Deadline to top up UK National Insurance Contribs 2006-2017 - Extended to April 2025

[aw451]

Just happened to be browsing the UK pension website and saw this notice. I have a massive gap in my record which will cost over £800/year to fill in order to remain eligible for the ~200/week pension. Is anyone topping up or are we betting on the UK further increasing the retirement age and/or excluding expats from the state pension?

[Peaky]

I'm presuming the state pension age will be somewhere between 70 and 72 before I'm eligible, but that the absolute level of benefits will remain pretty generous relative to the min contribution and inflation linked. On that basis the 800/year is still likely to be one of the better returning investments in any overall pension/retirement portfolio. Excluding expats wouldn't save enough to make the furore worthwhile IMO. Post Brexit the size of the cohort abroad will be declining anyway.

[ByeByeEngland]

Are you sure about the 800 per year. I had an 11 year gap, applied for and had Class 2 accepted which worked out at 165 per year.

[aw451]

I think you are on to something. I think there may be an issue with my HMRC records as I should fall into this category:



Source: https://www.gov.uk/voluntary-nationa...-contributions

[Beanieskis]

Just happened to be browsing the UK pension website and saw this notice. I have a massive gap in my record which will cost over £800/year to fill in order to remain eligible for the ~200/week pension. Is anyone topping up or are we betting on the UK further increasing the retirement age and/or excluding expats from the state pension?

Your HMRC record will show the default of 800 per year. If you worked in the UK before emigrating and worked whilst overseas you should be eligible to pay class 2 which is currently about 180 per year. There’s some useful links on HMRC website that show you your current pension projection etc. They’re helpful when you call - they said to me to write an accompanying letter when I apply explaining my situation, as I was unemployed and job hunting immediately before leaving the UK (but they believe I should still be able to pay class 2).

The deadline was end of March by the way but got extended to end of June, so you’re lucky you spotted this :-)

I’m going to make as many back payments at the current class 2 rate as I can, just in case the payment amount jumps up significantly in future.

[ByeByeEngland]

Agreed they were exceptionally helpful over the phone. In essence if you get the relevant forms posted to them the trigger date is from the date they receive your mail, they will then process and send your assessment back with a statement. Off the top of my head the first 5 or 6 years had to be paid within a month if their letter so a Uk mailing address may help. The remaining outstanding were layered in terms of payment deadline but I paid mine up in full. They then automatically sent me an assessment for the next year becoming due.

[pin]

I was able to backpay class 2 all the way to 2006.

[Beanieskis]

Original Post Deleted

Agreed. I also think that pensions will become means tested and this is why I've not contributed until now (although I must admit I didn't know how cheap it was!). However, I do now hold the view that any shift to means testing will be phased in over a long time period and you'll know about it whilst still working and it will apply to future rather than past NI contributions. I can't see politicians taking the political fallout to do it any other way.

[Shiojiri Hiro]

Can you share which dept you contacted for this please? I sent a registered letter and CF83 form back in FEB but it doesnt look like it's been received or processed...I then sent an email via the HMRC platform that took 2 months for them to answer and who told me to contact someone else, and of course that has been a dead end...

Thanks...

[Beanieskis]

Can you share which dept you contacted for this please? I sent a registered letter and CF83 form back in FEB but it doesnt look like it's been received or processed...I then sent an email via the HMRC platform that took 2 months for them to answer and who told me to contact someone else, and of course that has been a dead end...

Thanks...

I believe they have a massive backlog. Do you have proof of delivery? That's how I will be sending mine - by courier if need be.