UK State Pension newbie

kuma
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Re: UK State Pension newbie

Post by kuma »

bryanc wrote: Fri Oct 29, 2021 4:35 am have applied-what will happen I dont know ,but whether class 2 or class 3 i will try to back pay yrs..

as i understand if born after 1951 can pay back 10yrs by 2023 april for yrs 2006-2016.
also can pay back voluntary contributions up to 6yrs back (2016 from next april) so
basically can pay all yrs back from 2006 to present?is that correct??
Yes!

Good luck with it all.
bryanc
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Re: UK State Pension newbie

Post by bryanc »

everybodys help is much appreciated-the 3 to 4 month wait to hear isnt!
avocadotoast
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Re: UK State Pension newbie

Post by avocadotoast »

Thanks to the help of everyone here, I got approved for Class 2 NI contributions! The process took around 3 months.

Now... this might be a stupid question... but how do I pay? The letter instructs me to visit: https://www.gov.uk/pay-class-2-national-insurance which eventually leads to this page: https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/pay/bac. However, this page suggests I should enter "Your 18-digit reference number" as the Payment reference on my bank transfer. Does anyone where I can find my 18-digit reference number?
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adamu
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Re: UK State Pension newbie

Post by adamu »

avocadotoast wrote: Wed Dec 08, 2021 4:21 am Thanks to the help of everyone here, I got approved for Class 2 NI contributions! The process took around 3 months.

Now... this might be a stupid question... but how do I pay? The letter instructs me to visit: https://www.gov.uk/pay-class-2-national-insurance which eventually leads to this page: https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/pay/bac. However, this page suggests I should enter "Your 18-digit reference number" as the Payment reference on my bank transfer. Does anyone where I can find my 18-digit reference number?
Check out the Making Payments section here: https://retirewiki.jp/wiki/United_Kingd ... g_Payments
avocadotoast
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Re: UK State Pension newbie

Post by avocadotoast »

Thanks. I realised shortly after posting that I was being stupid and not reading the instructions enough :). Another question which doesn't seem to be answered by the wiki:

I have a total of 7 years repayable. Two of those are repayable at Class 3 rate (~£800) and the other five are Class 2 (~£160).

Is it possible for me to pay only the five Class 2 years and ignore the Class 3 years? If I make 5x payments of ~£160 could I then ignore the Class 3 payments until they expire in 2023? Or do I have to pay the total lump sum - (2*£800 + 5*£160) ?
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Re: UK State Pension newbie

Post by beanhead »

avocadotoast wrote: Wed Dec 08, 2021 6:21 am
I have a total of 7 years repayable. Two of those are repayable at Class 3 rate (~£800) and the other five are Class 2 (~£160).

Is it possible for me to pay only the five Class 2 years and ignore the Class 3 years? If I make 5x payments of ~£160 could I then ignore the Class 3 payments until they expire in 2023? Or do I have to pay the total lump sum - (2*£800 + 5*£160) ?
It is voluntary. So you can choose what to pay.

My suggestion is, after you have paid, to send them a letter explaining what years the payments are for.
They are still likely to mess it up and not apply the payments correctly until being pushed 3 or 4 times, but eventually they will get there (hopefully, I made my payments in August and I still haven't received confirmation that they have been properly applied yet... :cry: )
Aiming to retire at 60 and live for a while longer. 95% index funds (eMaxis Slim etc), 5% Japanese dividend stocks.
avocadotoast
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Re: UK State Pension newbie

Post by avocadotoast »

beanhead wrote: Wed Dec 08, 2021 8:09 am My suggestion is, after you have paid, to send them a letter explaining what years the payments are for.
They are still likely to mess it up and not apply the payments correctly until being pushed 3 or 4 times, but eventually they will get there (hopefully, I made my payments in August and I still haven't received confirmation that they have been properly applied yet... :cry: )
Interesting. I was wondering how they matched up the payments to the years paid. I was thinking of sending 5x exact amounts for the Class 2 years and hoping they would figure it out. I guess I should make a payment and follow it up with a letter to be sure. Thanks for the advice!
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RetireJapan
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Re: UK State Pension newbie

Post by RetireJapan »

avocadotoast wrote: Wed Dec 08, 2021 10:23 am Interesting. I was wondering how they matched up the payments to the years paid. I was thinking of sending 5x exact amounts for the Class 2 years and hoping they would figure it out. I guess I should make a payment and follow it up with a letter to be sure. Thanks for the advice!
When I backpaid they applied the payment to my account but didn't do anything with it. I had to call them up and tell them what it was for, and only at that point did the payments show up on my record.

Sending them a letter or calling just after you make the payment is probably a good idea.
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eMaxis Slim Shady 8-)
fools_gold
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Re: UK State Pension newbie

Post by fools_gold »

RetireJapan wrote: Wed Dec 08, 2021 10:28 am When I backpaid they applied the payment to my account but didn't do anything with it. I had to call them up and tell them what it was for, and only at that point did the payments show up on my record.

Sending them a letter or calling just after you make the payment is probably a good idea.
How did the money show up on your Government Gateway Account?

I paid 15 years' worth of back payments a few weeks ago and nothing has shown up yet. It's a bit early yet, so I'll probably give them a call after things have settled down in the New Year.
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Re: UK State Pension newbie

Post by beanhead »

fools_gold wrote: Wed Jan 05, 2022 1:22 am
How did the money show up on your Government Gateway Account?

I paid 15 years' worth of back payments a few weeks ago and nothing has shown up yet. It's a bit early yet, so I'll probably give them a call after things have settled down in the New Year.
I can't answer your question about the gateway site, but regarding the payments showing up, patience is needed. I think they say the normal turnaround time is 12 or 16 weeks...
After that, then call to check up.
Aiming to retire at 60 and live for a while longer. 95% index funds (eMaxis Slim etc), 5% Japanese dividend stocks.
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