The National Pensioners Convention (NPC) said 754,000 women aged between 60 and 69 did not receive any state pension because they had not made enough National Insurance contributions.
And the problem with this is what? As the State pension is contributory if you don\’t pay in it\’ll not pay out.
"Around one in five older people still live below the official poverty line and whilst ministers talk of respect and dignity, there can be no dignity until all pensioners, men and women, get a decent state pension as of right that takes them out of means testing and financial insecurity."
That "taking out of means testing" is the important bit. If you didn\’t make the contributions, you don\’t get the pension. But if you\’re poor (ie, didn\’t contribute to another pension perhaps) then you do get the minimum income guarantee. Which is, I think, actually higher than the basic state pension isn\’t it?
Whereas I have many years of significant payments, which do not qualify for contribution towards my pension because they did not have the required number of weeks within that year.
I must have 10 years worth of weekly payments, but because these did not happen within set years, I get nothing for these large contributions.
A decent system would divide the total weeks paid by the number of weeks that count for a year (I think 48), and award me all those extra years onto my £ 37 p.w.
Alan Douglas