Voluntary National Insurance contributions - what should happen?

[stubuzz]

On 4/21/2025 at 6:31 AM, stubuzz said:

In the HMRC account where you check your NI contributions?

https://www.gov.uk/log-in-register-hmrc-online-services

The online chat will not give a live agent.

Calling is a joke. I went throught the security questions and waited for about 10 minutes before being told that they are too busy right now, goodbye!

[GanDoonToonPet]

6 hours ago, Bredbury Blue said:

 

Interesting development.

Until recently my NIC page on the HRMC website, showed (i) i had 16 years of gaps, showed (ii) my "Current estimate based on NI record up to 5 April 2024" and (ii) "Forecast if your contribute NI until 5 April 2025" pension amounts i would receive were £30.10 and £23.87 respectively less than the the full new State Pension amount for 2024.

The backdated payment for those 16 years of gaps i made in January 2025 (for the cheaper Class 2 contributions) still hasn't been credited to my account according to the website, but, the website today now shows: 
(i) that 4 of those 16 years that were gaps are now full years, 
(ii) my "Current estimate based on NI record up to 5 April 2024" is now only £5.11 less than the the full new State Pension amount, and, 
(iii) my "Forecast if your contribute another year before 5 April 2025" is now showing the full new State Pension amount - very confusing!
It could be that the payment i made for 16 years Class 2 has been credited to the 4 years at Class 3, but that does work as the amount i paid would be insufficient to pay 4 years at Class 3.

 

Looks like i'll have to do another call to Future Pension Centre (+44 191 218 3600). 

 

Yes that's a very small increase for 16 years of contributions. It could be that some of those years don't actually increase your pension. Did you call FP to check before paying?

 

Good news is you paid the cheaper class 2, so didn't waste much, and you're on course for the full pension. 😊 

[BritManToo]

On 4/20/2025 at 11:27 AM, Bredbury Blue said:

I'm in a similar situation the OP.

 

I've lived overseas for some time and paid annual voluntary contributions, and I received a letter saying I'd paid enough to receive full pension, so i stopped paying NIC annually.

 

Then unknown to me they brought in the new state pension, and a year ago a friend tipped me off about the deadline for paying backdated NIC by 05 April 2025.

 

I got myself a HRMC website account which showed under the new pension system I would fall short of full pension but could pay a lot of money to backpay the more expensive (class 2?) NICs to catchup to get full pension.

 

I commenced writing to the Pensions dept in June 2024 and sent the necessary form to enquire how much to pay (as i wasn't convinced by the amounts the website said i had to pay, seemed too much) and after sending 3 letters (twice I sent the form)  I finally received a letter late 2024 informing how much to pay for each year for the cheaper NICs (class 3?) as backdated payment to receive full pension. So I was right, the website says I have to pay the expensive class 2 but on checking was told I could pay the cheaper class 3.

 

In January 2025 I made a payment for the cheaper class 3  amount ( from mu Uk bank account to their bank account) for the outstanding years between 2006 and April 2025. There is an explanation online of the banking reference you have to create when making the payment so they know it's from you.

 

February 2025 having heard nothing I called. 30 minutes wait, put through to a lady in Glasgow. She confirmed she could see the amount I paid and the relevant people would be in touch soon.

 

Having heard nothing I filled a form in online in March 2025. Form says 10 days for reply. No reply.

 

End of March did the 'call back form' before 05 April deadline date, required to ensure catch-up payments before 2019 can be paid. No reply yet.

 

My HRMC online account for NIC shows the same as it has for the past year (that I have alot of unpaid years at the expensive class 2), but my Pension page online since 05 April now shows my estimate and forecast pension have increased alot compared to the amount before 05 April, so I'm hopeful I've almost sorted out my pension problem, but i can't be sure. 

 

I will probably call them again in a week or 2 to check out the true situation with my NIC, my payment and my pension amount.

 

It's not easy is it!

It's very easy,

Voluntary contributions made to years before 2016 (new pension start) rarely make much difference to your pension expectations. Its years after 2016 that make the difference.

If you had asked the Future Pensions "what years should I buy to increase my pension?"

They would have told you.

[beautifulthailand99]

On 4/19/2025 at 7:41 AM, Brick Top said:

It took me 3 years to sort mine out , In the end I paid 17 years back at a cost of over £13,500 .

I started phoning them up in 2021 , but it would take over 40 mins for them to answer the phone only to tell me to phone a different number. 

Eventually they told me to write in , it would take them between 4 and 6 months to reply to my 3 letters. They could never explain why the online system showed i had 15 years of full national insurance contributions and 6 further years were in being looked into which would have given me 19 years. After buggering me around for 3 years in numerous letters and phone calls and 2 complaints I had lodged that never got dealt with. I eventually paid myself right back to 2006 which was 18 years that cost me £13,642 .

Then , they informed me that I still only had 32 full years and therefore would never get the full pension as you needed 35 for that.

I strated collecting my pension in March 2024 at the rate of £202  a week.

Makes me mad as if you spent your life on benefits like most in the UK , you would be entitled to the full pension. 

I know personally numerous Thai people in the UK who worked cash in hand - sent money back to Thailand via the underground banking system so have houses , condos , land and savings and are on pension credit with housing benefit paid in council flats -the UK is jai dee mahk mahk. In Thailand they would have got 600 baht per month (which they still get even when they are out of the country).

[Bredbury Blue]

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

It's very easy,

Voluntary contributions made to years before 2016 (new pension start) rarely make much difference to your pension expectations. Its years after 2016 that make the difference.

If you had asked the Future Pensions "what years should I buy to increase my pension?"

They would have told you.

I received a letter from the pensions lot telling me exactly how much to pay for each year with a gap. The years were from 2008 to 2023. Each year paid counts as one of your 35 years. It wasn't alot to pay so I paid it. It was very easy, the only problem is, with the 05 April 2025 deadline, the NIC/Pensions offices are swamped and can't cope.

[Bredbury Blue]

2 hours ago, GanDoonToonPet said:

 

Yes that's a very small increase for 16 years of contributions. It could be that some of those years don't actually increase your pension. Did you call FP to check before paying?

 

Good news is you paid the cheaper class 2, so didn't waste much, and you're on course for the full pension. 😊 

See my response to Britmantoo.