About to pay voluntary UK national insurance contributions

Lisgoold said:
I'd love to hear from anyone who is successfully drawing two state pensions
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Look back over the threads and you will find people.


stanman said:
@NoRegretsCoyote wonder was there some extenuating circumstance that allowed you to get approved for less?
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My reading of the criteria was that I probably wasn't eligible, but I sent off form NI38 anyway and they confirmed I was eligible for the more expensive Class 3 VCs. I am not quite sure why they accepted but they did and it was the best-value stamp I've ever bought.
 
@Marc

Thank you for the guide.

Just one question, for the last few years, I have not worked. If, however, I wish to buy UK years - in respect of those years when I was working in Ireland - am I liable to Class 2 or Class 3 for these years? Thanks.
 
I'm new here but I think that the posting guidelines permit me to a one-time bump of a post at this stage.

I'm just wondering if anyone actually knows the answer to my query in the post immediately above.

Thanks in advance!
 
According to https://www.gov.uk/voluntary-national-insurance-contributions/who-can-pay-voluntary-contributions for living and working abroad: "Class 2 - but only if you worked in the UK immediately before leaving, and you’ve previously lived in the UK for at least 3 years in a row or paid at least 3 years of contributions", but I don't know whether this applies if you are paying the voluntary contributions in arrears. You also say that you have not worked for the last few years, so another restriction to consider is that you can only pay up to six years back.
 
basilbrush said:
You also say that you have not worked for the last few years, so another restriction to consider is that you can only pay up to six years back.
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Thanks Basilbrush

Why do you say that I can only go back six years? I had understood that the facility to go back more than 6 years (from 2006 onwards) was exclusively determined by one's age? This is what I understand from the link you provided - what am I missing?
 
Ah yes, I don't understand yet how they work out how many years of voluntary contributions you can pay. It seems a bit confusing that on the same page they say "You can usually pay voluntary contributions for the past 6 years" and "You’re a man born after 5 April 1951 or a woman born after 5 April 1953: You have until 5 April 2023 to pay voluntary contributions to make up for gaps between April 2006 and April 2016 if you’re eligible." (which would presumably mean that quite a large percentage of the population can pay for quite a bit more than six years). Do you interpret it to mean "If you are eligible, you can pay voluntary contributions for the past six years, and if you were born after <those dates> you can also pay for an additional ten years"?
 
Hey basilbrush - I'm the one asking the questions!:)

Short answer yes. My reading of this is that I can go back to 2006. So for the first 10 years post 2016, I was working and since then I've been working on my golf handicap and driving the missus mad.

So let's say I wish to buy the first 10 years (i.e. the years that I was working). If I was still working now, Class 2 would undoubtedly apply. However, since I've stopped working, I'm not sure whether my UK contribution class is determined by my Irish social contribution status in the year that I wish to buy back or my current status. That's the essence of my question.

I had hoped that someone like Marc would have known as I've tried calling the folk working for Her Majesty and found them hard work and ended up none the wiser!!
 
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It's a one off concession to allow backdated contributions to go back to 2006 - I think due to pension changes that were introduced The standard is backdating 6 years, which it will revert to after April 2023
 
@jasdpace: That is indeed a question that I do not think is clearly answered by the online information. Perhaps you will have to try calling again, and hopefully this time you might get someone more helpful. Which office did you call? I imagine that the International Pensions Centre, the Future Pensions Centre, and HMRC might all be relevant.
 
Thanks basilbrush,

I rang the International Centre and HMRC - I'll have a strong whiskey and have another go.......are civil servants the same the world over?.....I'm surprised that no one here seems to know the answer to the question?
 
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I am in the process of doing same, worked in UK for a few years in the 90’s. I can pay for 10 years contributions for a cost of £2300 and guaranteed a weekly UK pension of £95 per week and then pay a yearLy stamp if working here in Ireland.
I dealt with a Frank Buckley is USP financial in Tullamore, saw article in newspaper from him written by Charlie Weston. He charges €195 to check for you and if you are eligible another €195 for follow on steps. I found him excellent and it’s a no brainer for me (I don’t have the patience to deal with HMRC), he seems to be an expert in this area
 
I appealed HMRCs pension forecast a few times and was allocated notional years for periods of education/unemployment/caring while in the UK.

I now pay Class 2 NIVCs annually and compulsory PRSI contributions.

I'm on course for 35/35ths UK and 40/40ths Irish contributions if I continue contributing before age 66 so therefore meet the criteria for full state pensions from both under the current rules
 
ATC110 said:
I appealed HMRCs pension forecast a few times and was allocated notional years for periods of education/unemployment/caring while in the UK.

I now pay Class 2 NIVCs annually and compulsory PRSI contributions.

I'm on course for 35/35ths UK and 40/40ths Irish contributions if I continue contributing before age 66 so therefore meet the criteria for full state pensions from both under the current rules
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How long before you find out if you actually start to receive the payments?
 
Lisgoold said:
How long before you find out if you actually start to receive the payments?
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Why would @ATC110 need to "find out"?

The criteria are the criteria and unless the rules change then an eligible claimant can get both UK and Irish state pensions.

Here is a thread where two posters claim they are in receipt of both.

Here is a Dáil debate from thirty years ago where it is clear you can receive both:
First, the general rules governing the amount of Irish pension payable to old age pensioners living in Ireland who are in receipt of UK pension; one of two types of Irish pension may be payable in this circumstance: (a) a contributory (social insurance) old age or retirement pension which is decided on the basis of the claimant's social insurance record, or (b) a non-contributory (social assistance) old age pension which is decided on the basis of a means test under which the UK pension is included among the claimant's means. People with a UK pension who also satisfy the contribution conditions for Irish contributory pension are entitled to that person [it should read "pension" I think] without abatement
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Wasnt there a Brexit thing that they would only pay the state pension into a UK/sterling account?
I recall reading something like this somewhere, possibly on AAM.
I am paying my own class 2 and am keen to understand how this will all work when my own day comes to retire.
 
From gov.co.uk

Bank accounts your pension can be paid into​

Your State Pension can be paid into:

  • a bank in the country you’re living in
  • a bank or building society in the UK
 
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