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

aamstudent said:
Hi,
I got a letter from HMRC (PT Operations North East England) telling me that I have been approved to make voluntary NICs.
The letter also stated "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 contacted the number and the response was that they will send me out a pension forecast.
I can already get a pension forecast on line so I am not sure what that will do for me.
Did anyone else ring them and if so, what sort of response did you get?
Maybe the guy who answered was not up to speed on these new requirements.

I am also wondering if I shouldn't just pay a few years contributions now to "test the waters".
Has anyone got any thoughts on that.
TIA
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Did HMRC give you a list of years to pay and how much and which class ? They did for me - anyway I think if you ring DWP they will tell you how many of those years ( before 2016 and after 2016 ) you can buy to qualify for full pension - no point buying more than you need - 17 years from 2006 is what you can buy. Or you may not need to buy any - that’s how I understand it. Tell DWP you have a pension forecast (I’m sure you have) and that you have the HMRC letter. If you buy too many years or the wrong years you won’t get a refund. And I sent my £ via cheque to HMRC and covering letter detailing which years I’d opted to buy. Dont test the waters. You might get burned
 
Just got a letter through the post with good news my application was successful and I'm class 2.

Interestingly I only submitted on the 24th Feb 2024. I applied online my application was based on me leaving the UK about 10 years ago and my circumstances were pretty straight forward. I didn't supply cv or additional information but I was always PAYE in both countries and the employer details were easy to get addresses etc

Huge thanks again to @DannyBoyD and all those on here. Great community and helpful.
 
Barney123 said:
Did HMRC give you a list of years to pay and how much and which class ? They did for me - anyway I think if you ring DWP they will tell you how many of those years ( before 2016 and after 2016 ) you can buy to qualify for full pension - no point buying more than you need - 17 years from 2006 is what you can buy. Or you may not need to buy any - that’s how I understand it. Tell DWP you have a pension forecast (I’m sure you have) and that you have the HMRC letter. If you buy too many years or the wrong years you won’t get a refund. And I sent my £ via cheque to HMRC and covering letter detailing which years I’d opted to buy. Dont test the waters. You might get burned
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I rang the number as advised in the letter. I rang reasonably early , just after nine, and got through in about 20 minutes.
I told the person who answered that I had been approved to make voluntary NI contributions but had been advised to check that payment would increase my pension entitlement.
He asked a number of security questions before doing anything but once they were ok it was fine.
He then took my NI number, looked it on the system and confirmed that making the payment would increase the pension.

The letter that I had received was the usual letter accepting my application to pay voluntary contributions by annual payment.
It was clear on what years I could buy and how much they would cost.
The thing that worried me was the sentence "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 was worried that they had added other checks that had to be met.
 
Got my letter today saying I have been accepted to pay class 2 and that I have 4 years contribution. I applied 1 year ago.

Just for some information I worked in London for 4 years and moved to Australia for 1 year before returning to Ireland. I worked up until I left the UK, but travelled in Australia for 2 months before working again. I informed them of this and enclosed my Australian social security number and 1st pay slip. I answered NO to ordinarily resident in the UK, and I supplied no documentation from working in Ireland.

Thanks everyone especially @DannyBoyD for all the useful information.
 
Did anyone receive a confirmation letter that they can pay Class 2 - yet their online record still reflects Class 3? I would like these to match before I make any payment to HMRC, and wondering if anyone else managed to resolve it.
 
ailbhed said:
Did anyone receive a confirmation letter that they can pay Class 2 - yet their online record still reflects Class 3? I would like these to match before I make any payment to HMRC, and wondering if anyone else managed to resolve it.
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The default is class 3 and it does not change. Once you pay it will change to full year though takes a few weeks.
 
I paid about a month ago and am still waiting to see my record updated. Although online it says Class 3 still, I was approved for Class 2 and that's what I paid, as per my letter.
 
Stitcher said:
I paid about a month ago and am still waiting to see my record updated. Although online it says Class 3 still, I was approved for Class 2 and that's what I paid, as per my letter.
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I paid the 17 Years on the 6 of February 2024 and my forecast was only updated today 29 May 2024 so it will be at least 4 Months before it is updated, I did not get a notice by post or email (Yet) I just checked it online. So patience
 
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I worked in the UK on and off totalling about 3 years. My tax code for one job was NT (no tax deducted). This code relates to say musicians etc. But I do have an employee number. I presume that this (period of NT) does not count?
 
Coffeeortea said:
Interesting contribution by Eoin McGee today on Claire Byrne and he said you had to have paid for the buy back by April 2025 rather than having made the application and pending a reply. If true with the delays we are approaching the cut off point here
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Is this true?

From a good administration perspective as well I can't see HMRC rejecting applications which arrived before the July 2025 deadline but couldn't be processed because of their own resourcing issues.

I'd advise anyone to get an application in yesterday but I wasn't convinced that the ten-month delay in processing was relevant.
 
My letter received this week states I need to pay my back dated years by 5 April 2025. This is title payment date without penalty on the table.

Don't know if this is applicable to others
 
Last time:

If you have received your acceptance & payment letter, pay attention to the dates listed there & keep them.

If your application is in & being processed, it will be honoured.

But you still need to pay attention to the payment dates when your letter arrives.

If you get your acceptance / payment letter on 21st April 2025, you likely will have 9 days to pay. So start saving now.

If you apply on 1st May 2025, you can still be accepted for voluntary NICs, but the max backdating allowed will be 6 years.
 
Finance said:
I worked in the UK on and off totalling about 3 years. My tax code for one job was NT (no tax deducted). This code relates to say musicians etc. But I do have an employee number. I presume that this (period of NT) does not count?
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See FAQs - 2nd post after Key Post.
 
sorry for the time wasting if this has been answered

I am new to Revolut and just signed up for it in order to pay these contributions

can you make the transfer with just the very basic Euro Revolut account or do you need to "add a new" account ie a currency account (British Pound)..?

thanks a million
 
ergo24 said:
sorry for the time wasting if this has been answered

I am new to Revolut and just signed up for it in order to pay these contributions

can you make the transfer with just the very basic Euro Revolut account or do you need to "add a new" account ie a currency account (British Pound)..?

thanks a million
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See post #495 in this thread...
 
sobobrif said:
I paid the 17 Years on the 6 of February 2024 and my forecast was only updated today 29 May 2024 so it will be at least 4 Months before it is updated, I did not get a notice by post or email (Yet) I just checked it online. So patience
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My concern is that my UK pension should start this August, 2.5 months away. I am hoping my payment made last month will have been processed and updated by then and a new pension forecast sum determined. It might just about update by then, fingers crossed
 
Stitcher said:
My concern is that my UK pension should start this August, 2.5 months away. I am hoping my payment made last month will have been processed and updated by then and a new pension forecast sum determined. It might just about update by then, fingers crossed
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Have you already received your letter inviting you to claim it?
 
No. I plan on calling soon to see when I might expect that letter. How soon before pension age does it arrive? I have 2.5 months to go.
 
Stitcher said:
No. I plan on calling soon to see when I might expect that letter. How soon before pension age does it arrive? I have 2.5 months to go.
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Please post back on here how it ultimately goes for you.

Many readers are likely to be interested in how it works out. Good luck.
 
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