Do I need to plug gaps in one go?

pyrrhus80

I know time is fast running out.
I have a few gaps that I intend to fill before the deadline.

If I fill half of them now, will I be able to fill the rest in a month's time (still before the deadline) or does it need to be done all in one go?

Also, is there a way to select which years that I want to plug? The options that I am given online always put the years that are cheapest to fill first. However, these aren't the years that I want to pay as they won't be affected by the April 2025 deadline. It also says when more than one gap has the same cost, that they'll choose the oldest first - but they don't seem to be doing that.

molerat

You can pay however many years you want to whenever you choose.  How are you paying ?  If you phone up to get a code that will be for the years you tell them you want to pay. I believe on line gives you the choice.  Don't forget that years increase in price from April, 20-21 from £795.60 and 21-22 from £800.80 to £923.00.

pyrrhus80

I've been trying to do it online. It gives me various choices but it doesn't allow me to pick and choose which years I want to pay.

For example, if I only want to pay two years, I have to pay the two cheapest years, despite the fact they're both post-2016 and (assuming I understand correctly) will still be available to pay after April2025.

The rest of my missing years are all the same price but rather that choosing the oldest years first (as it claims it will,) it seems to insist on me paying all of the post-2016 years first.

For example, if I want to pay three years, it'll be the cheapest two years plus another post-2016 year. The pre-2016 years only start appearing if I'm choosing to pay enough years to cover all of the post-2016 years. This is the exact opposite of what I want because I have more time to pay those.

I just want to pay the pre-2016 years, preferably half now and half next month

If I telephone for a code, is it automated or do I need to speak with someone? I don't really have the patience to wait for hours to speak with a real person.

DRS1

I am sure someone will be along to advise you to call at 8 am.  You will need to speak to a person - though I am sure there is a bunch of automated messages before you get there.
I did call (in the pm) and they were helpful in telling me what years were worth filling and what weren't (the ones which weren't were all pre 2016).
I paid by cheque and sent a cover letter which spelt out which years I was paying for as well as giving the long reference number and my National Insurance number.  I think I also put this information on the back of the cheque in case the two things got separated.
I do not know if the reference number would have identified the years I was paying but I think I was told to spell them out as well.

badmemory

I rang to do this for my son but it was before the latest date extension so did not take as long as it may now.  I spoke to someone who was very helpful & gave me the code which covered the years we were paying.  She then put me throiugh to actually pay which surprised me. 

Sarahspangles

pyrrhus80 said:

I've been trying to do it online. It gives me various choices but it doesn't allow me to pick and choose which years I want to pay.

For example, if I only want to pay two years, I have to pay the two cheapest years, despite the fact they're both post-2016 and (assuming I understand correctly) will still be available to pay after April2025.

The rest of my missing years are all the same price but rather that choosing the oldest years first (as it claims it will,) it seems to insist on me paying all of the post-2016 years first.

For example, if I want to pay three years, it'll be the cheapest two years plus another post-2016 year. The pre-2016 years only start appearing if I'm choosing to pay enough years to cover all of the post-2016 years. This is the exact opposite of what I want because I have more time to pay those.

I just want to pay the pre-2016 years, preferably half now and half next month

If I telephone for a code, is it automated or do I need to speak with someone? I don't really have the patience to wait for hours to speak with a real person.

You haven’t said if you’ve been in touch with DWP to check if filling the pre 2016 years will actually make a difference. Whether or not they will depends on quite a complex calculation. Sometimes people pay for gaps and then post that it hasn’t actually increased their forecast pension. One reason for talking to DWP is so that they issue a payment reference that links to the information about which years you are purchasing.

If you posted up the forecast from your personal tax account one of the clever board members may take a look.

pyrrhus80

I appreciate your response but that's not really the issue.
If they're going to allow us the autonomy to fill gaps online without the need to speak directly with the DWP, they should afford us the freedom to choose the exact years we want to fill.

If filling any gaps is going to make a difference, it's logical to fill the oldest (pre-2016) gaps first because the opportunity to fill those will expire soonest. From April, I won't even have the option of filling pre-2016 gaps so it's senseless that the online system forces me to fill the post-2016 gaps first.

The online system says it'll choose the cheapest years first, and then the oldest. There's some logic in that approach, if they are trying to make it as simplistic as possible. The problem is that it doesn't actually do what it says - and it's almost certainly just down to shoddy programming.

molerat

I don't have access to it but it seems from other reports that it is the usual government half working system.  You should really be able to select a year, see the effect and click buy. That is what my spreadsheet does and there should really be no reason why the system could not do that, I believe that was what it was supposed to do.

pyrrhus80

It doesn't do that.
What is does is present me with multiple options based upon how many years I want to fill and what the total cost will be. Specifically, it says this:

Your options have been sorted from the lowest total cost to the highest.

• The calculations are based on your National Insurance record up to 5 April 2024.
• Your options are made up of only gaps that will increase your State Pension, and the cheapest payable gaps from your National Insurance record.
• When more than one gap has the same cost, we will select the oldest gap first.

However, it's not doing that. In reality, when more than one gap has the same cost, they select the oldest post-2016 gap. Only when all of the post-2016 gaps have been selected will it select the pre-2016 gaps.

It's effectively forcing me to fill all of my post-2016 gaps before it allows me to pay any pre-2016 gaps.

Sarahspangles

pyrrhus80 said:

It doesn't do that.
What is does is present me with multiple options based upon how many years I want to fill and what the total cost will be. Specifically, it says this:

Your options have been sorted from the lowest total cost to the highest.

• The calculations are based on your National Insurance record up to 5 April 2024.
• Your options are made up of only gaps that will increase your State Pension, and the cheapest payable gaps from your National Insurance record.
• When more than one gap has the same cost, we will select the oldest gap first.

However, it's not doing that. In reality, when more than one gap has the same cost, they select the oldest post-2016 gap. Only when all of the post-2016 gaps have been selected will it select the pre-2016 gaps.

It's effectively forcing me to fill all of my post-2016 gaps before it allows me to pay any pre-2016 gaps.

Ah, I didn’t realise they’d now (half) automated this. @Molerat do I recall correctly that a post-2016 year buys slightly more pension than a pre-2016 year?

molerat

Sarahspangles said:

 @Molerat do I recall correctly that a post-2016 year buys slightly more pension than a pre-2016 year?

It all depends, a pre 2016 year will give £6.23, £5.65 or £0.00 all dependant on personal circumstances.