Key Post UK State Pension - Make voluntary contributions to qualify for UK pension on top of Irish pension

Dr Strangelove said:
There are nearly four million adults in the republic and a UK work history is very common.

I have a handful in my family alone.

I’d say it’s likely six figures who are eligible.
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Yes.

Given those possible numbers, has anybody started a business offering to advise people how to do it?
 
Protocol said:
Yes.

Given those possible numbers, has anybody started a business offering to advise people how to do it?
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There seems to be numerous people offering this service now. An article in the Sunday Independent recently quoted 2 or 3 of them. Fees involved seemed to range between 1k and 3k.
 
Dr Strangelove said:
A friend of mine is self-employed and he said his pensions advisor made him aware of it and got him to fill out the forms.

This was a year after I’d given the friend same advice for free and been ignored
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You would think any decent pension or financial advisor would make their clients aware of this scheme. Mine certainly didnt.
 
ohrose said:
I applied in February of 2023 with the CF83 form. I received correspondence approximately 11 months later (Jan 2024) asking for more information about my employment history since leaving the UK all those years ago. After sending on the requested information I got the go ahead to pay about 2 weeks ago. However, I have spent the last few weeks trying to get in touch with the future pensions service and then HMRC and hence trying to understand the mechanism for paying. I think I'm on the last leg. Average wait times were between 20 mins and 30 minutes to both services. They are very helpful when you get through. As it corresponds to 17 x2 years ( my wife is in a similar situation), I want to make sure that I transfer the right monies to the right people with the correct references...hence my original query to the forum. (Aside : I'm still a little confused why the Reference Field is available for a Euro transfer but disappears for a GB pounds transfer .... But maybe someone else on the forum has more experience with all things banking. But saying that, it's the step that everyone on this forum has to complete.... Paying the NIC contributions. Has anyone used BOI app to pay in Sterling and used the "Message to Payee" to store their NI number ?) If I can be of any more assistance, send a message.
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That's very helpful thanks. I am just sending off my application tonight via the online form. Using the info on this thread I am hoping to preempt any clarifications they might look for. Out of interest, what type of extra info did they request about your employment status, did you need P60s etc?
 
I just had to list all of my previous employers , dates etc. No P60s were required. They subsequently asked me for a copy of my PRSI statement of contributions to prove that I was eligible for Class 2 NI.
 
ohrose said:
I just had to list all of my previous employers , dates etc. No P60s were required. They subsequently asked me for a copy of my PRSI statement of contributions to prove that I was eligible for Class 2 NI.
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Thats great, thanks very much.
 
Protocol said:
Yes.

Given those possible numbers, has anybody started a business offering to advise people how to do it?
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I believe there are some people charging to do so.

So long as people are aware they can do it easily themselves, and are choosing to pay for the service, I'm inclined to leave them at it.

I willingly pay to get the grass cut; could do it myself, but its a bore.
 
Folks, I'm just reviewing my CF83; I submitted it via post in July 2023 before there was an online submission option. I'm worried I may not have selected the correct options on my original form. I was born in the 80's in the UK (Northern Ireland) where I lived and worked right up until moving to the Republic in late 2020. So I was only looking to pay voluntary contributions from 2021 onwards. I selected 'Class 2' contributions, and for the 'How long do you intend to stay abroad?' question, I answered with 'Indefinitely' since I have no immediate plans to return to the UK, yet at the same time, could not conclusively rule out that possibility in the future. I answered 'Yes' to the question about being 'ordinarily resident in the UK' because at that time I hadn't lived in Ireland long enough to be deemed ordinarily resident here. I included the dates and addresses for all my employment in Ireland, but I wasn't aware that any supporting evidence (such as payslips, PRSI records, etc) was required. I simply sent a CF83 with a cover letter explaining my circumstances in great detail. I'm concerned that I may not have followed the process correctly, but perhaps I'll have to wait for HMRC to respond.
 
Hi - huge thanks to DannyBoyD and others for this. Just applied now - did it online.

This could be life changing in retirement. DannyBoyD thank you so much you are a wonderful person.
 
DannyBoyD said:
In general it isn't; if they come back with Class 3, you can appeal and send supporting docs.
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When I initially called them in early 2023, they told me that it sounded like I needed to indicate 'Class 2' when completing my CF83. So I'm hopeful things will work out. I'm just concerned about my answers to some of the questions in hindsight, particularly around how long I intend to remain away from the UK and I answered ordinarily resident in the UK at that time, but that is now no longer true since I have lived here in Ireland for 3 full tax years at this stage.
 
So, I received my confirmation today that I can make 17 years of back payments at the Class 2 rate to supplement the 8 years I already have for working in UK between 2001 and 2005. Delighted!

Oddly when I log into the HMRC site it still says that my form is in progress and I can expect a reply in early May. I submitted my form in middle of May 2023.

Thanks to everyone on this site, @DannyBoyD in particular, for the guidance. What a huge difference this will (hopefully) make to my retirement years (which won't kick in for another 20+ years!).
 
DannyBoyD said:
I believe there are some people charging to do so.

So long as people are aware they can do it easily themselves, and are choosing to pay for the service, I'm inclined to leave them at it.

I willingly pay to get the grass cut; could do it myself, but its a bore.
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Hi I worked in the uk from 1989to 1995 I am now 58 years old , am i entitled to make additional contributions to qualify and if so how do i go about it
 
So like Peckham above I received my notification from HM Revenue today by post (a week ahead of schedule - Online was projecting 7th March having put in my CF83 form plus supplementary letter in late March of last year). Despite my worries, just like those expressed by many others on this thread, I am delighted to be be informed I can make 17 years of back payments at Class 2 to supplement my 11 already credited. I was a bit concerned because I'd worked in USA for a while straight after leaving UK and then had been unemployed for 4 months after my return to Ireland. I'd laid all that out in my accompanying letter and gave details of my employment in Ireland since (and included my Irish PPS number also).

So sincere thanks and plaudits, above all to DannyBoyD, as well all the other contributors to this thread that have offered brilliant and useful information. Danny I think a fair few of us owe you a virtual or real pint or two when we begin to collect the Kings shilling, in my case as my handle implies hopefully in 2036. I'll have 7 more years of contributions to make to be entitled to a full UK state pension aged 67 which is currently £203.85.

Thanks all and if there's any questions any of ye think I can answer from my experience (even though I reckon most of them have already been answered) do by all means fire them up here.
 
Interesting that both Mayo1969 and me received our replies on the same day despite almost 2 month difference in when we submitted. I submitted mine in mid-May last year, whereas Mayo1969 submitted theirs in March.

Suggests they're not dealing with applications sequentially. Mine was a straightforward one as I've been in continuous employment with same employer since leaving UK in 2005.

Wonder are they clearing out all the easier ones to get the backlog down?
 
Bot my wife and I sent ours end of April 23 (Separately) my wife got her letter before Christmas informing her she could buy back at class 2. I have been checking progress of mine online regularly and yesterday it's moved from in progress to completed, so hopefully get my letter soon.
Only difference between my wife and I is that she worked PAYE in the UK while I was self employed
 
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