Abroad and confused

daffyaqui

Hi all,

Really hoping someone can help me.

I saw the news about filling in the state pension and looked into it. At the moment my record shows that I can get my state pension of £221 per week by 2055. However when I look at my record I have 6 full years only (2010-6) and gaps from 2006-10 (university) and then from 2016-2024 (when I left the UK). All of these are around £700-900 to fill. 

I am currently still living overseas and don't have plans to come back for a few years and as such won't likely hit the number of years by 2055. 

I basically cannot pay these gaps online and cannot get through to on the phone at all. I was wondering what the best course of action is. Shall I pay as many of these gaps as I can now to ease the pressure in the future (12 years to fill!)? I have also heard that there is a form I could fill in called CF83 which might reduce the total £700-900 per year for the years outside the UK?

Sorry for my confusion and thanks in advance!

Brie

Are you working wherever you are?  And are you putting money into any kind of pension there?  

If you are in a place that has any sort of state pension you might find that it will balance out.  You might also want to check if there's any sort of reciprocal agreement where you can transfer your SP contributions there to the UK to boost the SP here.  

This might help.....
International Pension Centre - GOV.UK

daffyaqui

Thanks for the clarification, I have been working and then doing my own startup... I have never contributed to the local pensions where I am unfortunately

QrizB

daffyaqui said:

I saw the news about filling in the state pension and looked into it. At the moment my record shows that I can get my state pension of £221 per week by 2055. However when I look at my record I have 6 full years only (2010-6) and gaps from 2006-10 (university) and then from 2016-2024 (when I left the UK). All of these are around £700-900 to fill.

If your headline forecast is £221.20 then you don't need to fill any past gaps. The 5th April deadline to fill gaps prior to 2019 won't cause you any problems. You can wait until the middle of 2025 when the phone lines might have calmed down.

daffyaqui said:

Shall I pay as many of these gaps as I can now to ease the pressure in the future (12 years to fill!)?

You have 30 years until 2055 to get to your £221.20 forecast. You don't need to buy any of those old gaps, you can buy years on an ongoing basis instead.

daffyaqui said:

I have also heard that there is a form I could fill in called CF83 which might reduce the total £700-900 per year for the years outside the UK?

Were you working and paying NI (or seeking work and getting JSA NI credits) immediately before emigrating? If so, you might qualify for Class 2 NI which is closer to £200 a year. Submitting a CF83 might unlock this for you.