State Pension Top Up

BooJewels

molerat said:

BooJewels said:

You can only back pay for the last 6 years, even if you missed more earlier on -

Whatever gave you that impression?  You can pay as far back as 2006-07 ......... but they may not all add to your pension depending on your personal circumstances.

That's what HMRC told me (I just checked, it's in my notes - otherwise I would have paid more backwards at the time, to get it done with - I also had gaps in a few earlier years) - and just checking, is also stated on their web site:   https://www.gov.uk/voluntary-national-insurance-contributions/who-can-pay-voluntary-contributions    although on the connected Rates page it also states that "You may be able to pay voluntary contributions by 31 July 2023 to make up for gaps between 6 April 2006 and 5 April 2016." - but then links back to the page that cites 6 years.

So @Yingguoren will need to check with HMRC as to their individual circumstances.

Yingguoren

Thanks everyone

I will follow your advice. 

I would be less charitable re referring to DWP "incompetence". 

Martyn Lewis is the only person that has effectively communicated that there's a deadline - now postponed - and any service where you are not resourced to cope with demand is incompetent. Of course I blame the govt not individual staff. 

Best regards and good luck. 

Steve

p00hsticks

Yingguoren said:

Martyn Lewis is the only person that has effectively communicated that there's a deadline - now postponed - and any service where you are not resourced to cope with demand is incompetent. Of course I blame the govt not individual staff. 

I've worked in capacity planning, 

Just as you don't start building extra lanes on motorways purely because on the very occasional hot summer bank holiday there are traffic jams, for the same reason government departments aren't going to put in additional infrastructure for call centres  and take on and train hundreds of new staff just to cover a once-in-a-lifetime surge in demand that is going to last for a few months. It's a disproportinate action.

Especially when it's to cater for something that has been publicised for years.
It's a shame that Martin Lewis and others, who will all have been well aware of this in 2013 when first announced, appear to have made the decision to only start 'effectively communicating' the information a couple of months before the actual deadline.

It's also unfortunate, that, from what other people on the boards have reported, he has apparently exacerbated the demand by encouraging everyone to phone up the Future Pension Centre on the off chance that it may effect them. rather than clearly explaining the issue and who does and does not  need to take action.

molerat

BooJewels said:

molerat said:

BooJewels said:

You can only back pay for the last 6 years, even if you missed more earlier on -

Whatever gave you that impression?  You can pay as far back as 2006-07 ......... but they may not all add to your pension depending on your personal circumstances.

That's what HMRC told me (I just checked, it's in my notes - otherwise I would have paid more backwards at the time, to get it done with - I also had gaps in a few earlier years) - and just checking, is also stated on their web site:   https://www.gov.uk/voluntary-national-insurance-contributions/who-can-pay-voluntary-contributions    although on the connected Rates page it also states that "You may be able to pay voluntary contributions by 31 July 2023 to make up for gaps between 6 April 2006 and 5 April 2016." - but then links back to the page that cites 6 years.

So @Yingguoren will need to check with HMRC as to their individual circumstances.

Are you self employed and needed to top up class 2.  If that is the case HMRC were incorrectly telling that class they could only top up for the past 6 years where the legislation clearly disagreed with their stance, they were seemingly misinterpreting the 2019 rates cut off paragraph, and they have corrected that.  There is of course the situation where paying pre 2016 contributions, those that are beyond 6 years, will not add to the pension. But all classes of voluntary NI are payable back to 2006-07.