I posted a while ago that my writing up had been to transferred to part-time thus making it eligible for me to claim jobseekers allowance (ever little helps when you haven't had any money since March).

However it has reminded me of a letter I had from the inland revenue a couple of years ago informing me of a shortfall in my national insurance contributions (At the time I had assumed due to myself being in education I wouldn't have a shortfall). Anyway I decided to file it away and forget about as what ever pension will be left when I am 60 will be minimal, plus if the shortfall is only 3/4 years I will be able to pay it at a later date when I am earning significantly more than a bursary.

I have just dragged it out however looking for my national insurance number, etc in preparation for the claim interview.

I was just wondering what others have done? Have you done the same as me and forget about it or pay the £350 or whatever it is for the year?

Yeah, I had one of these asking for about £300 a few years ago, did the same as you i.e. filed it (aka chucked it in my chaotic study) and forgot about it! Like you I figure it isn't going to have a lot of impact on the £3 per week state pension I get when I'm 67...

Yes, I am short as well - I get reminders every so often. What bugs me is that I had a part-time job all through undergraduate university (16-20 hours a week) but still I didn't contribute enough. And full-time students do not get it paid on their behalf.

I think you're allowed 4 or 5 years out of the system from the age of 18 to still get the full pension I paid a couple of years off, for the years when I had summer jobs as an undergrad as that covered about half of it already

Urm, I filed mine away too figuring that the £300 odd pound I was asked for I will never see again anyway! Like state pensions will still exist when I want to draw in fifty years time! And if they do I will be getting like £1 anyway!

Seriously, I am annoyed to have got that letter too though: I have worked every holiday during undergrad and virtually full time through my MA and will be doing the same through my PhD. 'Shortfall' assumes I've just been loafing or not working! No fair!

Perhaps there should be some more information on this for students.

I have since found out I am not entitled to claim for any government assistance (jobseekers allowance, housing benefit, etc) if I fail to find a job straight from finishing my Doctorate due to the shortfall in national insurance contributions. Luckily I am in a stable relationship so won't be living in a cardboard box just yet.

However for those of us who aren't so lucky to have family and partners then I am not sure how the government expects you to live in the interim of finding a job when you are not allowed to claim from them?

It is a shame there isn't an edit post facility for when we make mistakes like that.

I'm annoyed that the government is so intend on 50% of people going to University, but you start accruing a shortfall during your undergraduate degree. If you want people to stay in education, give them the support necessary

Re: not being able to claim support cos of a lack of NI contributions. I thought people who did not have sufficient NI contributions were still eligible for income-based support. When I was made redundant I got income-based JSA, not NI-contribution-based. It's a bit less but still enough to live on.