Paying voluntary NIC's online

_viator

Hi all. Hoping someone can help me with this.

I'd like to pay for 5 incomplete years of NI contributions before the deadline on 5th April. I'm 40 years old so i understand i don't necessarily need to do this as i should still be able to work enough years from now until i retire to make up my 35 years NI and be eligible to receive the full state pension. However, id like to pay them anyway as who knows what might happen in the future with my heath etc.

I've been onto my tax/NI account where it tells me about incomplete NI years etc, but the only way i can pay for these gap years online is to put in a random early date like 2035 into the section "when do you plan to stop paying national insurance contributions". Does this date matter in the grand scheme? If i type a later date, it wont let me purchase all 5 years. If i select that i plan to stop paying contributions when i reach state pension age, i cant buy any gap years at all.

Later on in the process, it asks me to confirm that I've been truthful with all of the information I've provided. I'm only typing in 2035 so i can pay for the 5 extra partial years online. If i type 2035 but plan on paying NIC's for longer, will this be an issue? Can anyone clarify this for me?

Many thanks!

molerat

It is purely to stop you paying for years when you don't need to, why would you pay for gaps when you intend working until you reach state retirement ?  Also if you have been untruthful, paid those years then worked until state retirement, they can tell you to go away when you try to reclaim what you paid unnecessarily.  Answer how you need to to get the outcome you wish.

And 35 years is of no relevance to anyone not born this century.

_viator

My health isn't great right now and i don't know if i will be able to work all of my remaining years in full to qualify for the full state pension so i wanted to purchase the gap years now as they don't cost much. I've made that decision knowing that i may not need to pay them in the long run, so why would i attempt to claim back what i paid unnecessarily in the future? That is not my intention. I am merely trying to look out for my future by paying a small amount now. And as you say, it might be 35 years NIC's to get the state pension now but that may change in the future so I'm simply looking ahead. 

molerat

I am not saying you would reclaim but if they simply let anybody pay unnecessarily they would open themselves up to a claim.

You have misunderstood about 35 years, it simply does not apply to you, someone with a pre 2016 history needs as many as it takes be it more or less than 35 years, nothing to do with moving goalposts.

TadleyBaggie

_viator said:

And as you say, it might be 35 years NIC's to get the state pension now but that may change in the future so I'm simply looking ahead. 

That was not what was being said. The 35 years to get a full state pension only applies to people that started working after April 5th 2016. If you were working prior to that you may need less or more, in some cases up to 50 years of contributions are needed.

_viator

TadleyBaggie said:

_viator said:

And as you say, it might be 35 years NIC's to get the state pension now but that may change in the future so I'm simply looking ahead. 

That was not what was being said. The 35 years to get a full state pension only applies to people that started working after April 5th 2016. If you were working prior to that you may need less or more, in some cases up to 50 years of contributions are needed.

According to my NI record, I have 16 full years and my pension forecast says i need another 18 years for the full state pension. So that's 34 years?

Sarahspangles

_viator said:

TadleyBaggie said:

_viator said:

And as you say, it might be 35 years NIC's to get the state pension now but that may change in the future so I'm simply looking ahead. 

That was not what was being said. The 35 years to get a full state pension only applies to people that started working after April 5th 2016. If you were working prior to that you may need less or more, in some cases up to 50 years of contributions are needed.

According to my NI record, I have 16 full years and my pension forecast says i need another 18 years for the full state pension. So that's 34 years?

That’s within the normal range for people who are older than mid 20s. We have some contributions under the old system, and some under the new. Another person in our age group could be seeing information that says they need 35 years. However, if so, it’s not for the same reason as for that 20-something.

_viator

So does anyone know if its definitely ok to input a shorter date in order to buy the 5 partial years or is this not allowed because my projected forecast predicts i will get the full state pension without buying additional years? Surely it is an entirely optional thing and personal choice of the individual as to whether they want to buy their additional years, regardless of whether they absolutely need to at this particular stage? Thank you all for your help 

QrizB

_viator said:

So does anyone know if its definitely ok to input a shorter date in order to buy the 5 partial years ...

HMRC will hapily take your money, and you'll get whatever benefit those years provide.

People's plans change and just because you say today that you're hoping to retire in 2027, doesn't mean that next week you change your mind to 2037 or 2047.