Future Pension Centre helpline

Woodstockwren

Is anyone else having problems getting through to the FPC? I have been calling on and off since February. I have tried calling at all different times of the day, but once navigating to select the option "I have a query about my state pension forecast" I then just get cut off. I wouldn't mind if I managed to get in the queue to speak to someone! I even wrote to them back in March and they signed for my letter, but I have not heard by snailmail either. Any tips from successful callers here?

molerat

Yes, it is a known problem due to the impending extended cut off date.

What do you want to know ?

Post your forecast details up here and, unless yours is some extreme edge case situation, you will get the answer to what you need to know in around 2 minutes    There is no Voodoo magic to the state pension, most of it is down to pretty straightforward maths.

Current weekly £££.pp amount accrued up to April 2022 (or 2023 as some have been updated)
Number of pre 2016 NI years full
Number of post 2016 NI years full
Tax year you reach state retirement
Any COPE amount shown, in a click link in "You've been in a contracted-out pension scheme" if there is one.
Years which show not full and prices

Woodstockwren

I dont need to know anything, as we've already worked out which years are short. We just need the code to pay for the 3 years that will be unrecoverable after the deadline. It seems the only way to get this code is to call the FPC  but that is proving impossible!

MallyGirl

Hi - you do need the code, unless you want to send them a cheque. @molerat was just offering to check that you are buying years that will make a difference as not all of them do.

Woodstockwren

Yes I realise that. My question was not about contributions, just success tips for contacting the FPC 

p00hsticks

Woodstockwren said:

It seems the only way to get this code is to call the FPC  but that is proving impossible!

You don't get the code from the FPC, you get it from the HMRC NI Enquiries team (although they might refuse to give it to you unless you confirm you've spoken to the FPC first to ensure that the years you are buying will actually boost your pension). 
National Insurance: general enquiries - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Alternatively,  as Malleygirl says, if you are confident of the years you are buying you can just send them a cheque with covering letter saying which years you want to buy, and then you can quote your NI number instead of a code. 
Pay voluntary Class 3 National Insurance: By cheque through the post - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Rodders53

p00hsticks said:

You don't get the code from the FPC, you get it from the HMRC NI Enquiries team (although they might refuse to give it to you unless you confirm you've spoken to the FPC first to ensure that the years you are buying will actually boost your pension). 

HMRC were happy enough to give my wife and I the code for the 10 years she needed, although they offered to transfer us to FP, once I stated we'd studied the rules and read these forums for the needed advice.

Nice lad at HMRC even corrected my error on the precise ten years to purchase.

I never posted a query here as I was sure that all 10 would add to her state pension (no COPE, etc.,.).  All done before the original deadline; but still earlier this year.  

Woodstockwren

UPDATE: Having failed to get thru on the phone lines to FPC, I contacted HMRC who then sent me back to the FPC.

So I emailed my MP. But forgot that he is suspended and so we don't have an active MP in our area (2 years now!).

So then I emailed Mel Stride (Secretary of State for Work & Pensions). The next day I had a phone call from a member of the Complaints resolution team. They handed my details to a lady from the FPC who called me and sorted everything out. She worked out I needed to pay 3 years worth from 2006-2016, and then 1 extra year per year from now till retirement date.  I had worked this out for myself, but she confirmed it and also found one year where I only had to pay £253 instead of £824. I couldn't see this on my SP Forcast, it just mentioned that year was still being calculated, even tho it was 10 years ago! She transferred me directly to HMRC to get the  18 digit code and payment details. 

She couldn't comment on why my March letter hadn't been processed, only to say that they were (STILL) a very small team dealing with thousands of calls due to MSE. I pointed out that many of those callers would have had a poorer retirment if not for MSE publicizing what the government should have done for the last 6 years.

I wish I had complained earlier!

molerat

The problem is that people don't listen to or read the loads of information that the government put out.  They take little to no interest in their pensions until Martin Lewis starts shouting that you can get something cheap.  I was taking an active interest in my state pension over 10 years before retirement.  MrsM received letters many years ago, likely binned by many as it was asking for money, and topped up back then and we both did the same well in advance of the 2019 price increases.  All the information was out there if people were bothered to look.