Boosting your state pension should now be quicker and easier as new online tool launches

Browntoa

Swapped to Monzo and it worked, not sure what the issue was 

homerhotspur

So, is it confirmed that the only way you can use the new online service is to give a false answer re continuing to pay NIC ,even when you have already stopped with no intention of paying anything other than the voluntary figures? It seems ridiculous that  this hasn't been sorted yet. Has anyone seen anything from HMRC/DWP acknowledging the glitch and telling people to proceed in this way rather than contact the Future pensions service, which is what the new system was meant to avoid.

pinnks

I paid mine, well all but the last tax year as it has not been updated to "not full" yet, and chose the option you mention.  It is somewhat counter-intuitive but I guess the rational is that I am intending to continue paying that 1 remaining year, albeit at Class 3 as I no longer work. It was all accepted and I await the update to my NI record and pension forecast...

Sarahspangles

pinnks said:

I paid mine, well all but the last tax year as it has not been updated to "not full" yet, and chose the option you mention.  It is somewhat counter-intuitive but I guess the rational is that I am intending to continue paying that 1 remaining year, albeit at Class 3 as I no longer work. It was all accepted and I await the update to my NI record and pension forecast...

I read it the same way. I have enough years but OH needs to pay one more so we’ve been looking at it. I think it’s just badly worded. Yesterday I signed up to be on the gov.uk research panel because it’s clear they need to test more on actual users. 

pinnks

I checked the HMRC App this morning and the years I paid on 18 September are showing as paid and the pension forecast has been updated accordingly.  So, despite its nuances the new functionality is an improvement.

Just need to figure out when the new function will allow me to pay 2023/24...

homerhotspur

I suppose it may actually be that they do only want people still paying NIC to use the system at the moment ( even though you clearly can get round this) and that will reduce the calls etc a bit until they can get the system to cope with those like most of us on this thread. I suppose if we contact the helpline( I know this is supposedly near impossible) someone there will manually calculate what you need to pay to make up for the fact that you are not doing so up to the required age. This function is clearly not available online as present. Its just that we are so reluctant to try to contact them that we are prepared to accept an imperfect system to try and at least make progress and see our records get updated.

pinnks

I don't think that is the case.  I think the options are poorly worded. 

I know I need to pay the years I have just paid, plus 2023/24.  The earlier years were showing as available to pay but 2023/24 is not yet updated, so the system does not see it as "not full".  When that happens, it will be available online.  It is just that I need to pay that year before the end of this year, so may have to call them to facilitate it. 

But I would suggest that anyone who knows that they have years to pay and who have spoken with DWP FPC to check that they will increase their pension, just click on the relevant option to facilitate paying.  

homerhotspur

For anyone interested, I thought I would give the number a call. I got through in 15 minutes and was told what I need to pay ( confirmed what I had already seen online) to get the full rate. I asked about 23/24 and she told me the figure would be £907.40 which I could also pay now. ( This may not be the same figure for everyone) . I was then transferred to someone else who gave me the HMRC account details and a reference number for it to be correctly allocated.