The state pension is so horrendously sophisticated that even essentially the most apparently simple components are stuffed with hidden pitfalls. As one Express reader found to his dismay.

To qualify for the total new state pension most individuals must make 35 years of qualifying NI contributions throughout their working lifetime.

Not everyone, although. What seems like a easy goal will be extra elusive than many realise, as reader Andy identified.

When his spouse hit state pension age final 12 months she was instructed she wouldn't get the total quantity. That's regardless of having paid NI for a staggering 43 years. Understandably, given the 35-year rule, she was shocked.

She was instructed that she was solely entitled to round £153 per week for the 2022/23 tax 12 months, at a time when the total new state pension was paying £185.15 per week.

Andy desires extra individuals to know the hazard and is backed by Stephen Lowe, group communications director at retirement specialists Just Group, who stated it is a distressingly widespread downside.

The root trigger is the swap to the brand new state pension, which is paid to those that hit pension age on or after April 6, 2016.

Many employees can have made NI contributions each underneath the brand new state pension and scheme's predecessor, the essential state pension.

Millions will fall into that class and could also be affected.

Under the essential state pension, employees might qualify for top-ups such because the state earnings-related pension scheme (Serps) and state second pension (S2P).

They additionally had the liberty to "contract out" of Serps and S2P. They paid much less NI however pumped extra into their office or private pension.

The mixture of primary state pension, Serps and S2P made the entire system too sophisticated, so it was scrapped in favour of the single-tier new state pension in 2016.

Seven years later, we're nonetheless in what Lowe calls a "transitional interval”, as most individuals's NI information span the changeover.

Everybody reaching state pension age after April 6, 2016, will get the brand new state pension moderately than a mixture of previous primary state pension plus any Serps and S2P entitlement they constructed up.

However, NI contributions made in years when savers had been contracted out don't rely in the direction of the brand new state pension.

Contracting out ran from 1978 to 2016, Lowe says. "Somebody who contracted out for an extended interval could have greater than 35 years of qualifying NI contributinos, however nonetheless want extra to get the total new state pension.”

READ MORE: State pension sum may be less if you were ‘contracted out’ - check now

Some will be capable of make up the total 35 years of NI by carrying on working, however solely as much as a restrict. Once you hit retirement age, you routinely cease paying NI contributions, even when nonetheless working.

The different is to plug any shortfall by buying further state pension. That's what Andy's spouse did. She was in a position to raise up her whole to 35 years by making six years of voluntary NI contributions, at a price of £4,800.

While £4,800 is some huge cash, buying extra state pension is a great deal for most people, as you successfully get your a refund inside three years and are in revenue after that.

Typically, you possibly can solely make voluntary NI contributions going again six years, though there's a window of opportunity to make contributions stretching all the way back to 2005.

Andy says loads of older individuals who have labored all their lives wrongly assume they may obtain a full new state pension once they will not, and he desires them to bear in mind the hazard.

Stephen Lowe stated getting most potential state pension is important, so don’t get caught out by a shock last-minute shortfall. “This is one of the reasons we constantly appeal for people to check their NI records and State Pension forecast. Knowing how much you are going to get and when is the first step to retirement planning.”