Paying NI when abroad

Graham1982

Hello everyone:

I know this is not a debt free thing but I also know that many people here are used to dealing with or advising on interacting with HMRC and other government organizations.

I am working abroad and need to pay NI contributions so as to safeguard pension/benefits on my return. I have looked on the HMRC website that is relevant to this task:

https://www.gov.uk/voluntary-national-insurance-contributions/who-can-pay-voluntary-contributions

I believe I fall under the "Living and Working Abroad" category as I do both. This opens this link:

https://www.gov.uk/national-insurance-if-you-go-abroad

I do not pay social security type contributions in the country in which I work as there is no such thing, so I want to make voluntary contributions in the UK.

Opening this link, I think I am needing to pay class two:

https://www.gov.uk/voluntary-national-insurance-contributions/who-can-pay-voluntary-contributions.

Clicking on this link:

https://www.gov.uk/voluntary-national-insurance-contributions/rates

It says I should pay 3 pounds and five pence a week. That being said, the whole reason for this post is that this doesn't seem to make sense as if I read this right, it says that if you live abroad and are unemployed, you should pay class three, at circa 15 pounds a week. Surely you would pay more if you are working than less than a non-working person?

Asking so that I don't waste money, don't pay enough.

Thanks

Graham

Jeremy535897

To pay class 2, you had to be working immediately before you left the UK.

For UK resident taxpayers, you can pay class 2 voluntarily if you are self employed (but below the earnings limit), but have to pay class 3 if you don't work. So the answer to your question "surely you would pay more if you are working and less if you are non-working" is "no".

Graham1982

Hello Jeremy:

I left the UK in March 2020 and last worked in the UK 31st December 2019. Would that count has having worked in the UK immediately before? I was supposed to go to China to work in January but obviously Corona put pay to that. I was therefore briefly unemployed in Jan/Feb.

So what contributions do I need to pay please?

Thanks

Graham

Jeremy535897

It's not something I've dealt with, and I have no experience of what is treated as "immediate," but see the instructions on the link you already quoted:
https://www.gov.uk/national-insurance-if-you-go-abroad