Guide discussion: Voluntary national insurance contributions

JPears

On my 2014-15 line of NI records I also have the following:

"We are checking this year to see if it counts towards your pension. We’ll update your record when this is finished, you do not need to do anything."

Self employed so assume its the class 2 contributions. 6 full years required to 35 years paid up,  but plan on retiring after 5......

Age 56, will it make any difference chasing this year to make paid up?   I gather Only 2016 onwards makes a difference?

I've tried Future Pensions line numerous times, on hold for 20-30 mins sometimes get through and then cut off, or they can't hear me because their IT is clearly rubbish, so get cut off.

Or is this just a ploy to game the stats saying they have answered the call?

I've written a letter but don't expect to hear back any time soon.

Macko1

Are none of those gap years showing an amount ?  Usually the "checking" heading is because of self employed status and no class 2 paid.

No, I was either on jobseekers' allowance (Part of the year) or self-employed in those years.

Just to give a slight update, I tried a trick mentioned on another thread and went through to the Welsh speaker pension centre link. I got through first time, but he said he was not allowed to help English speakers! He did however give useful advice that the pension centre could not give me the unique 18-digit number required for each tax year to pay the additional amounts, only HMRC could do this on the 0300 200 3500 number. He said they would also see how much I needed to pay on each year.

So with the useful information from Molerat above, it would seem I should keep trying to pay before the deadline 3 years before 2016, and 3 years after which can wait a little. I am back in the UK for one week in July, so can chase then for those post 2016 years.

I have been on hold now on the HMRC 0300 200 3500 number for 51 minutes ....

Thank you for the useful help on here.

Oldman2

Macko1 said:

I have been on hold now on the HMRC 0300 200 3500 number for 51 minutes ....

Not wishing to dampen your spirit, but I tried HMRC 0300 200 3500 and got through after around 70mins but they said they couldn't give me a ref number to pay with until I had been through to the impossible pension center, even though I had my online forecast and knew what years I wanted to pay for.
As they now have a lifeline on the recorded msg saying they will "consider" applications made after April 5th as long as you have made every effort to pay before, I have sent by first class signed for a letter of intent to their offices in Wolverhampton where it will lay with the thousands of others unopened as they too are snowed under.
Good luck to you and be sure to come back to tell us if you get a result.

Rich_Tribe

Our blocker as I understand it is with HMRC not Pensions (who just told us to contact HMRC)

I got through to HMRC (same number) this morning. Took 1 hour 15 mins on hold after after initial voice-driven options.

We had written a letter in Jan which they confirmed receipt of on 24/01/23
Apparently the backlog (on that date) was 23 weeks to handle
So told we should hear shortly after 03/07/23.
Crucially since they received our letter they will still process it even though this will be after April 4th.

Suggestion for people who don't have time to wait on phone to HMRC: post letter so that it is received before April.

MartinT_2

Hi, just come across this thread a few days ago and thankful for lots of great advice.

Unable to get through to somebody at the Future Pensions Centre so would be grateful if anybody can confirm my understanding.

Age 56
33 years full contributions 
11 years to contribute before 5/4/23
7 years did not contribute enough 2015 onwards.
Predicted pension of £147.75
COPE £74.64 as I was contracted out for nearly all of my working life

No plans to work again.

Can buy the years 2015/16 -2019/20 at £824.20
2020-2021 at £795.60 and and 2021-2022 at £800.80

So I believe buying from 2016/17 onwards is best for me and therefore 4 years at £824.40 each plus the later 2 years at the slightly lower cost. And not purchasing the 2015/2016 year.

Many thanks in advanced for any insights

Theothecat

A heads up on contacting the Future Pension telephone line

I had my predicted pension details, information on missing years, and my NI number to hand before I started to call.

I tried to get through yesterday afternoon, but after 2.5 hours of redialling I had to stop. This morning I started at 8.01 and eventually got past the menus at 11.10. That whole time I would get through the "push button" stuff and then get an engaged tone, or cut off. A 11.10 I got past that and into the "we will answer your call as soon as possible...". I was in that queue for 70 minutes before I actually spoke to someone. They were great, they were clear and concise. They told me what it was going to cost, and what that would mean for my state pension. They then transferred me to the right people at HMRC who gave me the information on how to pay. To do everything, I was actually talking to someone for less than 15 minutes.

It was slow and disheartening at times, but If I live to 69 and a bit I'll be quids in!

Good luck!

molerat

MartinT_2 said:

Hi, just come across this thread a few days ago and thankful for lots of great advice.

Unable to get through to somebody at the Future Pensions Centre so would be grateful if anybody can confirm my understanding.

Age 56
33 years full contributions 
11 years to contribute before 5/4/23
7 years did not contribute enough 2015 onwards.
Predicted pension of £147.75
COPE £74.64 as I was contracted out for nearly all of my working life

No plans to work again.

Can buy the years 2015/16 -2019/20 at £824.20
2020-2021 at £795.60 and and 2021-2022 at £800.80

So I believe buying from 2016/17 onwards is best for me and therefore 4 years at £824.40 each plus the later 2 years at the slightly lower cost. And not purchasing the 2015/2016 year.

Many thanks in advanced for any insights

You need 8 years to reach the maximum with 11 years going forward and 6 (viable) gaps. Only years 2016-17 and later will add to your pension amount. 7 will take you to £184.78, the 8th will only add 37p so not worth paying for.  If you plan to make a big payment and buy in now and get the final one later then that is the way to do it, 2022-23 will stay at £824.20 until April 2025. But ...... beware of buses, if you walk out in front of one all is lost, you or your family will get nothing back

MartinT_2

molerat said:

MartinT_2 said:

Hi, just come across this thread a few days ago and thankful for lots of great advice.

Unable to get through to somebody at the Future Pensions Centre so would be grateful if anybody can confirm my understanding.

Age 56
33 years full contributions 
11 years to contribute before 5/4/23
7 years did not contribute enough 2015 onwards.
Predicted pension of £147.75
COPE £74.64 as I was contracted out for nearly all of my working life

No plans to work again.

Can buy the years 2015/16 -2019/20 at £824.20
2020-2021 at £795.60 and and 2021-2022 at £800.80

So I believe buying from 2016/17 onwards is best for me and therefore 4 years at £824.40 each plus the later 2 years at the slightly lower cost. And not purchasing the 2015/2016 year.

Many thanks in advanced for any insights

You need 8 years to reach the maximum with 11 years going forward and 6 (viable) gaps. Only years 2016-17 and later will add to your pension amount. 7 will take you to £184.78, the 8th will only add 37p so not worth paying for.  If you plan to make a big payment and buy in now and get the final one later then that is the way to do it, 2022-23 will stay at £824.20 until April 2025. But ...... beware of buses, if you walk out in front of one all is lost, you or your family will get nothing back

Thank you for your feedback and invaluable help on this subject to many other forum members.

DancingFlamingo

As with everyone I am struggling to get through to FPC but looking at my NI statement I wonder if I can delay payment until post 5/4/2023. Situation is:

State pension due in November 2024

43 years of full contributions

2 years to contribute before 5 April 2024

5 years when you did not contribute enough

Two of the missing years are 2006-07 and 2007-08 when my statement says the 'year is not full' although I have P60 for latter year and payslips for former showing that I did pay a full year, but not sure that time is on my side to make an appeal.

However also a further two years when part payments were made:

2020-21 needs £336.60 to make up shortfall by 5/4/2027

2021-22 needs £46.20 to make up shortfall by 5/4/2028

My interpretation of the statement is that if I make the payments of £336.60 and £46.20 by 5/4/2024 I don't have to make the payments for 2006-07 and 2007-08 and I will have made up my two years deficit.

If this is correct then I can delay seeking a reference number until post 5/4 and free up the phone lines for someone else.

Thanks.

Dazed_and_C0nfused

DancingFlamingo said:

As with everyone I am struggling to get through to FPC but looking at my NI statement I wonder if I can delay payment until post 5/4/2023. Situation is:

State pension due in November 2024

43 years of full contributions

2 years to contribute before 5 April 2024

5 years when you did not contribute enough

Two of the missing years are 2006-07 and 2007-08 when my statement says the 'year is not full' although I have P60 for latter year and payslips for former showing that I did pay a full year, but not sure that time is on my side to make an appeal.

However also a further two years when part payments were made:

2020-21 needs £336.60 to make up shortfall by 5/4/2027

2021-22 needs £46.20 to make up shortfall by 5/4/2028

My interpretation of the statement is that if I make the payments of £336.60 and £46.20 by 5/4/2024 I don't have to make the payments for 2006-07 and 2007-08 and I will have made up my two years deficit.

If this is correct then I can delay seeking a reference number until post 5/4 and free up the phone lines for someone else.

Thanks.

Is there any reason you haven't provided your forecast figure and, more importantly, the amount of State Pension you have a really accrued to date?