Paid Contributions Missing at HRMC

Deefersmum

After following Martin's instructions: I confirmed with the DWP’s Future Pension Centre (0800 731 0175) that paying incomplete years was going to be beneficial and boost my state pension. The lady I spoke to was very helpful and explained which years could be paid. She then calculated the amount required and using a different set of years than I had expected reduced the amount required. She also provided a reference number and explained that this number was unique to me and the payment she had just calculated and had to be quoted when I made the payment to the HMRC account.

So on the 3rd of November 2022, via bank transfer, I sent my payment, following all the instructions to the letter, and sat back to wait the 8 weeks it would take for HMRC to show the payment on my National Insurance account.

By checking my national Insurance record on the HMRC webpage I was able to see that nothing had altered and there is no sign of my payment being allocated to my account.

I have chased regularly (roughly once a month) by phone, to be told that “something has gone awry” and that “another department”, responsible for correcting these things, is still working on the problem. Sadly “it will take time and I can only be patient”!

I have now waited 19 weeks and so far nothing has changed on my account.

Has anyone else found this simple procedure is not as simple as first thought?

Or am I just incredibly unlucky?

molerat

You have been unlucky. If you are getting no joy from HMRC contact your MP.

xylophone

Clearly it is annoying that your record has not been updated.

When you chased, was any explanation given as to why the delay had occurred? 

Funds allocated to a suspense account?

Or to an account not yours?

Or a systems problem of some  kind occurred and you are not the only person affected?


Are you very close to drawing your state pension?

You can make a formal complaint in writing to HMRC if you are so minded.

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-revenue-customs/contact/complain-about-hmrc

National Insurance and employer complaints

Write to HMRC if your complaint is about National Insurance or employers.

NIC and EO Complaints
HM Revenue and Customs
BX9 1AA
United Kingdom

However, if you are a year or so away from claiming, you might prefer to hold fire for a couple on months and see what happens?