Have you topped up a UK pension to cover gaps?

[Rebus]

I gather that you might be able catch-up to have >10 NI years and still not be eligible for a uk pension when reaching 66+ if you don't meet other requirements, like I think there's minimum number of years having resided in uk?

In the recent UK budget it was announced that ex-pats would no longer be eligible to pay NI contributions at the cheaper Class 2 rates. Instead ex-pats will pay at Class 3 rates. Additionally, in order to qualify to pay Class 3 NI in the first place it will be necessary to have lived in the UK for 10 years.

 

[Brissy1]

In the recent UK budget it was announced that ex-pats would no longer be eligible to pay NI contributions at the cheaper Class 2 rates. Instead ex-pats will pay at Class 3 rates. Additionally, in order to qualify to pay Class 3 NI in the first place it will be necessary to have lived in the UK for 10 years.

"This change comes into effect on 6 April 2026" We've had the phone call and submitted the form, waiting for a reply as to what years, and class, we can top-up. Probably arrive 7 April.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

"This change comes into effect on 6 April 2026" We've had the phone call and submitted the form, waiting for a reply as to what years, and class, we can top-up. Probably arrive 7 April.

As long as you’ve taken action by the required date/before the new rules come into effect it won’t matter when they finally deal with your case.

 

[Brissy1]

Got letters today..."Thank you for applying to pay voluntary Class 3". Forgot to ask for Class 2 if eligible, but don't think we are anyway as 6 months break in leaving uk employment and commencing au employment.
Don't understand the figures, or payment. The 1st letter request £1648 for "arrears due prior to 5/10/25" with Barclays Bank deposit slip. And 2nd (dated next day) request about £15k catch-up 04/2006 to 04/2025 (which is correct based on the 22/23 NI class 3 rate) with tear off slip to attach a cheque!
So 1st letter I don't understand, £1648 arrears. For 6 months 04 to 10 2025? Or for a different period (partial years?) from last century? Anyone received something similar?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Got letters today..."Thank you for applying to pay voluntary Class 3". Forgot to ask for Class 2 if eligible, but don't think we are anyway as 6 months break in leaving uk employment and commencing au employment.
Don't understand the figures, or payment. The 1st letter request £1648 for "arrears due prior to 5/10/25" with Barclays Bank deposit slip. And 2nd (dated next day) request about £15k catch-up 04/2006 to 04/2025 (which is correct based on the 22/23 NI class 3 rate) with tear off slip to attach a cheque!
So 1st letter I don't understand, £1648 arrears. For 6 months 04 to 10 2025? Or for a different period (partial years?) from last century? Anyone received something similar?

No issue with a break after leaving the UK. The periods you work overseas are eligible for class 2, the others at regular rate.

I provided a full working history including all dates for employment and got back a mix of class 2 and regular.

Class 2s only cost me something silly like £170 a year or something. So 10 years was around £1700. Cf regular gap years that would have cost me over £9000 for the same period.

I only paid class 2 ones so will get somewhere over half the pension.

 

[Duffa]

In the recent UK budget it was announced that ex-pats would no longer be eligible to pay NI contributions at the cheaper Class 2 rates. Instead ex-pats will pay at Class 3 rates. Additionally, in order to qualify to pay Class 3 NI in the first place it will be necessary to have lived in the UK for 10 years.

I think the Chancellor has woken up to this golden goose. It must have been costing her squillions. I have paid for 19 years back dated and have two more to contribute - at £1800 (900 per year)
For a £13 a week boost, I think I might pass

 

[kelvedon]

Got letters today..."Thank you for applying to pay voluntary Class 3". Forgot to ask for Class 2 if eligible, but don't think we are anyway as 6 months break in leaving uk employment and commencing au employment.

My understanding is that the qualify for class 2 payments “you worked in the UK immediately before leaving”

Voluntary National Insurance

National Insurance contributions you can choose to pay when you have a gap in your National Insurance record.

www.gov.uk

 

[Brissy1]

No issue with a break after leaving the UK. The periods you work overseas are eligible for class 2, the others at regular rate.

I provided a full working history including all dates for employment and got back a mix of class 2 and regular.

Class 2s only cost me something silly like £170 a year or something. So 10 years was around £1700. Cf regular gap years that would have cost me over £9000 for the same period.

I only paid class 2 ones so will get somewhere over half the pension.

I see, and can only go back to 2006?. MrsB had stopped working by then (she married well I say)

 

[GiggsAbroad]

Got letters today..."Thank you for applying to pay voluntary Class 3". Forgot to ask for Class 2 if eligible, but don't think we are anyway as 6 months break in leaving uk employment and commencing au employment.
Don't understand the figures, or payment. The 1st letter request £1648 for "arrears due prior to 5/10/25" with Barclays Bank deposit slip. And 2nd (dated next day) request about £15k catch-up 04/2006 to 04/2025 (which is correct based on the 22/23 NI class 3 rate) with tear off slip to attach a cheque!
So 1st letter I don't understand, £1648 arrears. For 6 months 04 to 10 2025? Or for a different period (partial years?) from last century? Anyone received something similar?

Check the dates on the letter requesting the £1648 amount. It likely specifies that this is for the period 7/4/2019 to 5/4/2025. I had a similar experience with receiving 2 letters with the first one covering my entire back-pay period (2006-2025) but the second one only covering the most recent prior 6 years.

I recall someone earlier in this chat suggesting that its likely there are 2 separate HMRC departments - one looking after anyone eligible to back-pay the full 2006+ years, and another looking after the standard previous 6 years.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I see, and can only go back to 2006?. MrsB had stopped working by then (she married well I say)

Now you can only go back 6 years.

If you applied before April 2025 you could go back 20 years or something. There was an error in the advice they gave so they had to open it up.

 

[SydneySwan]

PSA. For those who are offered a mixture of class 2 and class 3 payments, remember that only whole years of contributions count. So if you just pay the class 2 bit of a year and pass on the class 3 bit of a year then that year will not count.

 

[Brissy1]

Check the dates on the letter requesting the £1648 amount. It likely specifies that this is for the period 7/4/2019 to 5/4/2025. I had a similar experience with receiving 2 letters with the first one covering my entire back-pay period (2006-2025) but the second one only covering the most recent prior 6 years.

I recall someone earlier in this chat suggesting that its likely there are 2 separate HMRC departments - one looking after anyone eligible to back-pay the full 2006+ years, and another looking after the standard previous 6 years.

Seperate department makes sense; unfortunately the confusing letter advising "Voluntary Class 3 National Insurance contributions due " and requesting £1648.40 simply states "Arrears due prior to 5/10/25”.

Edit: looking for whole numbers, I find £1648.4 ÷ £15.85 (class 3 weekly rate in 22/23) = exactly 104, so 2 years. So it seems that it is as you thought (but for the previous 2 not 6 years) for the "Arrears due prior to 5/10/25” department, and at the 22/23 rate. And the other letter/department has clear dates, 19 years 9/4/06 to 5/4/25 £15774.20 (although can't find any whole numbers to get that). So I'd be doubling up 1½years. So, if you get 2 letters, they may be partially asking for same catch-up period. Sorry if I'm repeating someone.

 

[Brissy1]

Has anyone used Wise to make NI payments to HM Revenue? Any issues?

 

[QF029]

Has anyone used Wise to make NI payments to HM Revenue? Any issues?

I did with no problems.

 

[Brissy1]

I did with no problems.

Thanks.
Haven't done it yet, Wise generated a scam alert, I'll just ponder that for a bit

 

[GiggsAbroad]

In the recent UK budget it was announced that ex-pats would no longer be eligible to pay NI contributions at the cheaper Class 2 rates. Instead ex-pats will pay at Class 3 rates. Additionally, in order to qualify to pay Class 3 NI in the first place it will be necessary to have lived in the UK for 10 years.

I was re-reading the HMRC 26th Nov update on this from last year - i.e.

Voluntary National Insurance contributions for periods abroad from April 2026

www.gov.uk

and specifically this section/wording:

Eligibility from April 2026​

New applications to pay voluntary Class 3 National Insurance contributions will need applicants to have either:

• lived in the UK for 10 years in a row
• paid at least 10 years of National Insurance contributions while in the UK

You can continue to apply to pay voluntary National Insurance contributions when abroad (form CF83).

And I was wondering if this actually implies that if you apply now - i.e. before 5th April 2026 - that you would have your application reviewed under the previous criteria for eligibility to pay voluntary Class 3 contributions. That is, if you previously lived in the UK for 3 years in a row or paid at least 3 years of National Insurance contributions. I'm referring to the wording "new applications" in the above eligibility statement, so new applications from April 2026, versus applications prior to April 2026 - do they get assessed under the old criteria. Does anyone know or have received advice on this?

 

[SydneySwan]

I was re-reading the HMRC 26th Nov update on this from last year - i.e.

Voluntary National Insurance contributions for periods abroad from April 2026

www.gov.uk

and specifically this section/wording:

Eligibility from April 2026​

New applications to pay voluntary Class 3 National Insurance contributions will need applicants to have either:

• lived in the UK for 10 years in a row
• paid at least 10 years of National Insurance contributions while in the UK

You can continue to apply to pay voluntary National Insurance contributions when abroad (form CF83).

And I was wondering if this actually implies that if you apply now - i.e. before 5th April 2026 - that you would have your application reviewed under the previous criteria for eligibility to pay voluntary Class 3 contributions. That is, if you previously lived in the UK for 3 years in a row or paid at least 3 years of National Insurance contributions. I'm referring to the wording "new applications" in the above eligibility statement, so new applications from April 2026, versus applications prior to April 2026 - do they get assessed under the old criteria. Does anyone know or have received advice on this?

See this response to a question in Parliament.

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2026-02-27/116651?utm_source=chatgpt.com#

 

[MattA]

And I was wondering if this actually implies that if you apply now - i.e. before 5th April 2026 - that you would have your application reviewed under the previous criteria for eligibility to pay voluntary Class 3 contributions. That is, if you previously lived in the UK for 3 years in a row or paid at least 3 years of National Insurance contributions. I'm referring to the wording "new applications" in the above eligibility statement, so new applications from April 2026, versus applications prior to April 2026 - do they get assessed under the old criteria. Does anyone know or have received advice on this?

My understanding is that if you complete form CF83 prior to 5th April and are approved, you will be able to pay class 2s back to the 2019 tax year (the usual 6 years back) as the new rules only affect future tax years. So if you currently have at least 4 years, then you could get to the minimum 10 to get at least a part pension that way.

We're in the process of going through this with Mrs MattA at the moment -- with the added challenge of a name change along the way. We got married a decade and a bit ago, long after we'd left the UK, and letting HMRC know about it was not top of mind. I thought it was going to be a right faff getting that updated and proving it, but we phoned up the other day, got straight through to a very friendly chap who took some details and just updated it on the system for us on the spot (it did involve us trying to guess which of about 5 different London addresses from 20 years ago was the one they had on record, but we got there in the end...)

I was also surprised that the pension calculator has her at 9 qualifying years, while the NI record only lists 6 full years. I think it's something to do with pre-2016 NI years (when they changed from 30 to 35 years to qualify for a full pension) counting as a bit more than a year for pension purposes. There's a similar disparity on my record. So you may have more years than you think if they were pre-2016 (assuming you haven't already checked that is).

Oh and I also confirmed on the phone for me, having already been approved for class 2s, that the final dates for the 2019 - 2026 tax years still hold. i.e., 2019 is due this year, 2020 next April on so on, even though the rules are changing this April (which aligns with the messaging that the change "does not affect the ability of any customer to pay voluntary Class 2 NICs for periods abroad prior to 6 April 2026").