Hello Chris....hhmm you could be right, just found the Gov` website and as i read it working/paying abroad counts only towards the 10 years needed for a percentage of the pension in years only, it does not increase the payment! see example below from their website:
If you’ve lived or worked abroad you might still be able to get some new State Pension. Born after 1951
Your UK State Pension if you’ve lived or worked abroad
Your UK State Pension will be based on your UK National Insurance record. You need 10 years of UK National Insurance contributions to be eligible for the new State Pension.
You may be able to use time spent abroad to make up the 10 qualifying years. This is most likely if you’ve lived or worked in:
the EEA
Gibraltar
Switzerland
certain countries that have a social security agreement with the UK
Example
You have 7 qualifying years from the UK on your National Insurance record when you reach State Pension age.
You worked in an EEA country for 16 years and paid contributions to that country’s state pension.
You will meet the minimum qualifying years to get the new State Pension because of the time you worked overseas.
Your new State Pension amount will only be based on the 7 years of National Insurance contributions you made in the UK.
bit of a swizz but there you go