Checking your National Insurance record regularly is very important and the Government has designed services and supporting communications to make this as easy for people as possible. Our online service, Check your State Pension (CySP), is key in supporting the communication campaign. This service provides a State Pension forecast (based on the individual\u2019s current National Insurance record and an assumption that future years count towards their State Pension), and the earliest date the individual can get their State Pension. Users can look at their National Insurance record, where they will also find out how many qualifying years they have and any gaps in their contributions.<\/p>
<\/p>
The Department has carried out a comprehensive communication campaign to bring the new State Pension and the role of people\u2019s National Insurance records to people\u2019s attention. This has been through advertisements in newspapers, on social media and on radio stations across the country as well as working through Stakeholders to raise public awareness of the changes. There is also a significant package of on-line information about the State Pension at www.gov.uk<\/a>.<\/p> <\/p> Between April 2000 and the end of April 2018, the Department provided more than 22 million personalised State Pension statements to people who requested them (either online or by telephone or post, and based on both old and new State Pension rules). We continue to encourage people to request a personalised State Pension Statement as part of our on-going communications.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4142", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Guy Opperman"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hexham"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Guy Opperman"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-10-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-10-22T16:02:35.563Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2018-10-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "National Insurance Contributions"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Government is taking to encourage people to check their national insurance contribution records in advance of their retirement.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1513", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jo Swinson"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "East Dunbartonshire"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Jo Swinson"}
], "uin" : "180122"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/757391", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/757391/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Government has no current plans to introduce a Class 3 National Insurance credit for volunteers.<\/p> <\/p> However on 6 September, a Call For Evidence was published on the Full-Time Social Action Review which will develop recommendations on how to support full time volunteering.<\/p> <\/p> Details of how to submit evidence are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/643612/Full_Time_Social_Action_Review_-_Call_for_Evidence.pdf<\/a><\/p> <\/p> The review will consider what the voluntary sector, industry and, if needed, government can do to support full-time volunteering.<\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4142", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Guy Opperman"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hexham"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Guy Opperman"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-09-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "8437"}
, {"_value" : "8438"}
], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-09-12T16:02:57.45Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2017-09-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "National Insurance Contributions"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans he has to introduce provisions relating to Class 3 national insurance credits in the National Insurance Contributions Bill.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4497", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Michael Tomlinson"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Mid Dorset and North Poole"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Michael Tomlinson"}
], "uin" : "8487"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/517114", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/517114/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The introduction of the new State Pension means that contracting-out of the additional State Pension ended on 5 April 2016. This changed National Insurance contributions for people in Defined Benefit pension schemes who were previously contracted-out, as these employees paid a lower rate of National Insurance in exchange for contributing towards a workplace pension. These changes have been a part of our significant communications effort around the new State Pension.<\/p> <\/p> Proposals to end contracting-out were first published in a 2011 Green Paper \u201cA State Pension for the 21st<\/sup> century\u201d and then in a January 2013 White Paper \u201cThe single-tier pension: a simple foundation for saving\u201d. Proposals went through consultation with employers, pension schemes and their representatives before the Pensions Act was passed in 2014.<\/p> <\/em><\/p> In November 2014, we launched a public information campaign \u201cKnow the Facts\u201d which included specific contracting-out press advertorials, blogs, fact sheets and digital communications. Our new State Pension resource pack has been issued to over 350 organisations and many more employers, to help support them explain the changes to their members and staff, including the change in contracting-out status for their workplace pensions.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4105", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Justin Tomlinson"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North Swindon"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Justin Tomlinson"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2016-05-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2016-05-11T14:55:28.627Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2016-05-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "National Insurance Contributions"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department took to raise public awareness of changes to national insurance contributions that will take effect from 2016-17.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4412", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dr Lisa Cameron"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Dr Lisa Cameron"}
], "uin" : "36234"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/506768", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/506768/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Department does not hold the information requested in parts (a),(b) and (d) of the question. In relation to part (c), the Pension Act 2014 Impact Assessment (May 2014) contains relevant information:<\/p>