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  • Breadcrumb

    1. Home
    2. Pensions and retirement planning
    3. State Pension
    4. New State Pension

    Your National Insurance record and new State Pension

    The State Pension age has changed for people reaching State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016. The amount you get will depend on how many qualifying years you paid or were credited with making National Insurance contributions.

    This information is for a man born on or after 6 April 1951 or a woman born on or after 6 April 1953

    State Pension age before 6 April 2016

    If you reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016, you can find information on the State Pension arrangements that apply to you at the link below. 

    • State Pension before 6 April 2016

    Qualifying years

    Your new State Pension age is based on your National Insurance record when you reach State Pension age. You will usually need to have 10 qualifying years on your National Insurance record to get any new State Pension. 

    You may get less than the new full State Pension if you were contracted out before 6 April 2016.

    • Changes to contracting out from 6 April 2016

    You may get more than the new full State Pension if you would have had over a certain amount of Additional State Pension under the old rules.

    • Additional State Pension

    You’ll need 35 qualifying years to get the new full State Pension if you don’t have a National Insurance record before 6 April 2016.

    The tax year

    The tax year begins on 6 April and ends on 5 April. A qualifying year is a tax year when you:

    • earn enough income to pay National Insurance contributions
    • are treated as having paid or credited with National Insurance contributions

    Qualifying years if you’re working

    When you’re working you pay National Insurance and get a qualifying year if:

    • you’re employed and earning over £242 a week from one employer
    • you’re self-employed and paying National Insurance contributions

    You might not pay National Insurance contributions because you’re earning less than £242 a week. You may still get a qualifying year if you earn between £123 and £242 a week from one employer.

    National Insurance rates and categories

    Qualifying years if you’re not working

    You may get National Insurance credits if you can’t work because:

    • you are ill or have a disability
    • you’re a carer
    • you’re unemployed

    and claim certain benefits such as:

    • Child Benefit for a child under 12 (or under 16 before 2010)
    • Jobseeker’s Allowance or Employment and Support Allowance
    • Carer’s Allowance

    National Insurance credits

    You’re not working or getting National Insurance credits

    You might be able to pay voluntary National Insurance contributions if you are not in one of the above groups but want to increase your State Pension amount.

    • Voluntary National Insurance contributions

    Gaps in your National Insurance record

    You can have gaps in your National Insurance record and receive the full new State Pension.

    You can get a State Pension statement which will tell you how much State Pension you may get. You can also apply for a National Insurance statement from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to check if your record has gaps.

    • Getting a State Pension statement

    More useful links

    • Retirement planning
    • Workplace pensions
    • Personal and stakeholder pensions
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    New State Pension

    • Changes to contracting out from 6 April 2016
    • Deferring State Pension
    • Guaranteed Minimum Pension
    • Inheriting new State Pension
    • Living or working overseas and the State Pension
    • Understanding and qualifying for new State Pension
    • Ways to claim State Pension
    • Your National Insurance record and new State Pension

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    Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence@daera-ni.gov.uk 

    If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit.  Contacts for common benefits are listed below.

    Carer's Allowance

    Call 0800 587 0912
    Email 
    dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

    Discretionary support / Short-term benefit advance

    Call 0800 587 2750 
    Email 
    customerservice.unit@communities-ni.gov.uk

    Disability Living Allowance

    Call 0800 587 0912 
    Email dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

    Employment and Support Allowance

    Call 0800 587 1377

    Jobseeker’s Allowance

    Contact your local Jobs & Benefits office

    Personal Independence Payment

    Call 0800 587 0932

    If your query is about another benefit, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

    Comments or queries about the Blue Badge scheme can be emailed to bluebadges@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk or you can also call 0300 200 7818.

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    For queries or advice about claiming compensation due to a road problem, contact DFI Roads claim unit.

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    • Travel advice (including self-isolation) — contact the Department of Health
    • Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccinations — contact the Department of Health or Public Health Agency

    If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

    For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk and for queries about your certificate, email covidcertni@hscni.net.

    For queries or advice about criminal record checks, email ani@accessni.gov.uk

    Application and payment queries can be emailed to ema_ni@slc.co.uk

    For queries or advice about employment rights, contact the Labour Relations Agency.

    For queries or advice about birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificates and research, contact the General Register Office Northern Ireland (GRONI) by email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk

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    For queries about the High Street Spend Local Scheme,  email HSSS.mail@economy-ni.gov.uk.

    For queries about:

    • Car tax, vehicle registration and SORN
      contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Swansea
       
    • Driver licensing and tests, MOT and vehicle testing
      contact the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA), Northern Ireland

    If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

    For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk.

     

    For queries or advice about passports, contact HM Passport Office.

    For queries or advice about Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs), including parking tickets and bus lane PCNs, email dcu@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk

    For queries or advice about pensions, contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre.

    If you wish to report a problem with a road or street you can do so online in this section.

    If you wish to check on a problem or fault you have already reported, contact DfI Roads.

    For queries or advice about historical, social or cultural records relating to Northern Ireland, use the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) enquiry service.

    For queries or advice about rates, email LPSCustomerTeam@lpsni.gov.uk

    For queries or advice about  60+ and Senior Citizen SmartPasses (which can be used to get concessionary travel on public transport), contact Smartpass - Translink.

    If you have a question about a government service or policy, you should contact the relevant government organisation directly.  We don't have access to information about you.

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