I think we have been around this buoy again recently. It will take until 5 Apr 2018 and nearly 12 years out for me to have enough stamps to qualify me for the full entitlement. But I knew I was opted out when I joined - I say I knew but actually I didn't understand fully what this meant. Indeed, I could have transferred the small amount of pension that I had accrued with a company I had joined when I left school to add years to my RAF pension but until I was told this, it was too late 4 years after Cranditz when I thought it would be a good idea, I don't recollect ever having been told although that index linked gem will keep Mrs B in shoes in our retirement
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I hope that financial planning is on the curriculum nowadays (I doubt). Financial bit of resettlement planning was blox too - or was I not listening again. Took my own research to discover that you could get the NI contributions back for any period when you remained in the service but had already started work in Civvi street.