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Worth taking into account my UK National Insurance Contributions (4mths work)?

Worth taking into account my UK National Insurance Contributions (4mths work)?

Old Mar 31st 2023, 1:32 pm
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Default Worth taking into account my UK National Insurance Contributions (4mths work)?

After graduating from college, I worked at Debenham's full-time for about 4 months and then left the UK to come and live in France.
In France I worked for 10 years and then got married and became a full-time house-wife.
I will get a small pension from the French government.
However, I am wondering if those 4 months I worked at Debenhams are worth taking into account, whether they'd make much difference?
The problem is that Debenhams was 34 years ago, and I have no pay slips or any idea what my national insurance number is, which would surely be necessary in order to access online any information regarding my UK NI contributions.
Thank you in advance for your help.
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Old Mar 31st 2023, 1:42 pm
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Default Re: Worth taking into account my UK National Insurance Contributions (4mths work

Hi
Welcome to the forum.
If you reach State Pension age after April 2016 then you need a minimum of 10 years contributions to qualify for the UK pension
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Old Mar 31st 2023, 2:22 pm
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Default Re: Worth taking into account my UK National Insurance Contributions (4mths work

Hi,

Thank you, Cyrian.

Sorry it wasn't very clear how I phrased my query.

I wouldn't actually be applying for a UK state pension.

I would just be receiving a (very basic) French one.

I'm just wondering if the NICs from those 4 months are worth taking into account by being "fused" onto my French state pension.

Who knows, maybe they would add on 20e, 30, 40e a year lol? Or am I dreaming?

Wondering too how to recuperate my NI n° after all these decades?

Last edited by dummel; Mar 31st 2023 at 2:27 pm.
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Old Mar 31st 2023, 2:30 pm
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Default Re: Worth taking into account my UK National Insurance Contributions (4mths work

If youdon't qualify for a basic UK pension then there is nothing to fuse with the French system.
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Old Mar 31st 2023, 2:38 pm
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Default Re: Worth taking into account my UK National Insurance Contributions (4mths work

And if you didn't work and actually pay NI (deemed years don't count) for at least three years, you are not eligible to make any further contributions towards a state pension.
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Old Mar 31st 2023, 2:59 pm
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Default Re: Worth taking into account my UK National Insurance Contributions (4mths work

Thank you Cyian and Pulaski for the confirmation.

That's sorted then, I'll cross that off my Todo list haha.

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Old Apr 1st 2023, 7:13 am
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Default Re: Worth taking into account my UK National Insurance Contributions (4mths work

Originally Posted by dummel
After graduating from college, I worked at Debenham's full-time for about 4 months and then left the UK to come and live in France.
In France I worked for 10 years and then got married and became a full-time house-wife.
I will get a small pension from the French government.
However, I am wondering if those 4 months I worked at Debenhams are worth taking into account, whether they'd make much difference?
The problem is that Debenhams was 34 years ago, and I have no pay slips or any idea what my national insurance number is, which would surely be necessary in order to access online any information regarding my UK NI contributions.
Thank you in advance for your help.
Hi, and welcome to the forum!
A bit late to add my advice, but it might help others to know that, between two periods of working in France, I worked for 6 months in Switzerland and was given a document from the Swiss Administration justifying Contributions into the System. When I applied for my French Pension, I was advised that it simply wasn't worthwhile to go through the bureaucratic hassle, and I simply gave up that 6 months...
On the other hand, the Pensions Agent's computer found ALL my Contributions in the UK, including my Saturday/holiday jobs going back to my youth - I was staggered to see Timothy Whites and M&S mentioned! It did help that I had noted my NI number for all those years, and the sum of all the years working in the UK helped to make up the infamous "trimestres" when I applied for my French Pension.
P.S. My pro rata UK Pension for 6-7 years is peanuts (so small that they pay quarterly), so your 4 months would count for correspondingly less....
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Old Apr 1st 2023, 9:20 am
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Default Re: Worth taking into account my UK National Insurance Contributions (4mths work

Remember that it is full years that count for a UK state pension not the actual months -so work part time for 12 months,tick-work full time for 11 months-no
A mad scheme frankly but designed when people generally had full employment and the gig economy did not exist and I have always thought it would be far better to separate off pension contributions and NHS contributions as they do in France
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Old Apr 1st 2023, 9:50 am
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Default Re: Worth taking into account my UK National Insurance Contributions (4mths work

Originally Posted by Listen Very Carefully
Remember that it is full years that count for a UK state pension not the actual months -so work part time for 12 months,tick-work full time for 11 months-no
A mad scheme frankly but designed when people generally had full employment and the gig economy did not exist and I have always thought it would be far better to separate off pension contributions and NHS contributions as they do in France
The UK system would also be better if it had a separate balanced budget with a measureable spend / overspend as in the French system.
The overspend / debt could then be financed by additional ring-fenced taxation / social charges.
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Old Apr 1st 2023, 12:19 pm
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Default Re: Worth taking into account my UK National Insurance Contributions (4mths work

Amazing how so many are clueless on how NI system for UK state pension works.

Its irrelevant how many months or weeks you worked in tax year, what counts that in that tax year your earnings exceed "Lower level of qualifying earnings", which is linked to
NI LEL. If earnings exceed NI LEL (even by just £1), you get one qualifying pension year. Figures change every tax year, for next tax year that will be £6396.
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Old Apr 1st 2023, 1:38 pm
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Default Re: Worth taking into account my UK National Insurance Contributions (4mths work

Thank you all for your replies.

Just curious, does anyone know if there is a possibility of recuperating one's NI n°?

Last edited by dummel; Apr 1st 2023 at 2:36 pm.
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Old Apr 1st 2023, 2:06 pm
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Default Re: Worth taking into account my UK National Insurance Contributions (4mths work

Originally Posted by dummel
Thank you all for your replies.

Just curious, does anyone know if there is a possibility of recuperating one's NI n°?
Quick search reveals...................................... you can:
HMRC will post it to you and it will arrive within 15 working days.
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Old Apr 1st 2023, 2:06 pm
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Default Re: Worth taking into account my UK National Insurance Contributions (4mths work

Originally Posted by dummel
Thank you all for your replies.

Just curious, does anyone know if there is a possibility of recuperating one's NI n°?
Give HMRC a ring.

https://www.gov.uk/lost-national-insurance-number
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Old Apr 1st 2023, 2:26 pm
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Default Re: Worth taking into account my UK National Insurance Contributions (4mths work

Originally Posted by EU.flag
Amazing how so many are clueless on how NI system for UK state pension works.

Its irrelevant how many months or weeks you worked in tax year, what counts that in that tax year your earnings exceed "Lower level of qualifying earnings", which is linked to
NI LEL. If earnings exceed NI LEL (even by just £1), you get one qualifying pension year. Figures change every tax year, for next tax year that will be £6396.
Which just goes to show how completely and utterly mad it is-Earn £6K a year ie £500 a month and you get nada.If a private pension company did this to you there would be hell to pay.
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Old Apr 1st 2023, 2:34 pm
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Default Re: Worth taking into account my UK National Insurance Contributions (4mths work

Originally Posted by dmu
Hi, and welcome to the forum!
A bit late to add my advice, but it might help others to know that, between two periods of working in France, I worked for 6 months in Switzerland and was given a document from the Swiss Administration justifying Contributions into the System. When I applied for my French Pension, I was advised that it simply wasn't worthwhile to go through the bureaucratic hassle, and I simply gave up that 6 months...
On the other hand, the Pensions Agent's computer found ALL my Contributions in the UK, including my Saturday/holiday jobs going back to my youth - I was staggered to see Timothy Whites and M&S mentioned! It did help that I had noted my NI number for all those years, and the sum of all the years working in the UK helped to make up the infamous "trimestres" when I applied for my French Pension.
P.S. My pro rata UK Pension for 6-7 years is peanuts (so small that they pay quarterly), so your 4 months would count for correspondingly less....
Ah, that's very interesting, thank you dmu !
That's exactly what I'd been wondering, whether my uk work experience could possibly make up the "trimestres" for my French pension.
I actually worked a lot throughout my 4yrs at college (Saturdays, holidays) but for some reason didn't think that would be included whilst being a student at the same time.
It might after all be worth it then, sending off for my NI number and looking at the whole of my work history.



Last edited by dummel; Apr 1st 2023 at 2:38 pm.
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