What month are National Insurance records normally updated?

balbs

Looking at my NI record as I approach retirement age I see that I  need to contribute two more years to max the SP before state retirement age next year.  But figures for 20-21 are not yet available - so when 'normally' are these figures updated in the financial year?  Once beyond the retirement age how is the figure then calculated if figures are not available for this financial year - I assume that eventually is worked out and then backdated?

Dazed_and_C0nfused

They aren't normally updated in the year.

It is May/June after the end of the tax year.

So you would normally see 2020:21 by now.

What happens in the year you reach State Retirement age doesn't matter though as that year can never be a qualifying year for NI contribution purposes.

NSG666

balbs - are you self employed? I was for last tax year and have submitted my 2020/21 tax return and paid all outstanding sums but when I check my NI record and pension forecast it's not been updated yet.

I can't answer your question but it's a bit like the proverbial 'watched pot' and will update sometime when you don't expect it.

sparky0138

You can ask for the figure using webchat for National Insurance. They will also give you the information you need for paying it like a reference number and bank account details.

They will probably also ask you if you've checked with Future Pension Centre whether paying that particular year will benefit you so if you haven't already done so I would advise you to check with them first.

tacpot12

NSG666 said:

balbs - are you self employed? I was for last tax year and have submitted my 2020/21 tax return and paid all outstanding sums but when I check my NI record and pension forecast it's not been updated yet.

I can't answer your question but it's a bit like the proverbial 'watched pot' and will update sometime when you don't expect it.

NI payments made by bank transfer using a reference number can take between 6 and 10 weeks to appear on your NI record for checking your state pension forecast. 

I'm not sure how long it takes for Class 2 NI paid via Self Assessment to show up, but I would expect it would be in a similar timescale. 

[Deleted User]

balbs said:

Looking at my NI record as I approach retirement age I see that I  need to contribute two more years to max the SP before state retirement age next year.  But figures for 20-21 are not yet available - so when 'normally' are these figures updated in the financial year?  Once beyond the retirement age how is the figure then calculated if figures are not available for this financial year - I assume that eventually is worked out and then backdated?

I too discovered that 20-21 is "not yet available"

I am lacking 9 years of NI contributions - despite having 32 years of credits - due to being contracted out for most of these years - I am 58...

I have put in a NI only ESA claim to obtain these missing years to receive a full  state pension in 2030

SomeMadeUpName

So our story is:

We wanted to pay up 18/19 and 19/20 for my wife using voluntary SE rates (for which she qualifies).  We phoned and had confirmation it would add 2no years towards full new SP.  We were given a figure and reference to cover 52wks of 19/20 and 42wks of 18/19 (as my wife had the first 10wks of 18/19 covered as a mum).  We paid the bill.  After maybe 5wks 19/20 went full but 18/19 didn't.

We phoned up NI and they had mistakenly set the SE start date too late (started it in wk15 of 18/19 instead of wk11) so despite paying the 42wks it wasn't filling the year.  The new lady unallocated the payment and reset SE to start wk11 of 18/19 and said just wait.  Both 18/19 and 19/20 went back to not full on the web record.

Recently (many many wks later) I notice 20/21 has gone full but 18/19 and 19/20 are still not full.  We haven't paid 20/21 yet as we haven't had a bill (we were told it would show in Sept'21, ie now).  So I have to assume that someone has allocated the 52wks we paid for 19/20 to 20/21 in error, and the 42wks we paid for 18/19 are still floating in the ether.

Am I being too critical if I say:  !!!!!! this is their one and only job in the NI dept!  Does it have to be this complicated?

drumtochty

We paid Class 2 NI for my Good Lady in May 2019.

Her State Pension started payment in June 2019 but a pound or so below the maximum payment. Therefore the tax year 2018/2019 was available to pay the final NI credit that was needed to hit the New State Pension maximum figure. She had no salary in 2018 / 2019 but we used the under £1,000 tax free trading allowance to qualify to make Class 2 NI payments.

We completed her tax return and paid the Class 2 amount of around £150 in the May 2019.

The NI contribtion register was not updated until late December 2019. An updated State Pension award letter was received in mid January 2020. The February 2020 State Pension payment inclded the backdated pension payment of circa £30.00 and that months payment which was at the maximum value of the New State Pension.

molerat

SomeMadeUpName said:

Am I being too critical if I say:  !!!!!! this is their one and only job in the NI dept!  Does it have to be this complicated?

There is a lot to be said in favour of good old fashioned concisely written letters and cheques, takes a real moron to !!!!!! it up !  I am sure they could design a simple web form to do the same job.

p00hsticks

I've just had a look and 20-21 is showing for me. (I'm paying voluntary Class 3 by monthly DD straight to HMRC though, so no middle man employer...)

SusieT

balbs said:

Looking at my NI record as I approach retirement age I see that I  need to contribute two more years to max the SP before state retirement age next year.  But figures for 20-21 are not yet available - so when 'normally' are these figures updated in the financial year?  Once beyond the retirement age how is the figure then calculated if figures are not available for this financial year - I assume that eventually is worked out and then backdated?

When I spoke to them a few weeks ago asking the same thing, the estimate was sometime in September. I would think that with (some of) their staff still working at home it may run into October though.