Paying Voluntary Class 3 Contributions (based abroad) having reached State Pension Age

I already reached State Pension Age. I am living abroad (in Ireland). I already completed Form CF83 back in August 2023 and this is now status COMPLETED. In April 2023 before reaching my State Pension Age I received a decision (written letter) on the amount of my State Pension from the International Pension Centre in Wolverhampton. On my National Insurance Record in GOV.UK I can view my Payable Gaps in my record (I have 17 payable gaps). Under "Next Steps"-"check if you can pay for gaps online" - it says that I cannot pay online (I guess because I have already reached State Pension Age) and that I should contact the Future Pension Centre. I called the Future Pension Centre and they sent me a follow-up letter saying that the International Pension Centre will send me information about my State Pension? However I already have all of the information that I need and I now just want to pay the 17 payable National Insurance Gaps. I know this and have decided that I want to do this. I have looked at how to pay Volumtary Class 3 National Insurance contributions by Online Bank Transfer from abroad (www.gov.uk/pay-voluntary-class-3-national-insurance/pay-online-state-pension-forecast). My first question is whether I can go ahead and make the total payment for the 17 payable gaps - as shown there - without speaking to anyone first? I know already that I want to make them? My second question is what is the process afterwards - after I have paid the national insurance gap years - in terms of my State Pension? Many Thanks

Hi mistergreen,
If you received a response from your CF83 application (letter in the post) accepting you to pay Voluntary National Insurance class 2 or class 3, you can pay as long as you have had confirmation from the DWP that voluntary payments would help increase your state pension.
Use
•    sort code - 08 32 20
•    account number - 12001004
•    account name - HMRC NIC Receipts
If you are paying from a UK Bank Account.
Or use
•    Bank Identifier Code (BIC) - BARCGB22
•    account number (IBAN) - GB49BARC20204830944793
•    account name - HMRC NIC Receipts
If you are paying from an overseas account
Both ways require you to create your own reference number when paying for periods when abroad.
Use your National Insurance number followed by ‘IC’, your surname then your initial.
If your bank limits you to a certain amount of characters, you should use your National Insurance number followed by ‘IC’ and as much of your surname as possible.
However if you have not received a letter, please contact the International Pension Centre on the details below. 
International Pension Centre
Number
+44 (0) 191 218 7777
Fax
+44 191 218 7021
Address
International Pension Centre
The Pension Service 11
Mail Handling Site A
Wolverhampton
WV98 1LW
United Kingdom
Open 8.00am to 6.00pm Monday to Friday, closed bank holidays and weekends
After you make your payment and your payment has been allocated to the relevant tax years, your State pension should automatically increase to what the DWP should of advised you it would increase to.
Thank you