cheque or online payment?

I have paid missing years before but it is an extreme hassle to have to call both DWP and HMRC just to get the 18 digit code for an online payment. And when you do pay online there is no receipt provided...and then it takes months for the records to be updated so I always wonder if my money has been credited correctly which is worrying. I see that there is an option to send the payment by cheque (how last century!) and a covering letter giving your NI Number by post to HMRC. Has anyone had experience of doing this? At least my bank statement would show if the cheque had been cashed but again there is the issue of not knowing if it has been correctly credited.

Hi Susan MacInnes,
You are able to pay by cheque, payable to HM Revenue & Customs, along with a covering note of your name, address, NINO and what years you are paying.
Send to
HM Revenue and Customs
National Insurance Contributions and Employer Office
BX5 5BD
Thank you.

Thanks for the reply - I understood the process for paying by cheque. However paying this way rather than online still doesn't allay my concerns about whether the payment has been received and correctly credited as there is no receipt issued and it takes (literally) months for the online record to be updated. How can I be confident that my money has gone to the right place? The whole system of having to contact DWP then HMRC via telephone seems very antiquated - as does the cheque option!

Hi,

When making an informed decision about whether to make a payment for voluntary National Insurance contributions you must know if making a payment will increase your UK state pension entitlement.

HMRC can review your NI record until you reach State Pension age and advise you of any gaps and how to pay. HMRC cannot advise on how this is calculated into your State Pension entitlement, this is done by  DWP.

We are currently dealing with high volumes of payments through out the department. You can contact our National Insurance team to find out the status of your payment.

National Insurance: general enquiries

Thank you.
 

Thanks but you are still not addressing my point! I’m not asking HMRC to advise on whether I should pay or not. I’m asking you how I can have confidence a cheque will be credited to the right place when no receipt is issued ( as is indeed the case with an online payment) and it takes so long to update my online NI record?

Hi Susan MacInnes,
Hi, if you are paying by cheque, you should send a covering letter with your cheque providing the following information:
•    Your name
•    you address
•    you phone number
•    you National Insurance Number
•    what the payment is for - Class 2 or Class 3 National Insurance
•    the period you are paying for
•    a request for a receipt - if this is required
If you are paying online, you should also send a letter providing the information above. Or, if you have already spoken to an advisor on our helpline and advised them that you are making an online payment, they will have already noted this on your records.
Thank you.
 

I am concerned about the advice provided in the previous post. There is nothing on the HMRC website to suggest that a person who makes an online payment should be required to send a covering letter to confirm which years a payment should be allocated against. On a separate thread on this forum there is a post from HMRC Admin 5 which states that HMRC staff will use their judgement to allocate any payments against the correct year. I live abroad and was recently approved to pay Class 2 NI including for past years. I intend to make a series of separate online payments, one per month, each of which will be the exact amount in GBP of one of my outstanding years. I no longer have a UK bank account and do not have the option to pay by cheque. Please can HMRC Admin assure me that these will be allocated in such a way that the oldest years are filled first and that the 'system' will not be confused by a series of separate payments as opposed to one lump sum?

Hi Robert,
HMRC can use their own judgement to allocate payments against certain years.
However, if you have a number of years with shortfall’s, it may not be obvious which year your payment is relating to (some years may be charged at the same amount). Therefore, you should send a letter to HMRC advising which tax years you would like your payment to be allocated to.
You can pay the full amount in one lump sum, or separately if you only want to pay one year at a time. Alternatively, you can call the National Insurance helpline and tell us what years your payment is for and the advisor will note your records for the payment to be allocated correctly.
Thank you.
 

I discovered that you now allow direct payment online without having to go through the hassle of phoning for a reference number. (This is useful - well done for arranging this option. ) So I made a payment from my bank account on 2 May. I have evidence that the payment went through but it is now 3 weeks later and again there is an issue in that my online HMRC account doesn’t show that it has been credited correctly to my NI record. When will this be updated? If it’s possible to make instant online payments why does it take so long to update the records?

Hi,
In order for us to look into your account to see what the situation is with the payment you have made, please ring our customer helpline.
Please find the contact details below:
Number
0300 200 3500
Text Relay
18001 0300 200 3500 (Text Relay)
Overseas
+44 191 203 7010
Open
Monday to Friday: 8am to 6pm
Closed on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays.
Web Address
www.hmrc.gov.uk/ni
Thank you