About to pay voluntary UK national insurance contributions

cwc456 said:
You may need to contribute fewer than 5 years. I had 30 full years showing and some partial years. I only had to make another 3 years of voluntary NI contributions to get the full 35 years required.
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Many thanks. Will they tell me when I have made full contributions, or keep sending me yearly invoices?
 
Marc said:
Quick update on this. Form received at HMRC this week. On hold for 75 minutes told there is a 24 week wait to process forms
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Just to clarify, you called and they confirmed receipt of your application quoting your NI number?

I sent applications for wife and I two weeks ago in separate envelopes using registered mail. Anpost tracking website shows that one arrived and the other is not recorded to be delivered. Stupid thing is I don't know which tracking number relates to which of the two letters
 
Would someone like to write a Key Post on this topic as it seems like a great opportunity for some people.

Don't worry if you don't know the answers to every question or that you might get stuff wrong. You can go back and edit it later in the light of responses.

Brendan
 
You can use this as a start

Of critical consideration, because the rules are changing in April 2023.

Many Irish residents will have worked in the UK for a time. Everyone (regardless of your age) with a UK National Insurance number and more than 3 years national insurance contributions is entitled to a UK State Pension.

You should check your UK state pension record as you may be entitled to improve your UK State Pension.

Find a lost National Insurance number

What to do if you lose your National Insurance number, information about where to find it and who to contact.
www.gov.uk

International Pension Centre

International Pension Centre contact details for pension enquiries if you've lived or worked abroad
www.gov.uk


If you are now living in Ireland, its highly likely that you will not receive the full UK State Pension amount but you should be entitled to receive something. The good news is that it’s possible to receive BOTH a UK State Pension and an Irish State Pension.

Topping Up Your UK State Pension​

It’s also possible to top up the UK State Pension as far back as 2006, but time is running out.

The cost of doing this is effectively subsidised by the UK Government which means it can be very good value for money.

The amount of State Pension you will receive is based on your record of National Insurance contributions (NICs). If you haven’t made enough contributions, then you won’t get a full State Pension, but you may be able to pay voluntary contributions to boost the amount you get, even if you’ve already retired.

The rules about who can top up, how much it costs and what impact it will have on your State Pension are complex and have changed recently with the introduction of the new State Pension system in April 2016 and the rules will be changing again in April 2023.

You can top your NICs by paying voluntary national insurance contributions for missing years. Many people who worked in the UK up until moving to Ireland, and moved to Ireland to work, will be assessed for Class 2 voluntary insurance payments at a reduced rate of (£163.80 per year (tax year 2022/23). Otherwise, you may be assessed for Class 3 voluntary contributions £824.20 pa (tax year 2022/23)

But this is changing next April with a cap of 6 years coming into effect.

If you or anyone you know has worked in the UK, go to Check your State Pension forecast to establish if there are any gaps in your National Insurance Record.

Applying online is the quickest way to get a forecast.

You can also:

  • fill in the BR19 application form and send it by post
  • call the Future Pension Centre who will post the forecast to you

​

Paying voluntary NICs while you’re abroad​

You may be able to pay Class 2 NICs to help you qualify for contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance when you get back to the UK, as well as State Pension, Maternity Allowance and Bereavement Support Payment (bereavement benefits before 6 April 2017).

You can pay Class 2 NICs if you’re employed or self-employed abroad and if you satisfy the following conditions:

  1. You’ve lived in the UK for a continuous 3-year period at any time before the period for which NICs are to be paid, or
  2. Before going abroad, you paid a set amount in NICs for 3 years or more (this will be checked when you ask to pay Class 2 NICs), and
  3. In addition to conditions 1 and 2, you must also, immediately before going abroad, have been ordinarily an employed or self-employed earner in the UK.
If you’ve lived and worked in an EEA country or in Turkey, time spent there may help you to meet this condition.

You cannot pay Class 2 NICs for any period during which you’re liable to pay Class 1 NICs.

In return for making voluntary contributions, you could boost your UK State Pension up to the maximum of £185.15 per week (£9,627.8 pa).

Putting this into perspective, in order to generate that income (which can be inherited by a spouse or civil partner) and which has some inflation protection, a 68 year old man today would need to invest something like €360,000 into an annuity.

You can obtain further information from the International Pension Centre International Pension Centre – GOV.UK
 
DannyBoyD said:
What do I need to do specifically to make it a key post?
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That is great Danny, Thanks.

Just write it as a normal post.

Maybe with an FAQ.

To whom does this post apply?

It does not apply to you if...

What is the benefit of making voluntary contributions?

What is the downside?

How do I go about it in practice?
 
I don't have time to do anything substantive at the moment but will suggest edits to any key post that gets made - I think this is an important one.
 
Marc said:
in order to generate that income ... a 68 year old man today would need to invest something like €360,000 into an annuity
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Not a stupid question, does the investment amount differ for women?

Women live longer, used to be able to retire earlier etc
 
The deadline has been extended to 31st July.

Deadline extended for boosting UK state pension

Chance to pay missing national insurance payments as far back as 2006
on.ft.com
 
I made a payment to cover 9 years of backdated payments from my UK account on 7th February and having logged into my pension forecast can see that the payments have been applied and reflected in my forecast which is currently 12 of 35 years needed.
 
Just out of curiosity was it just the minimum 3 years of contributions you had already? Some of us on here were pleasantly surprised to find that we were credited with an extra (initial) 3 years but I think that was a practice from the 1980's on 90's that was phased out in recent times
 
Hi Stan, are you able to avail of the NI pension top up ? I worked in uk from Aug 88 to Oct 90. I think I am short on the 3 years minimum?
 
Yes just the three. It's probably more nuanced for me given I'm English and grew up there until leaving for college in Ireland when I was 18. 2 years were for when I was doing my a levels (so you get 2 years for that) and the other was for summer I did in England during a summer while I was in college here.
 
Marc123 said:
Hi Stan, are you able to avail of the NI pension top up ? I worked in uk from Aug 88 to Oct 90. I think I am short on the 3 years minimum?
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Hi @Marc123

I had assumed I was ineligible but when I logged in yesterday, it says I have 3 full years of contributions (seems my 2 years of employment spanned 3 calendar years).

I completed and sent off my CF83 form. Given the processing delays, I'm not sure if I'll be able to back-fill to 2006 if I don't get a response until after July 31st.
 
I'm amused to see the recent Indo article was strongly based on the key post here; and I'm delighted the benefit is getting traction.

However, to save my sanity & stop me from shouting RTFM - or perhaps that should be RTFKP!

I will give a prize to the next person who asks a question that has not already been asked and answered!
 
If a person was on a Community employment programme/ scheme does that stamp count as employment in order to buy voluntary insurance stamp (2) in UK. I Cant see this question asked anywhere else
 
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