What to do without a pension?

- On returning to the UK I cared for an elderly friend for several years (not earning, relying on the savings I had)

- For the past twenty-five years I myself have had a chronic health condition which meant that my income has typically been low (below 1000 pounds per month)

Caring for someone who might have had Attendance Allowance would mean you would have been eligible for Carer's Allowance and had a NUPI stamp paid.
I don't know if the person had AA and you would be eligible to apply retrospectively.

Were you yourself in receipt of any benefits due to your chronic health condition? If so, did you have your NI paid?

Have you looked up your pension entitlement, if any, on the Government Gateway site?
www.gov.uk/check-state-pension

Not NUPI!!

NI sorry.

I think you should still be eligible for pension credit- I think you must be entitled to something even if you've paid nothing in.
Contact Age UK or Citizen's Advice if you are coming up to retitemement age now.

Allira

Not NUPI!!

NI sorry.

I did receive jobseekers allowance for a while but that doesn't pay NI contributions (people should really be told that fact).

Allira

- On returning to the UK I cared for an elderly friend for several years (not earning, relying on the savings I had)

- For the past twenty-five years I myself have had a chronic health condition which meant that my income has typically been low (below 1000 pounds per month)

Caring for someone who might have had Attendance Allowance would mean you would have been eligible for Carer's Allowance and had a NUPI stamp paid.
I don't know if the person had AA and you would be eligible to apply retrospectively.

Were you yourself in receipt of any benefits due to your chronic health condition? If so, did you have your NI paid?

Have you looked up your pension entitlement, if any, on the Government Gateway site?
www.gov.uk/check-state-pension

Yes, I have no pension entitlement according to the Gateway.

I didn't realise jobseekers allowance didn't give you NI credits either. You're maybe expected to make voluntary ones. If you received any disability benefits you should have had pension credits. I'm surprised the tax office didn't write to you letting you know you didn't have enough contributions and asking if you wanted to make some. I had a shock when they wrote to me saying I had missed a few years (which I disagreed with but couldn't prove it) and would I like to pay £5,000 to cover those years. I didn't pay because I already had 35 years worth of contributions which was all that was needed.

I've just ready you now need 44 years worth of contributions! It used to be 40, then went down to 35 - now it seems it's gone up again.

There's some information in the link below (if you've had a partner eg). Also they have a benefits calculator, which if you complete, it will let you know what you're entitled to. It might be universal credit or pension credit possibly.

www.turn2us.org.uk/get-support/information-for-your-situation/basic-state-pension/what-if-i-don-t-qualify

It also suggests you get in contact with the DWP and get them to look at your case. I would send all information you can - eg any documents showing the years you were a carer or on jobseekers allowance.

gentleshores

I didn't realise jobseekers allowance didn't give you NI credits either. You're maybe expected to make voluntary ones. If you received any disability benefits you should have had pension credits. I'm surprised the tax office didn't write to you letting you know you didn't have enough contributions and asking if you wanted to make some. I had a shock when they wrote to me saying I had missed a few years (which I disagreed with but couldn't prove it) and would I like to pay £5,000 to cover those years. I didn't pay because I already had 35 years worth of contributions which was all that was needed.

Job seekers allowance does give you Class 1 NI credits. Maybe it didn't used to.

Thank you for all of your advice. On the Gateway it shows all the years I did not contribute (when I was studying, working abroad, etc) but a person can only pay into each year up to 8 years late--after that the year is cut off. I think a lot of people are unaware of this.

I think you really need to go and see Age UK or Citizens Advice as they are best people to advise you re Pension Credit, Disability Benefits, other benefits or financial support.

gentleshores

I've just ready you now need 44 years worth of contributions! It used to be 40, then went down to 35 - now it seems it's gone up again.

I think you’ll find 44 years’ NI contributions are what is needed for a man to claim the basic state pension (the lower state pension), it is 39 years for a woman; this only applies to people who retired before April 2016. However, the amount of NI contributions needed for entitlement to the new state pension in full is 35 years for both men and women although they must be full years. I believe you are entitled to some pension, ie a lower amount, if you have 10 years of full NI contributions and in this case a claim for pension credit could be made.

Money Saving Expert is useful for information on this.

www.moneysavingexpert.com/savings/state-pensions/#ni

But I don’t think the lady has 10 years of NI contributions Jane43
Go to age concern or CAB and get them to help you sort this out

You will be eligible for pension credit, which is £3 per week lower than state pension, it also means you will get the winter fuel payment.

My friend lived in another country for 26 years came back here a few years ago and she still gets a good pension.
She gets a small basic Pension, which is topped up by Pension credit..
In fact, she gets nearly as much as me and it does grate on me sometimes as I had 45 years contributions ..

You will get pension credit....which is almost the same as state pension.. .in that you will get housing benefit, council tax benefit and you will also get the winter fuel allowance, free dentist and optician ( assuming your savings are now below the cut off)

Maybe a bit of a lesson here to be learned by others, younger than most of us here?

I’m amazed how seriously my DDs take provision for their pensions - far more than we ever did at their age. However, DH ended up as one of his firm’s pension funds’ trustees, so he did hammer home that message.

It’ll always be the case Shinamae

gentleshores

It also suggests you get in contact with the DWP and get them to look at your case. I would send all information you can - eg any documents showing the years you were a carer or on jobseekers allowance.

Great idea

Thank you all again for the information; I feel less alone and perturbed now. An acquaintance living in Portugal has just told me that it may be possible to get the welfare contributions I made abroad transferred directly to the UK government. I'm going to look into that.

Appleseeds if you were earning up to £1000 per month you would have been paying NI surely, and have credits towards a pension?
I think the current lower earnings limit is £120.

Appleseeds

Thank you all again for the information; I feel less alone and perturbed now. An acquaintance living in Portugal has just told me that it may be possible to get the welfare contributions I made abroad transferred directly to the UK government. I'm going to look into that.

The UK has reciprocal agreements with many countries. Good luck

Appleseeds

Thank you all again for the information; I feel less alone and perturbed now. An acquaintance living in Portugal has just told me that it may be possible to get the welfare contributions I made abroad transferred directly to the UK government. I'm going to look into that.

According to Citizens Advice’s website
“If you have less than ten years of NICs, you may be able to use your time spent working abroad to still qualify for some State Pension”

Best approached Citizen Advice and DWP and ask them to look into your case. Make sure they gave you National Insurance credits for the years you claimed job seekers allowance and hopefully, the years you worked abroad.

I have never paid NIC. I worked for my husband’s (now Ex) practice and my salary was below the level at which NIC had to be paid.
Despite that, I get a SP, which is almost the same as the amount my friend gets, even though she worked full-time for 20years.
I was told that my SP was based on my ex-husband’s contributions . It seems rather unfair,