Do not follow gov.uk instructions - chase DWP if not heard anything before receiving 1st payment

Beerzx6r

This thread is to warn others and also obtain any advice for our potential DWP issue that has now arisen.  

My mum applied to pay backdated NI contributions before the April deadline this year.  She received a text from DWP in May advising 'you do not need to contact us'.  She spoke to someone from the International Pensions department prior to her turning pension age in September (as she had a small top up payable from time abroad) who told her to continue with her claim as as long as she had applied before the deadline she would be able to payback even once payments had started.  This was also the advice given on a recorded message playing on the DWP line in June when she tried and failed to speak to someone.

Having spoken to DWP this morning, they are suggesting that as her pension is now in place, it is too late for her to pay the additional contributions and that she should have contacted them before now.  I stated that even logging onto her gov.uk gateway account now there is a message telling her not to call and chase so why or how would she have known to do that?

They have raised a case that we will hear back on within 6 weeks but not sure where to take this if the decision comes back not in her favour.  Any advice or similar experiences would be great to hear.

How is this lawful when she has done everything she has been told to do and followed all the verbal, written and recorded instructions given to her?

Beerzx6r

@MallyGirl @Brie @Smudgeismydog - any guidance please?  Many thanks in advance.

Brie

I've heard of others adding to their SP even when it's in payment so I think they must have got this info wrong.  Trying to think who had talked about this.....will have a look and post back if I can find more.

Brie

@molerat
can you help with this?

molerat

Possibly incorrectly enforcing the six year rule on post retirement contributions or the years were not viable.   Without full details it is impossible to tell.

p00hsticks

Beerzx6r said:

My mum applied to pay backdated NI contributions before the April deadline this year.  

In what way did she ' apply to pay' ? 
Do you mean she put in a request for a call back to clarify if making payments would boost her pension ? 
Does she get and still have a state pension forecast from before she reached state pension age and if so what does it say ?
How much state pension is she getting ?

DRS1

Is it possible she didn't need to contribute to get the maximum pension?

Smudgeismydog

Brie said:

I've heard of others adding to their SP even when it's in payment so I think they must have got this info wrong.  Trying to think who had talked about this.....will have a look and post back if I can find more.

As @Brie noted, my understanding is also that you can top up your state pension after it has started, although this is more complicated and takes longer.

I suspect there is more to this.

Beerzx6r

@p00hsticks she had to register on her gateway site as there was such a huge backlog but as long as she had done this prior to deadline was told it would not be a problem.  She is currently getting the basic amount for 26 years contributions and wanted to pay 9 additional years to top up to full 35 years.  I have a feeling they processed the request for her EU contributions to be applied (from her time abroad) and overlooked the request to pay for the additional UK contributions.  Seeing that a few of you have said it should be possible once pension is being paid makes me less concerned.  Guess will wait on the review to come through and go from there?

Dazed_and_C0nfused

Beerzx6r said:

@p00hsticks she had to register on her gateway site as there was such a huge backlog but as long as she had done this prior to deadline was told it would not be a problem.  She is currently getting the basic amount for 26 years contributions and wanted to pay 9 additional years to top up to full 35 years.  I have a feeling they processed the request for her EU contributions to be applied (from her time abroad) and overlooked the request to pay for the additional UK contributions.  Seeing that a few of you have said it should be possible once pension is being paid makes me less concerned.  Guess will wait on the review to come through and go from there?

What makes you think 9 years are needed?

35 years is only relevant to those starting to build up an NI record from 2016 onwards.

Suhusa

If the 'EU contributions' mean that she's paid into the pension system of another country then that won't do anything to her UK pension. She already has 26 years, so she wouldn't need any EU years to lift her over the 10 minimum years. She may get an additional pension from whatever EU country she paid into, but that will be paid separately from the UK pension.