Topping up NI contributions – lived abroad for 20 years

molerat

There is no conspiracy to do you out of your pension.  If you want to top up years when you were abroad at the preferential class 2 rate then you need to fill in a CF83, as simple as.  They take each application on its merits and decide which class is applicable to any given week, there have been reports on here where people have been accepted for class 2 where the basis was 50/50.  They don't care about paying in to other systems, all they care about is if you were eligible at both the point of leaving UK and during the overseas periods.  If you don't want to complete the CF83 you can pay at class 3 rates.

PurpleMini

What is the form CF83 which you mention?  and Can we receive full pensions from 2 countries? I have 30 years NICs in UK and 24 years in Spain.  The pension forecast tells me if I top up an additional 8 years I could receive a full UK state pension..... but I cannot pay these online for some reason.

molerat

There are various reasons why you cannot top up on line, being overseas is one of them.

CF83 here Social Security abroad: NI38 - GOV.UK 

You can certainly receive a full UK pension in addition to an overseas one, the rules in other countries will be down to them.

PurpleMini

@molerat I completed the CF83 and submitted it online. 
i) It did not ask for any  ID to be uploaded which surprised me as instructions said to have ready, with a camera. Does that mean the submission that said it was complete, is not actually?
ii) I checked when I can expect a response: September 2025! Well, I am eligible to claim my pension from this May 2025......so, do I claim now but receive less as no reply on what Class NICs and how many years I must pay to get full pension? (my calcs indicate 8 years to make 39 years contributed once current 24/25 NICS included in the total, as I was contracted out in my pre Spain employment).  Current entitlement £171.93, and £178.25 if contribute until 5 April 2025.
Or do I defer the pension until all NICS paid up? 
iii) At the moment any pension would be taxed at the higher rate 40/45% due to other income I have ( I do not yet know how deferral works ie whether you lose out by not taking payment now.  Perhaps there is another discussion on this in the Forum.
Many thanks