateway from a few years ago before they tightened the security verification (just sent out a code by post on the basis of an NI number and UK passport), but at the time I neglected to get one for Mrs B. Now they want a UK driving licence, payslip for the last 3 months or P60 from last tax year, info on a UK credit record, none of which she can provide, therefore no online access for her. So in order to check that her child-benefit-receiving-non-working years (in the 1990s before leaving the UK) had been credited to her NI record, I phoned up instead.

So, a few security questions were directed at Mrs B, then I took over. All is in order, except for 1991-92 when our first child was born, where only 8 weeks of 52 are credited. It's way too late to buy the rest back to make up a full qualifying year. Even if HMRC corrected their error it would give her only 51 weeks, as our daughter rather inconsiderately decided to enter this world on April 13th, so just one week into the tax year

Mrs B has just over eight years to go until UK state pension age, and according to the lady on the phone today, still needs seven more qualifying years (which we currently pay at £158/year voluntary Class 2 from Switzerland). Even if HMRC agree to make up 1991-92 to correct their mistake and generously pay up the other week, it's not entirely clear whether than will reduce the number of years required down to six. I am currently nine years off SP age and need eight more qualifying years to get the full whack.

[PM3]

Michael_B said:

uknick said:

How long did it take to get through? Last time my partner tried a few months ago, she'd get to about 45 minutes hold and it'd then cut off.

I called at 9h47 UK time today on the overseas number and got through in less than 30 seconds from when it started ringing after the various menu choices.

I have a Govt Gateway from a few years ago before they tightened the security verification (just sent out a code by post on the basis of an NI number and UK passport), but at the time I neglected to get one for Mrs B. Now they want a UK driving licence, payslip for the last 3 months or P60 from last tax year, info on a UK credit record, none of which she can provide, therefore no online access for her. So in order to check that her child-benefit-receiving-non-working years (in the 1990s before leaving the UK) had been credited to her NI record, I phoned up instead.

So, a few security questions were directed at Mrs B, then I took over. All is in order, except for 1991-92 when our first child was born, where only 8 weeks of 52 are credited. It's way too late to buy the rest back to make up a full qualifying year. Even if HMRC corrected their error it would give her only 51 weeks, as our daughter rather inconsiderately decided to enter this world on April 13th, so just one week into the tax year

Mrs B has just over eight years to go until UK state pension age, and according to the lady on the phone today, still needs seven more qualifying years (which we currently pay at £158/year voluntary Class 2 from Switzerland). Even if HMRC agree to make up 1991-92 to correct their mistake and generously pay up the other week, it's not entirely clear whether than will reduce the number of years required down to six. I am currently nine years off SP age and need eight more qualifying years to get the full whack.

How odd. When did they supposedly tighten the system you mention? I got a Gateway ID for my wife about 18 months ago just to address this matter of many years unpaid to catch up. NI number and new style passport . Certainly no driving licence ( she doesn't have one ) no wage slips ( she hasn't worked for 15 years ) and certainly no P60 or any form such as that . Number granted, lots of hoops to jump thru, and agonising waits on the phone with DWP " working from home " nonsense ....all sorted . We had to pay the class 3 payments of something like 800 a year
Maybe it was 24 months ago...can't recall exactly

[Michael_B]

PM3 said:

How odd. When did they supposedly tighten the system you mention? I got a Gateway ID for my wife about 18 months ago just to address this matter of many years unpaid to catch up. NI number and new style passport . Certainly no driving licence ( she doesn't have one ) no wage slips ( she hasn't worked for 15 years ) and certainly no P60 or any form such as that . Number granted, lots of hoops to jump thru, and agonising waits on the phone with DWP " working from home " nonsense ....all sorted . We had to pay the class 3 payments of something like 800 a year
Maybe it was 24 months ago...can't recall exactly

This is what the current gov.uk website says about setting up a new Gateway ID:

You’ll need your National Insurance number or postcode and 2 of the following:

a valid UK passport
a UK photocard driving licence issued by the DVLA (or DVA in Northern Ireland)
a payslip from the last 3 months or a P60 from your employer for the last tax year
details of a tax credit claim if you made one
details from a Self Assessment tax return if you made one
information held on your credit record if you have one (such as loans, credit cards or mortgages)

Following the usual route, we always got stuck at the point where it says "we are going to ask you about two of the following: UK passport, UK driving licence, info on your credit record." If you click that you don't have two of these, you're directed to a page that says "tough luck, you'll need to phone up to access info, and no-one on the line will be able to help you complete your ID process."

Then I noticed a link that said "UK Passport only" and ended up on a page which then stated that the gov.uk mobile app could verify ID if the passport was biometric and the phone had a contactless scanner.

So we did all that, no phone calls necessary, and now Mrs B is the proud owner of a Govt Gateway... hurrah!

[PM3]

Michael_B said:

PM3 said:

How odd. When did they supposedly tighten the system you mention? I got a Gateway ID for my wife about 18 months ago just to address this matter of many years unpaid to catch up. NI number and new style passport . Certainly no driving licence ( she doesn't have one ) no wage slips ( she hasn't worked for 15 years ) and certainly no P60 or any form such as that . Number granted, lots of hoops to jump thru, and agonising waits on the phone with DWP " working from home " nonsense ....all sorted . We had to pay the class 3 payments of something like 800 a year
Maybe it was 24 months ago...can't recall exactly

CLIP
Then I noticed a link that said "UK Passport only" and ended up on a page which then stated that the gov.uk mobile app could verify ID if the passport was biometric and the phone had a contactless scanner.

Its possible I blundered onto the site that way ....and indeed the crucial thing was the passport and phone thing. Easy when you know huh. Anyway, ist done and that behind. Im sure they will chnage it soon and mess it all up again

[Blue_star]

Thank you wonderful people for your help. This was very helpful.

[Happy Jim]

Happy Jim said:

alscar said:

Happy Jim said:

Phone these peopleand they will tell you what your state pension forecast looks like, they will also tell you what it would be if you paid for any missing years…..and how to do it. Dead easy to do (I topped up my Wife’s a couple of weeks ago).

Regards

Jim

Were you able to top up your wife’s yourself or did she have to be there on the call / give permission ?

I did it on speakerphone with my wife next to me for the “can I speak to your wife” bit, once they had done some rudimentary security checks I took over again - really simple, took less than 20 mins on the phone (and only about 5 mins in the queue).

Regards

Jim

Soooo,
Whilst the conversation was quick, and paying in was quick (10 mins after), getting it to show up on the portal……….last week!!

Sheesh

[caziques]

I paid 16 back years and claimed state pension mid November last year.

The extra contributions show up, but as yet no sniff of any actual payments.

As I live in a "frozen country" (no yearly increases), I still don't know how much I'm going to get, only that it will be 29/35ths of some amount.

Hopefully it will turn up before I cark it.

[Neddy Sea Goon]

There's also the HMRC app, once set up all your details including tax, and pension information in one place, works really well.

Was spooky to see information from the 80's all logged and on the screen.

[Simpo Two]

caziques said:

I paid 16 back years and claimed state pension mid November last year.

The extra contributions show up, but as yet no sniff of any actual payments.

Sorry but we're a bit skint at present!