Voluntary NICs, living abroad, how?

RRH

Hi all. Two quick questions if I may.

1. I would like to fill in a few gaps in my NI years because although only in my early 40s I'm living and working abroad down under and likely will be for a few years to come.

I'm unable to buy the years online, not sure why. Maybe because I'm living abroad. I need to speak to someone at the Future Pension Centre to sort it out. The phone lines are obviously busy all the time when I try to call.

Is my only option to request a call back, and then to leave my phone on every night waiting for a call in the middle of my night (UK office hours), or is there another way to get the ball rolling?

https://secure.dwp.gov.uk/request-a-call-back-to-pay-voluntary-national-insurance-contributions/contact-form

2. As I'm living and working abroad (Australia if it matters) can anyone say if I can pay the cheaper class II NICs, or is it not quite so simple as that and more case-by-case? Just wondering if when I speak to someone I need to say which class NIC I want to pay, or if I even have a choice.

Thank you.

molerat

Which years do you need to pay, only years 2018-19 and earlier are affected by the cut off. So if you are looking at those years submitting the CF83 would stop the clock once it is received https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/social-security-abroad-ni38

If you were working immediately before leaving the UK then you should be able to pay class 2 for any years you were working overseas, the reply to the above form will state which class you are entitled to pay.  You would then be able to set up a payment plan to pay for years going forward.

RRH

Thank you. 
It is years prior to 2018 I want to buy, some of which are partial years, one when I was travelling, etc. For all of those pre 2018 years I was a UK resident, and I only moved abroad in the last few years. I think based on that, the CF83 wouldn't be relevant?

Thanks for the class II info. I was writing full time prior to leaving the UK so that's great news. I'll look into the CF83 form for those years, but with less time pressure to do it.