I'm calling the Future Pensions Centre and the call keeps getting dropped.

MockTudor

After a few mins of recorded info, I am asked to 'choose from the following options' but then no options are given; just dead air. Call drops after a few more minutes. I called again and tried some random number as option choices but it still is dropped. There is no other way to discuss my buy back options. I know they are busy. Is there a way to report the problem other than writing?

molerat

Have you tried calling dead on 8am ?

Do you need to do something about it now ?  If not I would hold off for a few months until they can deal with the backlog of work they have.

Or people on here can help if you are uncertain about what you need to do,

MockTudor

i've called repeated including at 8am and still the call is dropped after a few mins. I'd had a text to say i can only make this call by deadline of 20th June so I shouldn't wait any longer. Every now and then i get the menu options but when i select the option to proceed, the call is dropped. I have some flexibility to make calls but if i was working full time this would be impossible, it's taken hours already, these calls can't be made while i'm doing something else so it takes a bit of planning. I'm trying every day. There must be many people struggling to make this call back. 

Muriel24

I’m having the same problem and starting to panic…

MockTudor

There must be lots of us in this position. I'm now noting the times I called in case the deadline passes and I need to show DWP that I was attempting to call. If I was working full-time this call would be virtually impossible. There must be some other way to contact them and discuss voluntary NI contributions.

ManderLists

I finally got through last week after calling right after 8. I was having the same issue with the call dropping after I went through the menu. 

Now my problem is that the top up amount is nearly £9k but I don't know if I can pay in installments. It would be much easier if so.

MockTudor

I finally got through on a Friday afternoon around 6pm, having made over 70 phone calls!!! For many people this is an almost impossible task. They really need more staff on this process until the backlog is processed. @ManderLists I wasn't offered installments, just had to pay the outstanding years back within a 30 day deadline. You have to do a bank transfer and it feels very, um.. anticlimactic/uncertain, as there's no confirmation email or any recognition that you have paid. The years I bought back didn't show up on the website and i had to keep checking until they did. I'm grumpy that I needed to buy back qualifying years after opting out via SERPS back when I was young, new to the world of work, pretty naive and not very well informed about pensions, NICs etc. I'd have been better off by not opting out. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. As is MSE. 

molerat

Where are you going to magic up all these extra trained staff from ? Staffing levels have been increased as well as bringing untrained staff to cover basic aspects that don't need any training. The problem is the amount of people that left applying to the last minute and when the extension was granted in 2023 instead of getting on with it decided they had another 2 years before they needed to do anything.

Why was contracting out a bad thing ?  You have benefited by being able to increase your pension above what you would have received under the old rules and you have that contracted out pension as well, I am certainly better off by being contacted out under the new rules.

MockTudor

@molerat My comment has raised some questions with you. Re-reading what I wrote, I said they (Future Pensions) need extra staff due to the increased workload. That's my opinion based on my experience. The staff were great. The process was frustrating - 70+ attempted phone calls to make my callback call within their deadline. It can be helpful to share these experiences for others going through the same process; helps people manage their expectations. It's my first post on this site and I was hoping to be helpful.
I never said contracting out was a bad thing, just that I would have been better off if I hadn't. Also I'd have avoided those 70+ attempted phone calls. Interesting to have another perspective and I'm sure you're not alone in benefiting. 

sheramber

But these extra staff need to know about the process so need training. They cannot just acquire  experienced staff.

Do you think the government have money to pay to employ and train these extra staff?

All government departments have been cut and the situation is not going to get better any time soon.

QrizB

MockTudor said:

I never said contracting out was a bad thing, just that I would have been better off if I hadn't.

That's possible but quite unlikely.

Are you receiving an employer's or private pension from your contracted-out years? Would you be better off without it, but with however much you spent on extra NI years in the bank?