How do I actually pay Voluntary National Insurance contributions for a shortfall.

mrg9999

I have checked my state pension forecast and it says I have

• 43 years of full contributions
• 4 years to contribute before 5 April 2026
• 3 years when you did not contribute enough

I spoke to my pension adviser and he said to contribute the approx 3 x £800

How do I do this?
Can I use the same account number if use for Self assessment Income tax?
It mentions obtaining an 18 digit reference number - WHY DO THEY MAKE THIS DO COMPLEX?

I found this on
https://www.gov.uk/pay-voluntary-class-3-national-insurance

Is it possible to obtain (calulate) my C3NI from my old school NI number starts WKNNNNNNL format?

I've tried phoning them most days, but no joy so far.
I tried looking at my NI letter
https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/personal-account/national-insurance-summary/print-letter
But that only has the one above.

Is there a definitive guide how to make voluntary payments?

GrubbyGirl_2

You need to contact HMRC and get your 18 digit reference number. 

p00hsticks

molerat said:

Does your forecast show you actually need to make further contributions ?

And if it does, which years are you short ?
Because unless they are for 2016-17 or earlier, I'd just put it on the back burner for now and sort it out when all those clamouring to buy earlier years before the April deadline have stopepd jamming the phone lines. 

mrg9999

molerat said:

Does your forecast show you actually need to make further contributions ?

It says I need to make at least 3 years to get their full stamp

mrg9999

2022 to 2023

Your record for this year is not available yet

2021 to 2022 Year is not full View 2021 to 2022 details 2020 to 2021 Year is not full View 2020 to 2021 details 2019 to 2020 Year is not full

mrg9999

molerat said:

As an aside, does this "pension adviser" actually understand the intricacies of the Stare Pension ?  I would be very shocked to find they did

They are an NHS Payroll / Pensions adviser and they are short of their state pension and they don't understand  the system even though they have worked in Payroll and Pensions since the 1970s and they were brought back as a contractor to run the payroll after the new supplier F'd up.

    By the way what is the "Stare Pension"

mrg9999

molerat said:

Does your forecast show you actually need to make further contributions ?

Yes, 3 years short

mrg9999

GrubbyGirl_2 said:

You need to contact HMRC and get your 18 digit reference number. 

How I've spoken to them several times and their advisor didn't know how to generate it and said I couldn't use my UTR

xylophone

They are an NHS Payroll / Pensions adviser and they are short of their state pension and they don't understand  the system even though they have worked in Payroll and Pensions since the 1970s 

This is really quite extraordinary as he/she must have worked through the SERPS/S2P/contracting out years.

You might recommend your friend to read 

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/204604/single-tier-pension-transition-technical-note.pdf

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-state-pension-if-youve-been-contracted-out-of-additional-state-pension/the-new-state-pension-transition-and-contracting-out-fact-sheet

The government also produced (for the general public)

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/181237/single-tier-pension-fact-sheet.pdf

and Royal London produced this Guide to co-incide with the introduction of NSP

https://www.dpf.org.uk/explorer/files/TOPPING-UP-YOUR-STATE-PENSION-GUIDE.pdf

Page 6  of above may be of interest to you.

xylophone

How I've spoken to them several times and their advisor didn't know how to generate it and said I couldn't use my UTR

This, too, is quite extraordinary.

See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdCxCExS_NU

Did you explain that you wished to make voluntary NI contributions and needed a reference number to make the payments?

That said, getting in touch with HMRC at the moment is very difficult. Trying at 8am might work.

Otherwise, if you are quite sure of the years and amounts, see

https://www.gov.uk/pay-voluntary-class-3-national-insurance/by-post

p00hsticks

mrg9999 said:

GrubbyGirl_2 said:

You need to contact HMRC and get your 18 digit reference number. 

How I've spoken to them several times and their advisor didn't know how to generate it 

That surprises me - both that you managed to get through at all, let alone more than once , and that they didn;t know what you were asking. Are you sure you are calling the correct number ?

You need to call HMRC NI Enquiries, say that you want to make additional voluntary contributions and ask them to give you the reference to do so. They may ask if you have first contacted the Future Pension Centre to confirm that the years you are buying will actually increase your State pension, and not go ahead until you have.  

National Insurance: general enquiries - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) 
Contact the Future Pension Centre - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

I understand the latter are only taking calls at present from those who have queries about years that will no longer be available after April (i.e. 2016-17 and earlier).