Paying voluntary National Insurance contributions - ridiculous processing time

[Foxx]

There's a deadline for paying additional NI contributions going back more than 6 years of 5 April 2025.  I started the application process online today thinking there'd be plenty of time.

 

I was therefore surprised to learn there is currently a 15 week backlog.   Assuming the backlog doesn't get longer (which it probably will), I can expect them to post out a reply on 24 January.  Add a couple of weeks for post from UK to Thailand, and then I'm getting very close to the deadline.

 

If anyone else is thinking of making such contributions, I suggest you do it a.s.a.p., and do it online.

[RayC]

Not sure if this helps?

 

If you have made voluntary contributions in the past, then you should be able to by-pass the initial phrase by making a payment(s) using the same reference as before. Your 'new' contributions will then be credited to your account a couple of months later.

 

I've made 3 sets of payments like this over the past 5 or so years.

[topt]

On 10/9/2024 at 3:45 PM, Foxx said:

I was therefore surprised to learn there is currently a 15 week backlog. 

 

On 10/9/2024 at 8:51 PM, RayC said:

Not sure if this helps?

 

If you have made voluntary contributions in the past, then you should be able to by-pass the initial phrase by making a payment(s) using the same reference as before. Your 'new' contributions will then be credited to your account a couple of months later.

 

I've made 3 sets of payments like this over the past 5 or so years.

yes well I have made payments for more than the last 5 years and my payment made (and confirmed verbally as received) in May still hasn't been credited. Even though it was transferred to a case worker the latest estimate I got was that it could be February before it showed up online.......

That would only be more than 9 months..........

 

Seems to all be due to the relatively recent more public announcements of an extended period to be able to pay missing years which is a positive for many people.

 

Having been chasing consistently I have now just resigned myself to waiting.  

[RayC]

2 hours ago, topt said:

 

yes well I have made payments for more than the last 5 years and my payment made (and confirmed verbally as received) in May still hasn't been credited. Even though it was transferred to a case worker the latest estimate I got was that it could be February before it showed up online.......

That would only be more than 9 months..........

 

Seems to all be due to the relatively recent more public announcements of an extended period to be able to pay missing years which is a positive for many people.

 

Having been chasing consistently I have now just resigned myself to waiting.  

 

Seems to be hit and miss with DWP. Some people - like me - have no problems whatsoever; others - like you - experience problems and delays. Luck of the draw, I guess🤷

[topt]

8 hours ago, RayC said:

 

Seems to be hit and miss with DWP. Some people - like me - have no problems whatsoever; others - like you - experience problems and delays. Luck of the draw, I guess🤷

Nothing to do with DWP - I did try and check with Future Pensions Centre as well. The payments and online portal all handled by HMRC.

 

Previous years took up to (once) 16 weeks but that was during Covid.............

[NotEinstein]

In August, when I made the payment, I was told it should be processed by Christmas. I sent a registered letter detailing my payment and which years I wished it to be allocated to.

[BritManToo]

Did 4 years by phone (3 calls) at the end of 2021, paid by bank transfer.

DWP said phone us up again in 2 weeks and we'll manually update your payments info.

So less than 3 weeks from start to finish.

[Foxx]

On 10/9/2024 at 3:45 PM, Foxx said:

there is currently a 15 week backlog

 

It now occurs to me just how ridiculous this backlog is.  The processing is simply looking at gaps, identifying the cost of filling each gap and working out the pension uplift from filling the gap.  This is the sort of thing that a computer could do in fractions of a second.  It could even be put online.  The Luddites at HMRC just don't care.

(It rather reminds me of how, when HMRC computerised tax returns, they didn't bother to include the pages for non-UK residents.  20 or so years later, those pages have still not been put online, despite how that would be most beneficial to expats, leading to a much slower, manual processing.)

[topt]

10 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Did 4 years by phone (3 calls) at the end of 2021, paid by bank transfer.

DWP said phone us up again in 2 weeks and we'll manually update your payments info.

So less than 3 weeks from start to finish.

Unless I am reading that wrong that was 3 years ago........so not really relevant to timescales happening (or not happening..) now.

[OnTheLash]

On 10/9/2024 at 11:45 AM, Foxx said:

There's a deadline for paying additional NI contributions going back more than 6 years of 5 April 2025.  I started the application process online today thinking there'd be plenty of time.

 

I was therefore surprised to learn there is currently a 15 week backlog.   Assuming the backlog doesn't get longer (which it probably will), I can expect them to post out a reply on 24 January.  Add a couple of weeks for post from UK to Thailand, and then I'm getting very close to the deadline.

 

If anyone else is thinking of making such contributions, I suggest you do it a.s.a.p., and do it online.

 

I filled out the form and sent an accompanying letter a month ago. I rang them up a few days ago and I was told it was lucky I called, because my form and letter were in the wrong queue. BTW its my 3rd letter...long story!!

I believe I am eligible for class 2 contributions. I owe 15 years. I was told on the phone that there is a 32 week wait. I said to her do you means 32 days?... she said no 32 weeks. Massive backlog now.

Its not a problem as long as the application is in before 5th April 2025.

Call at 08h00 UK time, it normally takes 15 to 20 minutes for them to answer. I have called approximately 8 times in total.

Hopefully I will get there in the end, I have time on my side.

[GanDoonToonPet]

3 hours ago, OnTheLash said:

I believe I am eligible for class 2 contributions. I owe 15 years

 

Do you mean you're eligible for class 2 for past gaps or for future contributions as well. The Gov recently abolished class 2 so must pay class 3 now...currently about 900 GBP per year. 🤔

[OnTheLash]

7 hours ago, GanDoonToonPet said:

 

Do you mean you're eligible for class 2 for past gaps or for future contributions as well. The Gov recently abolished class 2 so must pay class 3 now...currently about 900 GBP per year. 🤔

Only for past gaps. If I pay the 15 years now I will be paid up. I will have paid a total of 40 years. In my case it was 41 years but I got a free year when I was 16 at college.  There is a big difference between class 2 and class 3 as I am sure you know. I left the UK in 1998. I made a payment 15 years ago and in hindsight probably overpaid. Every case is different, it is not as straight forward as some people will tell you.