Do credited contributions as a teenager count toward the 35 years?

[Dr Strangelove]

I worked in the UK 2006 to 2007 and qualify to make Class 3 voluntary NICs.

I was credited three years as a teenager long before I moved to the UK. I've read that this is standard for a lot of people, see picture.

Do these credited teenage contributions count toward the 35 years needed for a full state pension?

I think the answer is yes but just want to be sure in advance of deadline.

 

[DannyBoyD]

The '3 years' are counted as normal.

 

[Giggs11]

Yeah, they will count.
Looks like you were aged 16 in the 1996/97 UK tax year, and got starter credits
see 7.1 - 7.3 here
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2011/709/pdfs/uksiem_20110709_en.pdf

 

[mmclo]

Out of curiosity where is the info from? A paper record? It doesn't look like how others see it online, a good bit more detail.

 

[Dr Strangelove]

A paper record?

I've never got the Government Gateway working. All correspondence via snail mail so far! Above is a copy of a letter from 2020 I think.

Looks like you were aged 16 in the 1996/97 UK tax year, and got starter credits
see 7.1 - 7.3 here
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2011/709/pdfs/uksiem_20110709_en.pdf

Thanks for the reference, really helpful.

 

[mmclo]

^ so not class 2?

 

[Dr Strangelove]

^ so not class 2?

Class 3. I only worked in the UK for ten months.

 

[Giggs11]

@mmclo There is an absolute mountain of info about NI in the National Insurance Manual on the official Gov.uk website here.
https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/national-insurance-manual

I think this is similar to our Dept of Social Protection "Operational Guidelines" but i wait to be corrected
From above page
Go to NIM41000
then NIM41200
and finally NIM41210
and you will find the info on starter credits.

Anyone who was 16 in 74/75 tax year (they got the very first starter credits to be awarded), is now 66 (pension age) in the 2024/25 tax year. I think we might have heard by now, if the starter credits were cancelled on pension application.

 

[mmclo]

I'm down the rabbit hole now so may as well keep reading

They definitely apply towards 10 years and 35 years if you have them.

Less clear how they relate to eligibility to pay voluntary contributions assuming this is not the same as above and less clear again in terms of qualifying for class 2 (on 3 year contributions basis)

My reading suggests credits are not always treated the same as paid contributions

I keep seeing "paid" contribution's a lot on official sites, also mentioned "treated as paid" but this seems to be related to self employment

***

Interestingly they distinguish between "deemed" to have been paid and "treated" as having being paid...think I need a rest!

Some good stuff there about missing contributions where it is not the employees fault, may be useful to some.

 

[mmclo]

So thanks to @Giggs11 for the above, quite a treasure trove. It has a slightly different more detailed explanation of the 3 years of contributions

• in at least three tax years from April 1975, has paid contributions which give an earnings factor of at least 50 times the LEL up to April 1978, or 52 times the LEL from April 1978.

Could well explain why those with shorter periods qualify, LEL is the minimum income that you pay NI on (I think), not clear then if you paid more it could provide you with more "multiples" leading to more than 156 in less then 3 full years?

And possibly most important for starter credits

However, a person claiming state benefits cannot rely entirely on credited earnings to satisfy the contribution conditions for contributory benefits and must have a minimum earnings factor from paid Class 1, Class 2 or Class 3 NICs, depending on the benefit claimed. https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/national-insurance-manual/nim41205

But I optimistically note the word "entirely"