Mechanism for paying class 2 NI contributions from abroad

Hey classwho....elsewhere in this forum its been mentioned that there's an 18 character limit. Despite Admin not answering your question I think you'd be wise to only use the 18 characters requested, and not go beyond.

Hi Keith, Thanks for replying to my question. I couldn't remember if I had seen that written somewhere about max 18 digits. Thanks for the clarification. I eventually did make a transfer using only 18 digits as a reference . (It felt a bit odd seeing 3/4 of my surname and no first name). Anyways, now for the next stage of worrying about the arrival and allocation of the funds to my NI number. Thanks again

Could someone from HMRC ( or anyone who has experienced this or has relevant knowledge about this) provide an answer to one of my previous posts. I want to retire early if possible and want to know if that impacts whether I pay Class 2 NICs or Class 3NICs. I apologise for resubmitting the same question but I am trying to figure out how much it will cost me in the future if I retire early. Thank you in advance for any answer to the following : "I am currently in employment abroad and I am paying Voluntary Class 2 NICs. But, if I take early retirement at 60 whilst abroad, am I still eligible to continue to pay at the Class 2 rate, or do I have to pay Voluntary NICs at the Class 3 rate for my age years 60-67? "

Hello, After submitting an online application to pay voluntary class 2 NI contributions I received a very quick (about 6 weeks) letter from HMRC confirming that I can pay class 2 contributions and giving details of the gaps that I can pay to fill. Thank you for such a quick response - the online application process was great! The letter says I can find information about how to pay by going to www.gov.uk/pay-voluntary-class-2-national-insurance. When I go to that page I find the following information: Paying from an overseas bank account You can pay from an overseas account if you live or work abroad temporarily. --------------------- Use the following details: account number (IBAN) - GB49 BARC 2020 4830 9447 93 Bank Identifier Code (BIC) - BARCGB22 account name - HMRC NIC receipts There’s a different way to pay Class 2 National Insurance if you live or work abroad permanently. ---------------------- (the last line is linked to a page telling me to submit an application, which is the process I've just been through) I've added the underlining of the words "temporarily" and "permanently". I have two questions please: 1. I am currently living in Australia and am unsure if I will return to the UK, hence I am unsure if I am living overseas temporarily or permanently. Am I OK to pay via the bank account details above (with the reference of my NI number + IC + my surname and initial)? 2. When I check the gaps in my national insurance record online the amount it says I need to pay to fill the gaps is much higher than the amounts specified in the letter from HMRC. The amounts specified online don't seem to correspond to the class 2 contributions. Is this a problem or will this be noticed when my payment is processed and the lower rate specified in the letter applied? Thank you for your help.

Hi classwho,

Part of the criteria to pay voluntary National Insurance contributions abroad at the class 2 rate, is that you have to be employed or self-employed abroad. Once you have retired, if you want to continue to pay voluntary National Insurance contributions abroad, this would be at the class 3 rate.

Further information about paying voluntary National Insurance contributions abroad can be found here: 

Social Security abroad: NI38

Thank you.
 

Hi classwho,
You may continue to pay voluntary class 2 National Insurance overseas until the date that you end employment/self-employment.  
After your overseas employment/self-employment end, you may continue to pay voluntary class 3 contributions.  
You should let us know when your overseas employment/self-employment ends.
You may wish to obtain a State Pension Forecast via Check your State Pension forecast which will detail your current and future entitlement to a State Pension.
Thank you.

Hi HMRC , Thanks for responding to all of my questions. Much appreciated. I have recently ( in last 3 weeks) paid voluntary NIC contributions. Will I get an acknowledgement that they have been received and how? When should I expect to see the contributions credited to my National Insurance number? Thank you.

During my period of employment in the UK I was 'Contracted out ' of the Additional State Pension and therefore will not receive a 'full' state pension even with 35 years of National Insurance contributions. However, I have read elsewhere that if I continue to make voluntary contributions beyond 35 years, I will be eligible for a 'full' state pension. Could you clarify if this is the case? If that is the case, can I retire at 67 ( receiving the ' less than full' state pension)and continue to make voluntary NIC contributions to make up the difference between my ' less than full' and the actual 'full' state pension? Thanks

Simon, what date did you apply? I applied online on 16th March and still no letter :/

Hello HMRC (I have a similar question to Classwho) I have recently paid additional NI contributions (live abroad, payment made from uk bank a/c) but my NI record of years fully paid has not yet been updated. Approx how long should I expect to wait for my records to be updated? Thanks

Hi classwho,
The time it takes for payments you make to be credited to your account depends on which tax years you are paying for, what part of the world you live and/or work in and also which class of national insurance you have paid.
If you have a Personal Tax Account, when we post the credits to your account you will be able to see them on there.
If you would like a more precise answer I would advise to ring our helpline and we can give you an update on the payment you have made and we will be able to give you a better idea of the timescales of the payment being credited.
You could also ask for an acknowledgment letter to be issued to you as well if you wish.
Please find our 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  National Insurance: detailed information
Thank you.

Hi Simon Harrison,
I can confirm that you may pay any voluntary class 2 National Insurance contributions from overseas by using the IBAN and BIC codes that you’ve mentioned and use the reference number in any payments.
Your Personal Tax Account (PTA) will always show any shortfalls of contributions at the voluntary class 3 rate.
As you’ve been accepted to pay at the voluntary class 2 rate then please use the letter that our International Team have provided you with for the actual amount that you pay.
Thank you.

Hi classwho,
You must contact the Department for Work and Pensions. There is a department within DWP called the Future Pensions Centre who will be able to answer any queries such as:
-How many more years you need personally to get the full State Pension
-Which tax years past present or future will give you the best increase on your state pension if you were to voluntary pay them off.
HMRC cannot provide you with that type of advice.
Please find the contact details for the Future Pensions Centre below:
Number  0800 731 0175
Text Relay  18001 0800 731 0176
+44 191 218 2051
Welsh  0800 731 0453
Overseas  +44 191 218 3600
Address
The Pension Service 9
Mail Handling Site A
Wolverhampton
WV98 1LU
United Kingdom
Open
8.00am to 6.00pm Monday to Friday
Web Address  Contact the Future Pension Centre
Thank you.

Can you please confirm if the new online system will allow payments to be made for class 2 voluntary national insurance for people living abroad

@HMRC Admin 20: are you able to confirm the typical response time currently for someone applying to do voluntary contributions from abroad when they apply online? It seems Simon applied after me but received a reply before me. The "Check when you can expect a reply from HMRC" tool is basically useless since it defaults to the end of the tax year when clearly that is not the speed of replies actually happening

Dear HMRC, Thank you for answering my questions above. I sorry, I have one more question please: I understand that Barclays Bank may charge a fee for receiving international payments . Do I need to add the fee to what I pay or does Barclays Bank waive the fee for HMRC? Thank you again for your help  .

Email deteled removed admin and name removed by admin  .

Hi Mike, I applied online on 9 March and received a letter dated 3 April (which took a month to arrive - the Australian postal system isn't quick!). My wife applied on 10 March and hasn't received a response yet.

Hi Can you please confirm if the new "online payment" system will allow payments for class 2 national insurance voluntary from abroad if not "Will this be available at a later date?) 

Name removed admin .

Hello I let the armed forces about 9 and a half years ago and have tried a few times to get details on how to pay NI from Thailand. I have not been successful in obtaining a gateway pin and seem to hit a dead end trying to obtain this. I have tried online and via the phone and lastly about 2 months ago by post. The postal service has never been the same since covid and can take upto 7 weeks so far i have received no reply. I did give my email details in the letter explaining how slow the postal service can be but nothing so far i also keep running into dead ends and cut off on the phone mainly because I dont have a pin. Is there an email service or somewhere I can leave a message with my details. My only income is a goverment pension

Additional to the last some uk websites are locked out here