Just came across an interesting YouTube link, explaining coherently next months impending changes in the state pension top-up scheme for reclaimable years of missing pension years. Thought it might be helpful to anyone approaching retirement age in the next few years.STATE PENSION Changes - Act NOW! - YouTube
He explains well. Slight problem is that it is apparently near impossible to contact the overseas team right now to wort out a top up as they are inundated with people trying to beat the deadline. So for anyone interested in doing this start now!
Luckily I paid my last year in January - just in time to hit retirement age!
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I put in my request a month or six weeks ago. It’s easy to do online. Setting up an account is a technological doddle with your biometric passport and national insurance number. There’s a UK Government app you download to your phone, it reads the chip in your passport and then takes a photo/scan of your face and bingo. Very sophisticated tech.
Regarding the top up, the payback period is a extraordinarily good, especially if you are on the lower contribution rate. A matter of a couple of years.
And has it been acknowledged and processed yet? There are only 6 weeks to go before the deadline.
I applied last year sometime, and it took until January to get it all sorted.
I must check progress.
I set up my Government Gateway user ID on April 10th, so that’s the day I would have made my submission. Tomorrow I’ll log on and see if there’s any movement.
Yes, worth checking. Do you have the cost/year and the specific years and the reference number to pay yet?
If just for years after 2017, then the deadline will make no difference and you can still top up.
Will do Jane.
Tried to get onto Gateway without sucess many times but it is becoming an imperative as it seems it the only way I can fill out my Self Assessment Tax forms this year.(will have to renew UK passport)
I started topping up my pension during Covid times and have now just a shortfall of 3 years ( 34 years but the extra due to contracting out)
Wish I’d looked into this before as I was self employed in France until 2008 and could have topped up most of the extra contributions needed paying the cheaper class 2 during that time
In fact even though I’ve only a month or so to go before state pension age I am going to try on the advice of DWP (if I can find enough proof)to pay at least another year(2006/2008) changing to the lower class 2 rate;At this late stage they will let me scan documents directly to them.
Should have paid more attention(story of my life!)
We were still sent paper ones! Just download them and send them in?
I did it a couple of years ago, not knowing there would eventually be a deadline date. I was able to pay for 10 years worth of contributions which was very useful. The people on the phone were helpful and friendly, and it was very easy to set up.
If anyone is in the same boat, I certainly recommend acting as soon as possible. Surely if you put in your application now, they won’t prevent you from making a back payment due to delays at their end?
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Will download if as you say Jane they are still sending out paper ones they can’t object.
Hopefully any tax return is better than none?
The OH did exactly the same in 2020. Payed 4 years to make up to the full ammount. I’m already over the max, but contracted out from 1988. That means I’ll get a smaller state pension, but looking at what that gave me, it was definitely worth it.
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Deadline now extended to April 2025.
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Great news, heres the link confirming the extension for anyone it affects Deadline for voluntary National Insurance contributions extended to April 2025 - GOV.UK
HMRC would have absolutely no basis for rejecting a downloaded return, assuming it’s properly completed/signed etc, as opposed to using the paper one they send out. The latter isn’t necessarily configured to have the schedule(s) needed. The one they eventually sent me, (unasked) was quite unsuitable for my simple circumstances.
I was a bit irritated to find online that HMRC told me I had to ‘call’ them if non UK resident, to request a paper return. Unparliamentary thoughts went through my mind and I was determined to find a downloadable version on their site, which of course there is (albeit its location was not immediately obvious).
I still don’t know why HMRC won’t let non residents use self assessment online (without going to the expense of buying commercial software etc).
Ah, I see people have picked up on the extension - announced just before Martin Lewis went on the TV evidently. The MSE site has an excellent guide so I’ll post the link to the update.
I had the same answer from them when i tried to claim back the tax on my Army pension backpay. But the lady on the phone was extremly helpful and even sent me the link to download the forms. Cant argue at that service.