The details of paying Class 2 contributions from abroad

bostonerimus

Terron said:

bostonerimus said:

 They have neglected to tell me that I now have 35 years of contributions and more payments won't increase my pension under current legislation, although that information is on my pension forecast. Last year Class 2 NI was 158 GBP, so if you can't afford that you are in trouble. 

Why should they inform you? NI does not just cover pensions. It also gives you entitlement to some benefits, so it is not like you are paying for nothing (though maybe nothing you want).

They informed me that I did not need to continue to pay past 30 years, then told me I needed 5 more years when the new SP came in, but as I approached and passed 35 years of contributions they did not contact me to say I didn't need to keep paying. I just noticed far less communication from HMRC about significant events in my NI record. It means nothing to me because I keep on top of things, but it might be very important to some other people if there is a general policy not to be proactive in informing the public about their benefits or changes in them. Of course I don't know what I don't know so maybe I am missing out on something. 

Suhusa

To resurrect this thread, is there any way to check whether your contributions have been added to your account, beyond waiting till they've added the info on the latest tax year to the NI record?

bostonerimus

Suhusa said:

To resurrect this thread, is there any way to check whether your contributions have been added to your account, beyond waiting till they've added the info on the latest tax year to the NI record?

I pay by wire transfer so I have a record of the money going into the HMRC account. The HMRC NI portal is the quickest way to see that your NI contribution has been credited. I just wait a couple of weeks and have a look.