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

Wanted to see if anybody got something similar from HRMC. Filled in the form and sent it off months ago and just got back a letter denying me Class 2 NI contributions saying that I wasn't employed abroad. I am not sure how they knew that but it isn't true so I tried to call them. Very very hard to get through and then got told that 'you cannot speak to the international team so you need to write to them'. I sent them a letter from my employer with proof of employment. Is the HRMC just assuming that you are not employed on leaving the UK or was it just me that got that letter?

3CC said:

Thanks ohrose. Yes I have seen that thread and in fact that's where I learned that you could retire early and that PRSI paid on income from an ARF would count towards the contributory state pension here in Ireland.

My question is really whether the UK authorities would accept ARF income as a basis for paying voluntary NI contributions at class 2 rather than class 3?

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This is from HMRC on their community forum and it would tend to suggest that you need to be in some form of employment ? Is an ARF income considered as employment under this definition?

"You may continue to pay voluntary class 2 National Insurance overseas until the date that you end employment/self-employment.
After your overseas employment/self-employment end, you may continue to pay voluntary class 3 contributions.
You should let us know when your overseas employment/self-employment ends."

I was born in the UK and lived there until I was 16 & worked a Saturday job for 1 1/2 years & then moved to Ireland. I went back to the UK when I was 20 in 1976 and worked there for 1 1/2 years then returned to Ireland again. Would this apply to me?

Whisper said:

Hi all, just popped on here to give my thanks to DannyBoyD and all the other contributors. My situation is this: I helped two work colleagues to apply for this back in March 2023, and due to a lot of prevaricating I didn't apply myself until January this year. I could see on the GOV.UK site that they received my application in January,and it was due to be processed early in 2025 but I knew that could change.

Last week out of the blue I received two letters from HMRC. One acknowledging my application to pay Class 2 contributions and details of the payment I needed to make for the tax year 2023/24. The other letter was to tell me I could go back and pay 17 years to make up the shortfall (I have 13 qualifying years). On the letter for paying the shortfall there is a line "Due to changes in the law, you need the pension service to confirm whether your state pension will increase if you pay any shortfall". I am assuming it will based on the updates in the main post on this?

Besides that I am just surprised that my application was processed so quickly. My colleagues are being chased for details of their employment since they returned to Ireland, but mine was straightforward in that I have continual service (through various TUPE's) since I took up employment back in Ireland, so I don't know if that made any difference.

Thanks again.

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Hi Whisper. Thanks for the update. That sounds really quick. Can I ask if you applied online or via post?

Kev1964 said:

Snap - My letter dated 6th April.

It looks like it's a simple and reliable system once you are set up. I've made my payment now in stg and will check my online DWP pension forecast in a month or so and hope to see an enhanced amount. After that, three more years to go.

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Out of interest when did you apply? Thanks

Angelab said:

I was born in the UK and lived there until I was 16 & worked a Saturday job for 1 1/2 years & then moved to Ireland. I went back to the UK when I was 20 in 1976 and worked there for 1 1/2 years then returned to Ireland again. Would this apply to me?

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See key post.

Bagman said:

Out of interest when did you apply? Thanks

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Hi Bagman. This letter is the recurring annual (second time I’ve received this) demand for my NIC so that I continue building my pension entitlement. My application to pay back payments was submitted in 2022 and I think …..before the big build-up that seems to be producing the current delays.

Kev1964 said:

Hi Bagman. This letter is the recurring annual (second time I’ve received this) demand for my NIC so that I continue building my pension entitlement. My application to pay back payments was submitted in 2022 and I think …..before the big build-up that seems to be producing the current delays.

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Ah that makes sense. Thanks for clarifying and well done on getting in early!

Hi folks, would love a steer.

I’m 43 and from Ireland. I lived in the UK for about 2.5 years from Nov 2010 - May 2013.

I moved back to Ireland in Jun 2013.

Then moved to the UK again in Nov 2021 and have been here for about 2.5 years again.

Have I any option I need to act on now to ensure I don’t miss out?

See key post - check your NICs

DannyBoyD said:

it's all a bit knarly due to the changes that were made in the UK in 2016 with regards to pensions - if you really want to read up the detail, there's a link somewhere in these 24 pages.

so the line they include is their 'get of jail free' card to cover themselves.

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Thanks DannyBoyD - I will have a look for it.

Bagman said:

Hi Whisper. Thanks for the update. That sounds really quick. Can I ask if you applied online or via post?

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Hi Bagman. I applied via post, and I think I just sent it via regular post but can't quite remember (I was very sick not long afterwards so all a blur). When I checked the site sometime in February I could see the receipted date was 24/1/2024, which was within a week of me sending the form in.

A few weeks ago I paid back 17 years of NIC payments. On Friday I got a letter in the post about the 2023/2024 payment of 179.4. Just wondering if they are connected? Is that an indirect way of indicating that HMRC has received my payment a few weeks ago. I checked my statement online but it hasn't been updated yet.

Not sure I understand the question?

You need to make payments every year.

TrishC said:

Has anyone tried paying via Revolut? I cannot get any bank to issue a sterling cheque/draft. I also don’t have have a bank account (and no, my name is not Bertie), which complicates matters

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I just got my letter today and I tried to make a payment via Revolut. The process seems to be as follows:

1. Click 'Payments' at the bottom of the screen
2. Click '+' at the top right to add a payment
3. Click 'Send International'
4. Select United Kingdom
5. Enter the amount you wish to pay in sterling
6. Select 'Bank Account' as the transfer method
7. Enter your reference which is you NI Number + 'IC' + you surname and your first name initial
8. Click Send
9. Click 'Business' as the account type
10. Enter the sort code and account number and account name as listed on the letter from HMRC.
11. I left the email blank
12. Click Add recipient

This is where I ran into a glitch. Revolut gave me a warning that that account name was not correct. The account name I got on the letter was 'GBS Re NICO Receipts HMRC'.

I was bit cautious about sending this to the wrong account so I just tried changing the account name to HMRC. Revolut then said the account name was close and asked did I mean 'HMRC Nic Receipts'. So I said yes.

I am ready to send off the money now. Hopefully this is of help to anyone who has not done this before. Or if you have paid your NIC contributions before with Revolut and you have any comments, that would be great.

DannyBoyD said:

Not sure I understand the question?

You need to make payments every year.

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Thanks for the reply.
Sorry about the misunderstanding.

I was trying to figure out if the recent request for the 2023/2024 payment from HMRC was triggered by the fact that I had just paid back 17 years of NIC contributions. ( I understand that I will need to make payments every year)

It was triggered because you applied to pay voluntary NICs.

A friend of mine has had this knockback from HMRC - I wonder has anyone had similar or can provide any advice on how to approach this.

They seem to be focussing on being 'ordinarily' employed before leaving the UK, which seems odd to me since he was employed by a large NHS hospital before leaving the UK.

My inclination is to write back to them dealing with that specific point, with details of his employment before leaving and date of leaving, backed up by his NI record.

Appeal. Include any documentary evidence you have that establishes you were employed / paying tax etc., before leaving the UK.

Can someone who is 69 apply for this. It looks if I'm reading it right that they can and they pay at the higher rate(class 3). The person in question has 3 years of contributions from the 80s or is it too late now that they are past retirement age. Also would this be back dated if they do qualify. Thanks in advance