Aggregating UK national insurance credits

May 19, 2025

Hi,

I was just wondering if anyone has experience on aggregating UK contributions to reach Spanish minimum retirement periods?

Specifically interested in whether the Juvenile Credit years given pre-2010 and which show up as full years on the HMRC site for when you were aged 16, 17 and 18 are aggregated?

These were credited class 3 contributions made by the government to encourage young people to stay in higher education in the UK and were made irrespective of whether you were working or not

Has anyone had experience on this?

If I can aggregate these I will qualify for retirement at 65 in Spain.

Thanks for your help

MataMata · Apr 25, 2025

A simple pension forecast inquiry to DWP will tell you how many years worth of contributions you have.

Check your State Pension forecast

dancingspider · Apr 25, 2025

Just on the UK government website and you can see how many years contributions you have.

neilben · May 18, 2025

Did you discover whether Juvenile Credit years count?

Marting1 · May 18, 2025

Hi. I didn't find out unfortunately. My feeling is that they will as I think that Spain will be obliged to recognise them as a period of insurance the same as if they were a paid contribution. This is quite important as their aggregation will allow me to take early retirement here in Spain.
I'll find out for sure in December which is when I am going to request early retirement. If they count I'll get early retirement, if they don't, I will not.

neilben · May 19, 2025

Yes, while the INSS will disregard voluntary contributions in any calculation, I see no reason why juvenile credits should be treated as anything other than normal contributions.
Anyway, I’d be interested to hear how you get on in December.

Marting1 · May 19, 2025

Yep, I will post the result when I get it.

While I understand that overlapping voluntary contributions will be discarded, I do have voluntary class 3 contributions for periods where I was neither working or on benefits in Spain - the so called "lagunas de contribución". I am not so sure that these periods will be discarded as they don't overlap with periods of compulsory insurance.

Aggregating UK national insurance credits

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