Buying missing National Insurance contributions. Telephone number please.

heartfield

After watching Martin Lewis ITV show I believe I can purchase missing years of my NI contributions.
It seems I have to phone. Can't find number. Please help.
Thank you.

molerat

Who you need to contact all depends on whether you have reached state pension age already or not

FPC if not yet reached SP age https://www.gov.uk/future-pension-centre

Or TPC if you have https://www.gov.uk/contact-pension-service

Who will look at your options before advising you to contact HMRC to get a code https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-revenue-customs/contact/national-insurance-enquiries-for-employees-and-individuals

Telephone wait times run into an hour or more if you can actually get through

Or you could pay with a cheque in the post  https://www.gov.uk/pay-voluntary-class-3-national-insurance/by-post

Not all years will add to your pension.  Post up a few details from your forecast and someone will point you in the right direction.

Current £.pp amount accrued up to April 2022
Number of pre 2016 NI years full
Number of post 2016 NI years full
Financial year you reach state retirement
Any COPE amount shown
Years which show not full and prices

heartfield

Thanks molerat, I am in receipt of state pension, but not a full one.

Have already bought in some years, now I think I may be able to buy some more. Will check how far  back I was allowed  to purchase and get back  here.

molerat

From those details I asked you will get a pretty much 100% answer to what you can do from here rather than spend hours on the phone.

If you retired after April 2016 you can buy back as far as 2006-07 but not all years 2015-16 and earlier will necessarily add to your pension.  It is fairly easy to figure out.

gamston

I was on the phone for 45 mins before i spoke to anyone on the FPC number (then sorted out)
then I was on the line to the 0300 number (confirms money recieved a few weeks later) hour before i spoke to anyone ( again was sorted out once i spoke to someone)

Milolip

I took my NHS pension early and retired early age 58. I’m due to get my state pension July 2025 and I have requested my forecast.
i have worked since I was 18 and thought I would have enough NI contributions in to get a full state pension however my forecast is to receive £198.67.
Because I haven’t worked since I finished work in 2017 they are telling me that I have 6 payable gaps from April 2018 to 2024. These approximate to £5000.
i would appreciate any advice as to wether I should pay for all these gaps or if it’s possible to pay for enough gaps to make up my pension short fall. I have tried to contact them my phone with no success.

molerat

Is that the amount accrued to April 2023 / 2024 or the amount that you could receive ? There should be several amounts shown.

If it is your current accrued amount you need to purchase another 4 years to reach the max, 3 will take you to £217.63 at £6.32 each and the 4th will add the final £3.57.  You only need to purchase the necessary number so you pick the cheapest.

You do though need to be clear what that quoted figure actually represents.

Filling gaps is very good value.  They give the same as a 30%+ single life increasing annuity paying back the outlay gross in around 3 years.

Milolip

They have given me a break down for each year since 2018 and it’s approximately just over £800 for each year.
how many years would I need to buy back to qualify for a full state pension.? Will it be worth it ?
I wasn’t aware that I need to contribute towards NI when I finished work as I haven’t claimed any benefits and thought that having worked for 40 years would have been enough. Any help would be appreciated .

molerat

The answers to those questions are in my post above. The reason you have not got a full 'new' pension is due to your contracting out, loads of explanations on here.  You have still got at least what you had earned under the old scheme and have added to that with any post 2016 contributions. But you need to be clear what that figure you have given actually is.  Do you have access to your on line tax account?

Milolip

No I don’t unfortunately. I’m not good at things like this. Appreciate your reply’s .

Dazed_and_C0nfused

Basically the four years (or three if you don't consider the fourth worth it) are as good an "investment" as you could make.

Starting in July 2025 you could get an extra ~£19 each week for the rest of your life.

And it will increase each April under the triple lock rules.

So even though it's likely to result in extra 20% or 40% tax being due it's still hard to beat for the return you will get.