News: State Pension boosting top-ups blocked for thousands in HMRC error ahead of crucial deadline

roubiliac

 I got a text yesterday saying I would receive the requested phone call about NI catch up today between 08:00 and 18:00.
Of course having been available all day no phone call has arrived.
What do I do now?

AlanF

Does anyone know if HMRC still intends to contact those who were unable to make the payment on 5 April because of this error? We have saved screenshots of the issue, dated 5 April, when we attempted to buy the years, but they disappeared as 'too late to pay' even though it was only 2021-22. Haven't been contacted by HMRC (we logged in via gov.uk). Presumably the option will still be there to pay at the pre 6 April prices (as otherwise no point, as we can still buy the missing years now, but at higher prices).

MSE_Rosie

AlanF said:

Does anyone know if HMRC still intends to contact those who were unable to make the payment on 5 April because of this error? We have saved screenshots of the issue, dated 5 April, when we attempted to buy the years, but they disappeared as 'too late to pay' even though it was only 2021-22. Haven't been contacted by HMRC (we logged in via gov.uk). Presumably the option will still be there to pay at the pre 6 April prices (as otherwise no point, as we can still buy the missing years now, but at higher prices).

Hi AlanF, I've been in touch with HMRC and they've confirmed that they will get in touch with those who attempted to buy NI years on 5th April by post. 

MSE_Rosie

whammy90 said:

My NI record showed that I had until the 22nd of April 2025 to close a few gaps going back to 2010, I wish I'd taken a screenshot now to prove that the date had changed! Buying years back is expensive and I have been gradually paying down gaps over the last year, so this was not a last-minute scramble. Disappointed to have missed out due to a programming error that published false deadline changes.

Hi @whammy90, we put this to HMRC as a few people had the same issue. Those who visited the online service to make payments during the period of 13 March to 4 April 2025 were given a 31-day grace period to pay from the date they had the issue. Guidance on how to make payments after the 5 April deadline should now have been added to the online service. 

MSE_Rosie

roubiliac said:

 I got a text yesterday saying I would receive the requested phone call about NI catch up today between 08:00 and 18:00.
Of course having been available all day no phone call has arrived.
What do I do now?

Hi @roubiliac, we've been in touch with DWP, it confirmed that some people weren't called on the date stated in the text message, and that it has / will be in touch with those who didn't receive a call. 

TractorBird

Hi, does anyone know, has there been any update on this? I wasn't called on the date stated in the text message, but was called some time later to check details ( could this have been a scammer?) and promised a call... but still nothing.

AlanF

Likewise I also tried to buy the years on 5th December and was blocked because the 2020-21 year (the cheapest!) had disappeared. Despite the HMRC comment that they will proactively contact people who logged in and tried to pay, they haven't. Yesterday I rang HMRC on the number they give for dealing with NI issues (0300 200 3310) to get an adviser who basically suggested that I shouldn't be trying to buy the years online, as the figures aren't guaranteed, and that we should have telephoned DWP. I explained, as patiently as I could, that there is very clear unambigous guidance, starting from the gov.uk 'check your sate pension' forecast, that takes you through all the steps of identifying missing years, and offereing you options of buying back various combinations, with a link to payment. I also pointed out that HMRC actually go out of their way to signpost people to do things online rather than speaking to a human being. Despite this, I was unable to make any progress, other than being given a telephone number for DWP to discuss it, or to write in and complain.


Does anyone know of any links (other than the MSE article in this thread) directly referencing the HMRC comments?

molerat

Received a letter from HMRC today, dated 24 Jun, stating that I had tried to pay class 3 contributions on line but could not due to a service problem on 5th April.  It gives me the details of payable gaps and until 22 Aug to pay at the pre April 6th rates and loads of contact details.

I didn't actually try to pay, because I cannot increase my pension, but I did log in to the system and look at a few things.  So they are still looking into who logged into various areas and contacting them.

AlanF

Many thanks for that Molerat! 

In fact we phoned the DWP future pensions people and they were really helpful, they understood the issues, and offered us the pre-April prices to buy back the missing years of 2021-22 and 2022-23 (which takes my wife pension to £1.37 short of the maximum, which probably isn't worth paying £907.40 for as it would take 12 years to break even. That phone call was on 7th June, and having just checked now, they have updated everything correctly on the 'check my state pension' gov.uk website. So success for us - whether we would have received a similar letter to yours I don't know!

QrizB

£1.37 a week for £907.40 is actually quite tempting, assuming you're in your 60s and in reasonable health. It's only slightly worse than the 12:1 public service pension commutation rate, where we usually suggest the pension is worth more than the lump sum. And it's also triple-locked.

If probably pay the £907.40, if I was in your position.