Can't get into telephone queue for the Future Pension Centre

molerat

Stuart1313 said:

I'm having same trouble. My pension is due end of July and I have a couple of years to fill. The government gateway says this should be paid before 6th April. At this rate, I'll still be trying to get through by then !!!
I know the years in question and the exact amount to pay.
I'm tempted just to send them a cheque in the post, with all the details, and hope for the best.

If you are absolutely certain those years will add to your pension - not all available years will - then just phone up HMRC and get a code.  If they ask if you have spoken to FPC .............

Robbo11

It's a good job the government have extended the deadline to pay from April to the end of July now.  

Pingu510

I’ve tried so many times to get thru. 

I’ve sent letters. 

No reply or phone answered. Cut off. 

So frustrating !!!!

p00hsticks

Pingu510 said:

I’ve tried so many times to get thru. 

I’ve sent letters. 

No reply or phone answered. Cut off. 

So frustrating !!!!

What are you actually asking in the letters ?
Do you have an Government Gateway account to get an online State Pension forecast ? 
If so and you post up the details here others may be able to help 


Check your State Pension forecast - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

• Maximum amount of forecast
• Current amount up to April 2022
• Years you have available going forward until you reach State Pension Age
• Number of full years prior to April 2016
• Number of full years after April 2016
• Years which are not filled
• Whether there is a COPE mentioned and if so what the amount is (this will show by clicking a link there is a statement along the lines of ' like many, you have been contracted out.....'.)

If we manage to convince you as to the best option, then you can then simply write a letter to HMRC and send it with a cheque for whichever years you decide to purchase. 
Pay voluntary Class 3 National Insurance: By cheque through the post - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Scot_39

Pingu510 said:

I’ve tried so many times to get thru. 

I’ve sent letters. 

No reply or phone answered. Cut off. 

So frustrating !!!!

A recent statement for dvla - 94% calls were being cut off or unanswered.

That might have been post Covid back log.

But shows cannot rely on these agencies - certainly not in a rush.

Dazed_and_C0nfused

Scot_39 said:

Pingu510 said:

I’ve tried so many times to get thru. 

I’ve sent letters. 

No reply or phone answered. Cut off. 

So frustrating !!!!

A recent statement for dvla - 94% calls were being cut off or unanswered.

That might have been post Covid back log.

But shows cannot rely on these agencies - certainly not in a rush.

True, 13 years of Conservative government is definitely taking its toll.

Pat38493

Stuart1313 said:

I'm having same trouble. My pension is due end of July and I have a couple of years to fill. The government gateway says this should be paid before 6th April. At this rate, I'll still be trying to get through by then !!!
I know the years in question and the exact amount to pay.
I'm tempted just to send them a cheque in the post, with all the details, and hope for the best.

Maybe the web site hasn’t been updated but I think the deadline was extended to July.

Also - it depends which years you are trying to pay - I think that if the deadline only applies to years more than 6 years in the past - for more recent years you can do it on a rolling basis.

karfis

I have been having the same issues as many others with the Future Pensions line.  I give below details of my forecast etc in the hope that someone could work out how much I would have to pay in voluntary contributions to take me up to full pension.  Thanks in advance.

Maximum Forecast - £181.84 wk
Current amount to April 2023 - £144.81 wk
I will qualify for state pension in October 2023
No of full years prior to 2016 - 37
No of full years after 2016 - 0   (I retired from work in 2011)
Years not filled 2011 (from June) to 2023
COPE estimate - £85.68 wk

jem16

karfis said:

I have been having the same issues as many others with the Future Pensions line.  I give below details of my forecast etc in the hope that someone could work out how much I would have to pay in voluntary contributions to take me up to full pension.  Thanks in advance.

Maximum Forecast - £181.84 wk
Current amount to April 2023 - £144.81 wk
I will qualify for state pension in October 2023
No of full years prior to 2016 - 37
No of full years after 2016 - 0   (I retired from work in 2011)
Years not filled 2011 (from June) to 2023
COPE estimate - £85.68 wk

You would need 8 years to get a full nSP but you’re not going to get that as you don’t have enough years from 2016 to reaching SPA. 

Only years from 2016/17 will improve your pension. If you pay the 7 years from 2016/17 to 2022/23 you will get it to £181.84 which is the most you can get. 

fedupwithjunk

I have been trying to contact the pension center since 2019, I am calling from Australia and now the number does not even ring out - it immediately says, "call cancelled". I also wrote to them at Christmas and have had no response.  It's quite distressing that this government service is uncontactable.

I understand I need 35 years for a full state pension. I worked in the UK for 32 years before emigrating to Australia in 2013 and my NI record correctly shows 32 years of full contributions. But I find the missing years confusing. In 2019 the record said I had 5 years when I did not contribute enough. Bizarrely this number of missing years is increasing. It now says 9 years.

The question I need to ask is: If I have 32/35 years full contributions, why is the number of missing years greater than 3 and why is it increasing each year? Someone has suggested the discrepancy is because I was contracted out, but I cannot get a detailed explanation.


It currently says missing years will cost GBP824.20 to fill each year. Although it's almost a no brainer to top up in the UK, here in Australia my UK state pension will be frozen once I start receiving it and is not index linked. Thus, it will devalue, and it might be a better investment to put the funds into an Australian pension. (Depending how long I live)

Can anyone shed some light on this?