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Voluntary NIC contributions - yay or nay?
Hello all! I'm currently a graduate student with part-time work (tutoring, consulting, etc). In the last two years, I have not passed the threshold to pay NIC/tax (most of my income still comes from my funding body). I am just wondering whether I should make the choice to pay £824.20 by 5 April 2029, and then £907.40 by 5…
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Buying extra state pension qualifying years
I would like to buy some additional NI qualifying years for one of my sons who cannot afford to do so himself. His income includes an element of Universal Credit, and my concern is that if I send him the money so he can buy them using his own bank account, it might cause his benefit payments to be reduced, if HMRC assumes…
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Cheapest way to Improve Your NI Record
The cheapest way to improve your NI record is to go self-employed. If you've left fulltime employment and need to improve your NI record then signup as self employed. If you earn under £1000 you do not pay any tax and you can opt to pay voluntary Class 2 NI contributions. For year 2023/2024 it cost me just £176 to get a…
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Pension credits back-fill date confusion
In an article about pension credits on this site, it's mentioned (more than once) that you can 'only' buy back up to 2016 (from 2006). I just spoke to the pension helpline and asked about this - as their recorded message also states the same. The customer service advisor said no, I can buy back after that date (i.e. also…
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Confused about all this talk of Class 2, Class 3, Class 4 contributions for self employed.
So I'm self employed for the past 10 or 11 years now. For the first couple of years in starting my business I wasn't earning much, then in the middle I was earning a decent amount of money, and then the last 4 years or so not again. So when I heard about paying voluntary contributions to my pension I thought I better check…
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National Insurance back payment for someone abroad
Hello I have a relative who has just realised that back payment of national insurance for someone abroad where payments are allowed all the way back to the year 2006 will change on April 5th 2025. She has called future pensions and got a forecast and filled in form CF38 to apply to do get a quote on how much she owes. She…
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Voluntary Contributions
Hi, I’m looking at buying NI years to enable me to get the full state pension and looking for some guidance. My circumstances are as follows. Took early retirement from LGPS In June 2017 and was contracted out. I will reach SP age (67) in 2030 Current forecast £184.97 per week I have been given 6 options to buy and option…
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Voluntary Contribution reply after April deadline for paying gaps
Hi, I have put in an application to pay voluntary NI contributions and pay gaps in my history too (I live abroad). The Gov website says I won't get a reply until after 15th May. This is after the deadline for paying gaps in my history. As I have the application submitted and been given a reference number does anyone know…
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Future Pensions Centre still not answering in 2025 - is there another number re NI contributions?
I have tried for the last 3 years to contact someone to pay voluntary contributions to cover gaps, without success. I've tried HMRC too, again no luck. Thanks
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Full rate, plus
A friend will get his state pension after April 2025 when he turns 66 and I said he should get the full rate of £230.25 per week. He has just received a forecast letter from HMRC showing over £260 weekly. He obviously does not want to ask too many questions, but what could be the reason for the higher rate?
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NI Shortfall of almost 8k - Disabled and on ESA/PIP
I've been ill and disabled for a very long time, and my earnings basically ceased in 2010, I've been on incapacity benefit and was transferred from IB to ESA and was one of those people wrongly placed in the incorrect group to save the govt money... that they eventually lost many judicial reviews over and had to repay some…
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Unexpected Pension forecast change
Hoping for some advice on whether this is normal. I retired in 2014, age 55 years and have lived off my teachers pension. I have not worked since then. I've checked my State pension forecast regularly online since I retired and it has always said my forecast was the current full state pension, I have 39 qualifying years…
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Specified Adult Childcare Credits - Period of Care
I've been trying to figure this out but one detail I haven't been able to find is exactly how many weeks do you need to have looked after the child in order to qualify for the full year NI credit? If you've been looking after a child regularly but not every single week, do those missed weeks mean you won't qualify for a…
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Do I need a new reference each time I top up NI?
This discussion was created from comments split from: National Insurance before 2006.
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Been told my 24/25 NI contributions won’t count towards my state pension years
I reach 66 on 25 March. I had assumed I would have paid enough NI for this year to count towards my 35 plus years needed. However, while trying to pay for one incomplete year and one full year, I was told this current year won’t count as I reach retirement age before the end….(literally just!). Is this correct???
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Self Employed - not sure if need to pay voluntary class 2
Am self employed, my first self assessment I've done in a while. Just about to pay my self assessment tax bill. Noticed I'm not down to pay any Class 2 NI contributions, just £756 Class 4. I've got a few years gaps where I'm missing NI contributions so need this year to count towards pension etc My self assessment says:-…
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Which Class contributions do I pay - Class 2 or 3?
I left UK about 6 years ago, living in Sweden now Switzerland. I am from UK and worked there for many years before leaving - paid about 15 years of NI contributions in full so far. I am not employed or self employed abroad - stay at home dad! If I want to pay NI contributions on a voluntary basis, I can't see which Class I…
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Any speculations that this government may extend the deadline for past NI contributions again...?
Or is this it? I am waiting before I pay my last £800 to top up my pension forecast as it's a lot of money for me, but if 5 April is the last time, I'll pay now.
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Class 2 Payments, does the 18 digit code work?
Back in late October after phoning and getting the voluntary class 2 NI digit numbers needed i paid online. The ref numbers started with 11 followed by the amounts to be paid. 6 weeks later i phoned to check if they had the money and if the details were correct, that was confirmed but i would to wait for my record to be…
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Do I need to plug gaps in one go?
I know time is fast running out. I have a few gaps that I intend to fill before the deadline. If I fill half of them now, will I be able to fill the rest in a month's time (still before the deadline) or does it need to be done all in one go?Also, is there a way to select which years that I want to plug? The options that I…
