State Contributory Pension Question

According to my reading of the current state contributory pension legislation, in order to qulify for the full pension you need to hold an average of 48 stamps per year since you've entered the workforce. Did I hear something about a 30 year rule being introduced in the last budget or was I indulging in wishful thinking? By this I mean that you would qualify for full state pension at (now) age 68 provided you have 30 years of stamps at an average of 48 per year, even if you come out at, say, age 60. It sounds unlikely considering the current mess we're in economically, but I've been told it's being introduced as a balance for the later pensions. I can't find anything about this on the current department website, so I'm not holding my breath, but have I missed something?

I heard the 30 years to qualify for full pension also bit on only one news bulletin and cannot find any further details anywhere.
Did we both just have a dream

No, I heard this too, but wasn’t listening very closely at the time. As I remember it, it was some economic ‘expert’ or other discussing the new proposed pensions framework with Brian Dobson (I think).

I think it was more of a suggestion on what should be done rather than anything concrete. He said that in order for people to get a full State Pension they should have 30 years contributions & that 20 years of those should be paid contributions.

I have searched online since, but haven’t come across anything.

This hasn't been implemented but it's in the National Pensions Framework Document. Not going to happen until 2020 at the earliest.

Liam D. Ferguson

Thanks Liam.

Ok, so if I'm reading this right, it's PROPOSED (but not yet legislated for) that if a person has accumulated a total of 520 stamps (ten years worth) he qualifies for the minimum contributory pension, ie, 1/3 of a state pension, but if he accumulates thirty years worth (1560) he qualifies for the full pension, regardless of whether or not he works until the last day before retirement. In theory, therefore, somebody who works and has his card stamp uninterupted between the ages of 20 and 50, say, qualifies for full contributory pension (at 68, presumably), even if he is in the happy position of not working at all after 50 - assuming he has a rich wife to support him for those 18 years, that is! Thanks Liam.

It appears that the current "averaging of contributions" will continue until 2020 and only after that will the 30 year situation apply.

I've been reading the full document and it will take a few more readings for it to sink in.

It's too late and it's wrecking my head to figure out the best option (since I cannot now change my DOB)