Mechanism for paying class 2 NI contributions from abroad

Hi Woodie Power,
As you’re going to use an overseas bank account to forward your payment of voluntary National Insurance contributions please use the details held under ‘Overseas Payments’ on this weblink.
You would not use the sort code or account number as this is a UK bank requirement.
Make an online or telephone bank transfer
You may wish to speak with your bank if you have any queries about the bank transfer.
Please remember to quote your 18 Digit Reference Number on your bank transfer – National Insurance Number, followed by ‘IC’ then your surname and initial if possible.
Thank you. 

 

Dear HMRC Admin 25, Thank you for your responses regarding the allocation of voluntary contributions. Referring to your comment: "If you are overseas, then our International Teams are currently about 32 weeks behind with the allocation of voluntary contributions," I wanted to follow up on this matter. On 19 June 2024, I paid five years of Class 2 Contributions using my UK bank account, I currently live abroad. I have contacted HMRC on several occasions, and your agents have confirmed that the payment has been received. However, they mentioned that updating the records online would take some time. Based on your stated timeline of 32 weeks, my payment should have been processed by January 2025. We are now in March 2025, and my online UK National Insurance record still shows gaps. Could you please clarify why the process is taking longer than the expected 32 weeks? Should I be concerned about the delay? I appreciate your assistance and look forward to your response.

PROGRESS!!!! I'm in shock, but yesterday I finally got to talk to a real human at HMRC. She confirmed that my 3000K was received and is sitting there waiting to be allocated to the shortfall years once they work their way through the backlog, currently 32 weeks :) She could see my letter (yep, a real snail mail letter), received in December, explaining how the funds should be allocated. As long as payments are made before the deadline, they will be allocated. Yesterday's wait time on the call was 1:05, got to be my 60th attempt since last autumn to get through. Quite a relief.

In response to your answer i.e. 31 days more are given. If the deadline is close to the 05.04.2025 (National Insurance Voluntry Contributions.. My completed application form states completed 02/03/2025 so would I still be expected to pay by the 05.04.2025? (Bearing in mind I live in Spain this would be a very tight deadline) Or is 31 days added on to the 05.04.2025?

Dear HMRC, I recieved a letter from HMRC stating that I had 18 NIC shortfalls (a mixture of Class 2 and Class 3). I paid the full amout to cover all the years in November 24, from abroad but in Stirling, and my app was updated today. Of the 18 years which I paid for, only 8 have been filled, and somewhat randomly. Has a mistake been made or will the other years be filled at a later date?

Hi Jorob90,
Yes you can pay all shortfall years in one payment, and then call the NI helpline in order to allocate to the relevant qualifying years. 
State Pension
Due to changes in the law, you need the Pension Service to confirm whether your State Pension will increase if you pay any shortfall. Please call the Future Pension Centre to find out which tax year will count towards your State Pension.
The number to call is:
0800 731 0175 if you live in the UK
+44 191 218 3600 if you live outside the UK
You can also get a State Pension statement. To do this, go to GOV.UK and search ‘check your state pension forecast’.
You can request a call back to discuss payment of voluntary NICs for tax years between 2006 and 2018 by completing and submitting an online form to register your interest.
This will be sent to DWP and a call back arranged within 8 weeks. To find this form go to GOV.UK and search Contact the Future Pension Centre - GOV.UK
If you submit your request by the 5 April 2025 deadline, you will still be able to pay voluntary National Insurance contributions after the deadline has passed.
Thank you.
 

Hi Luis,
Due to the unprecedented volume of contact regarding voluntary contributions, including the number of payments we have received, the timescale for allocating payments has been steadily increasing in recent months.
Our current timescale is that it will take anything up to 63 weeks for payments to be allocated.
If you have already confirmed that we have received your payment, then it will be allocated in due course, and we would ask you to bear with us while we work through these backlogs.
Please be assured that you will suffer no detriment for the allocation being delayed, everything will be allocated to your account as you requested.
Thank you.
 

Hi Sharon2,
The 31 days mentioned in our original response means 31 days from the date that the application was processed unless the normal deadline date would be later.
As per your letter, if the application is processed on 02/03/2025, 31 days from then would be 02/04/2025 which is before the deadline date, so the deadline of 05/04/2025 would apply. 
What this essentially means is that for any applications processed before 06/03/2025 the deadline would be 05/04/2025. And any processed after this will be 31 days from the date or processing.
Thank you.
 

Dear HMRC Admin I am currently living and working abroad as an employee and I was employed the year I left the UK a few years back (where I have more than three years of full year contributions), so last week I filled in and sent a CF83 to see if I can pay voluntary contributions at the Class 2 rate. This envelope has not reached your offices yet. I now realized I erroneously filled in section 5, reserved for Volunteer development workers, by putting a conversion in GB pounds of my current salary as employee, as I misread the header. I clearly should have left that section blank. Is this going to be a problem? Should I send an amended CF83 form with a cover letter explaining the matter, or should I just let it be and explain it when my case will be reviewed and I will be contacted? Many thanks for any advice.

Many thanks for your clarification. Much appreciated

Hi HMRC Admin I am trying to make a payment of voluntary NI contributions using WISE. However, the fields that are offered by WISE for making an IBAN transfer don't include anywhere in which to include my NI No and personal details in the manner that you advise to enable identification of the payment. Have you established any alternative identification protocol for use by WISE customers in order to make transfers that can be accurately allocated to their NI account?

I have seen your earlier response stating that 'Our current timescale is that it will take anything up to 63 weeks for payments to be allocated.' Having made the payment in October 2024 and due to receive my State Pension in October 2025 what happens if the payment is not processed by the time I retire? Potentially, my record will not reflect the payment for the additional years paid for. Will I therefore have a pension based on my current record initially until the payments have been allocated? And if so, will the lost pension be paid backdated once it has been allocated? Nothing has been allocated to date so now worried that this will be a problem for me later this year. Thanks.

According to the calender April the 5th falls on a Saturday, In order for voluntary contributions to be accepted for (deadline 05.04.2025) does a person have to ensure that the funds arrive in your bank account for the Friday 4th April or will it be Monday the 7th April.

Hi luckyrog,
We are currently experiencing high volumes of work and it is taking longer than usual for us to respond to the enquiries we are receiving.
We are doing all we can to address the situation and reduce the waiting time for our customers.
I can confirm all customers  who have sent CF83 applications that are received before the 5 April 2025 deadline will be given time to pay their shortfall, regardless of when they receive it.
Please do not send any payments before you receive your shortfall confirmation letter, we do not need to have received your payment prior to 5 April 2025 if you have submitted a CF83 application and are awaiting our response.
Please be assured that you will suffer no detriment for our delay, all shortfall amounts will be given at the rates applicable prior to 5 April 2025 and you will be given time to pay.
Thank you. 

 

Hi Fiona Hunter,
To assist you with your inquiry, please reach out to one of our advisors by phone or send write in to our caseworkers.
They will help you access your accounts and check for any issues regarding your payment allocations.
If you choose to call, make sure to have your National Insurance Number ready, along with any information about the payment you made, including where it was intended to be allocated.
You can call us on 0300 200 3500.
National Insurance: general enquiries
You can also write in with your enquiry to the International Caseworker, the address is…
National Insurance Contributions and Employer Office
HM Revenue and Customs
BX9 1AN
Please include your National Insurance number  and up to date contact information in your letter so we can access your records to investigate the issue and respond to you. 
Thank you. 

 

Hi StevenG,
To prevent any confusion please submit a new CF83 application go to:
Apply to pay voluntary National Insurance contributions when abroad (CF83)
Please also include your employment details abroad, including start and end dates.
Thank you. 


 

Hi LostinSpain Almost,
If your payment has not been allocated when you reach within 6 months of your State Pension age please call our helpline and we will allocate your payment as a priority.
If calling from UK - 0300 200 3500 If calling from abroad - +44 191 203 7010  Open Monday to Friday: 8am to 6pm Closed on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays
If you reach State Pension age and your payment has not been allocated you will receive your pension based on your current record initially until the payments have been allocated. And yes the lost pension will be paid backdated once it has been allocated.
Thank you.


 

Thank you for clarifying.

Hi,
The funds must be received by HMRC no later than 05 April 2025.  If they are received on 07 April 2025 they will not be accepted.
You will need to allow for any potential delays by the banking system when deciding when to make your payment.
Thank you.

Hi. I submitted a CF83 application early in 2024. I received a letter stating the voluntary amounts I needed to pay for the two years I require to get a full state pension. I made the first payment in July 24 and a second in Sept 2024. I have spoken to staff on the help-desk and they have confirmed that the payments were received, and I was able to specify/confirm which years these payments related to. My question is, are these payments dealt with in date order, ie. date the payments were received by HMRC, and secondly the period given now of 63 weeks to process payments, is that also from the date the payment was received. When I checked that my payments had been received with the help-desk last year, they stated that my records would be updated before Christmas, then it slipped to January 2025 but to date nothing has been updated in my NI records on the app. Thanks for your support with this.