Possible appeal to backdate pension increase after paying top up NICs?

Firecloud989

I retired at age 66 in June 2021. I have 40 SP qualifying years. During 19/20 and 20/21 my pension forecast was showing a message similar to 'year not full, awaiting data or still calculating data' I was moving and had several short term employed and self employed but not registered as self employed jobs at this time. I monitored the message all the way up to spring 2025 when I put in a call to DWP to call me back and calculate the outstanding class 3 NICs due, to increase my pension. Which they did (I paid £1033) and i am now receiving an extra £13.15 per week. My question is; Do you think it would be possible to appeal their decision to only pay the increase from now and not backdate it to June 2021. Given that the online calculating tool was broken during this time, which is well documented. Therefore I had no fair means of ascertaining what NICs were due. Interestingly, when i placed the call after watching Martin's piece on the subject, my pension forecast changed almost immediately to 'year full' and it wasn't till May/June that they called to say that they would call to deal with the issue at some point in the future. Eventually they wrote to me in July with a statement of what was owed. Many thanks,

DRS1

For some reason the phrase "cat in hell" springs to mind

Marcon

Firecloud989 said:

I retired at age 66 in June 2021. I have 40 SP qualifying years. During 19/20 and 20/21 my pension forecast was showing a message similar to 'year not full, awaiting data or still calculating data' I was moving and had several short term employed and self employed but not registered as self employed jobs at this time. I monitored the message all the way up to spring 2025 when I put in a call to DWP to call me back and calculate the outstanding class 3 NICs due, to increase my pension. Which they did (I paid £1033) and i am now receiving an extra £13.15 per week. My question is; Do you think it would be possible to appeal their decision to only pay the increase from now and not backdate it to June 2021. Given that the online calculating tool was broken during this time, which is well documented. Therefore I had no fair means of ascertaining what NICs were due. Interestingly, when i placed the call after watching Martin's piece on the subject, my pension forecast changed almost immediately to 'year full' and it wasn't till May/June that they called to say that they would call to deal with the issue at some point in the future. Eventually they wrote to me in July with a statement of what was owed. Many thanks,

 Absolutely nothing to stop you trying. Make sure you are clear, concise and unemotional (sorry if I'm teaching you to suck eggs, but long-term frustration sometimes makes itself felt...).

I'd use the Complaints Procedure: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions/about/complaints-procedure

Firecloud989

Macron, Many thanks. That was what I had in mind. It is a valid point to mention being unemotional and concise when dealing with government departments. It is evident from trawling the forum that people who conduct themselves in a civilised manner tend to get far better results as a consequence. I did call back and raise it with the front line staff who told me to hold on and then came back with 'there is no appeals process' !
I will pursue the matter further. Thanks again.