My husband was in a non-contributory contracted out final salary company pension scheme for 17 years until he was made redundant in February last year, so he paid a lower rate of NI. He's had a year in a job with no pension payments, and has now just changed jobs again to a company that has a contributory pension scheme that is contracted in, which he has to make up his mind whether to join within 6 months.
Can you tell me please, when he was made redundant and restarted work for the new company where he again paid the full NI rate on all earnings - did he automatically become contracted in again by paying full NI although he wasn't in a pensions scheme or should we have done *something* (if so what?) to change back to contracted in from contracted out?
That sounds as clear as mud to me (I know zilch about pensions!) but I hope some kind soul can understand what it is I'm trying in my poor way to ask and send me an answer in plain, idiot proof english!
Thanks all
Lucy