insurance stamps

[les1]

Hi guys,having been made redundant last year after working for one company for 30yrs I have since been working periodically for an agency,my question is how does my insurance stamp work? Do you need so many to get all your benefits later on in life,I am 53 now also how much are these stamps and can you make any short fall up if needed,many thanks.

[dzug]

If you are receiving Job Seekers Allowance whilst unemployed your contributions will be creditted automatically and you don't need to worry about it.

If not you can pay voluntary contributions to keep your record up and receive a full state pension. Current rate is �7.55 a week

As a male (presumably..) you currently need 44 years of contributions or credits to qualify for a full pension.

However there are moves afoot to reduce this to 30, so it looks as though you don't need to worry anyway.

Don't rush into a decision - get the 30 year rule confirmed more authoritatively than I can first.