Hi Fred James,

I think this became law in April along with a raft of other pension changes and is phased in so that if you retire before 2010 you have to have a full contribution record but after that you need less.

There was something about it on the pensions website when I checked to see if it would mean my wife would get an upgraded full pension instead of a 68% pension for not enough years. As usual it is not retrospective they only do that when they take such as IHT changes.

Regards,

John.

Hi John.

Thanks for that info.

I had a look for details on the DWP site and found a link to a summary of the relevant Pensions Bill. Its here http://tinyurl.com/3chbvw

It does include the 30 year provision but it is still only a proposal.

As you say it will not be retrospective but it does seem to say that it will not be phased in - if you retire before 2010 you are on the old system and if you retire after 2010 you are on the new system.

Still, I think it may have a way to go yet before it becomes law. It doesnt affect me as I am 65 next year and I still have 7 years contributions to make - the penalty for early retirement!

Hi Fred James,

I think it was included in the bill but to become Law it will require a Statutory Instrument to lie on the floor of the house for 90 days and they will not do this until they are sure that it will go ahead as proposed in the Bill

Regards,

John.

I have a question on this one.

If the wife is older than the husband and so will reach retirement age well before him, then

• Is it better for the wife to register as the autonomo or whatever and pay the SS contribs, thereby leaving a relatively short time to contribute before officially receiving pension and benefits?
• Is it better to register the business in the wifes name or in the husbands name?
• Any other advice on this subject will be appreciated, thanks.

You retire the same time as me Fred, surely if you paid up to 60, then you will have 45 years of stamps needed anyway, so why pay extra ?

Hi jdr and Fred,

I went early at 56 and expected to have to pay all the way to 65 but I found out one or two things by diligent research and accident.

One that if you started work at 18 and have a complete record you will have 42 years in by 60 and you do not have to pay anymore after 60 the last 5 yrs are free (but only if you are resident in UK).

Two that since I had worked all my holidays from being 15 and paid stamp and had a job at college and such I only needed to buy one year to get the 44 years in if you counted the 5 free years from 60.

Three not to trust anybody since I checked my pension forecast online two weeks ago and found that at 63 I now have a complete 100% 44yr contribution record and do not need the last two years free contributions. I don't expect they will give me a refund of my £360 nor can you go beyond the 44 yrs with the free contributions.

So the conclusion is you have to be very sharp to get all these calculations spot on and you never seem to be on the right side of DWP.

Regards, :curse:

John.

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Hi John, where do you check you pension forecast online ?

Hi jdr,

At the Pensions website but it aint easy you have to get various keys and passwords first to enter the secure section of the .gov system. When you have done that it seems that you can get all sorts of personal info but I have only done the pension forecast so far. It is supposed to operate for local government as well but the only LA on there in the past 2 years has been Kesteven district council so not all that much use.

Regards,

John.

Maybe I will give it a miss then, that site is a big mystery at the best of times

Jusr for everyone's information; the new law is going to be this: (It's not law yet AFAIK):

If your State Retirement date is BEFORE 6/4/10 you will still be on the old 39/44 years system. and have to pay/be credited with that many years of NIC Contributions to get full State Pension.

If it is AFTER this date you will only have to pay/be credited for 30 years to get the Full State Pension.

MY State Retirement date is January 2010 I have one more year to pay.

But it will worke out well for my husband who reaches his date in 2014 and already has 38 years in.

As regards the Online Pension Forecasts, if you find it's too much hassle, we just filled them in online and then printed the forms out and posted them. Or you can just write.

Could you give me the website anyway? I´d like to give it a go to see if I´ll be entitled to anything.....I´ve only accumulated 7 working years in the Uk though!

Here's the link....


http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Diol1/DoItOnline/DG_4017970

...but I have a feeling you have to have paid in at least ten years to be entitled to anything.

Thanks, and Godammit!

On further investigation it is only for people who are going to retire within the next 30 days so no good to me anyway.

I guess the contributions that I made in the Uk don´t count for anything now. Would I get a teeny tiny state pension when I retire or is it just money lost?

I retired at 50 so that means I was only credited with 34 years. I have paid 3 more so far and have another 7 to pay which I will do soon.

If I was resident in the UK it would be 5 years less as John said.