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State Pension - EU Member

london2008
Posts: 52 Forumite
Hello there.
I'm not sure if this is in the correct place, but I thought I would ask anyway.
I'm a German national, but I have lived and worked in the UK for 12 years. Therefore I have paid income tax and National Insurance for that period.
I'm due to leave the UK (for the US) for a few years with work so I'm trying to find out if I can continue to pay my NI contribution to get the full state pension as it would be a waste to lose the years I have paid in so far.
Any advice would be helpful, before I call HMRC. :beer:
Thanks in advance
I'm not sure if this is in the correct place, but I thought I would ask anyway.
I'm a German national, but I have lived and worked in the UK for 12 years. Therefore I have paid income tax and National Insurance for that period.
I'm due to leave the UK (for the US) for a few years with work so I'm trying to find out if I can continue to pay my NI contribution to get the full state pension as it would be a waste to lose the years I have paid in so far.
Any advice would be helpful, before I call HMRC. :beer:
Thanks in advance
0
Comments
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You can pay "voluntary NI contributions" as you've worked in the UK for 3+ years before going overseas
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ni/volcontr/abroad.htm
AIUI you only qualify for the Basic State pension by paying them. However, following the planned merger of the Basic State pension and the 2nd state pension into one the rules may well change0 -
There's currently no risk of you losing what you've paid so far. Current minimum to get something is any time at all paying in and the proposed flat rate state pension law is a minimum of ten years. The voluntary payments mentioned by Andy L look like a good deal.0
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There are reciprocal arrangements between the UK and USA relating to pensions which would mean contributions paid in the USA would count as qualifying years in the UK scheme and vice versa.0
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I'm not an expert, but another thing worth bearing in mind is the country you (currently) intend to retire in and the rules and reciprocal arrangements between that country, the UK, the USA and Germany (assuming you worked there before going to the UK). My understanding is that you would pay class 2 NI payments while overseas (approx. £140 a year). That's not a lot of money, but working out whether it is worthwhile won't be possible until much closer to the time as who knows what the rules will be then?DEFINITELY worth doing if you are NOT working, but most reciprocal arrangements eliminate overlapping years.0
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