NI 18 digit code validity?

p00hsticks

Ballito said:

  I now have to order a cheque book and send a courier by registered signed post with a letter and HOPE that somebody there......somewhere will sort it. 

Don't waste money on courier / registered/ signed for - you'll be sending it to a generic PO box and so it's not going to get signed for by a traceable individual. The money saving way is to go to a post office to send it via normal first or second class and get a free posting receipt - UK law says that the letter is them automatically deemed to have arrived at the destination two working days later.

p00hsticks

Ballito said:

If they designed the website better with providing this 18 digit code for once off voluntary payments instead of phoning for the number then they would not be inundated and more efficient.  This is designed to fail !! HMRC and workplace pensions actually don't want to help....appear to be helpful but no not really!  What am I paying my taxes for......?  This is ridiculous

They would still be inundated - with complaints that people had panicked and had gone on to the website and bought all the years available, and had later realised that the purchases were unnecessary and had no effect on their state pension whatsover.

 There's a reason DWP and HMRC are quite insistent that people talk to an advisor before handing over their money - and that's to prevent them making mistakes. It's very obvious from these boards that many people don't understand what they should be doing and why, at least until it's explained to them (and that often takes a number of posts before the penny drops).

 To be honest, I'm surprised that HMRC are allowing people to just write a cheque to make an unrequested payment without first having sought advice from the FPC.