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People warned over National Insurance mistake that can cut your pension; Experts have warned that not all contributions will count towards the amount you get when you retire.

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Byline: By, Neil Shaw & Nicole Goodwin

A misunderstanding over National Insurance payments could mean that workers across the UK may not get the full state pension they are expecting.

Experts have warned that not all contributions will count towards the amount you get when you retire.

The news could come as a shock to some people who have been working for decades and banking on getting a full payout when they reach pension age, Wales Online reports.

Go here for the very latest breaking news updates from across the North East

Current pension age in the UK is 66 -rising to 67 and then 68 by 2046 -and pensioners who qualify for the full payout get £179.60 per week, or £9,339.20 a year.

But not everyone will get the full amount, and the Express has explained why.

Firstly, you need to have worked 35 full years to get the full pension, and at least 20 years to get anything.

And while the years do not have to be consecutive, they do have to 'qualify' for pension contributions.

Just because someone has paid NI in a given year, it does not automatically mean they have earned a qualifying year.

Tax years run from April 6 to April 5 and employees must earn £120 a week for the 2021/22 tax year in order to be eligible for a qualifying year.

Alternatively, they can earn £520 each month or £6,240 for the year.

The rules are slightly different for people who are self-employed.

They will require £125 per week, £542 a month or £6,515 per year to be able to get a qualifying year.

An individual must also have paid National Insurance for the year, at the correct amount.

People who could be particularly vulnerable...

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