How to pay for missing National Insurance Years

Hello, Please can you tell me if it is still possible to pay for gaps in my National Insurance by cheque ? I am not yet of pensionable age and the pension website shows the increase that I will get in my state pension if I pay for my missing years of National Insurance. I can see quite clearly on the pension website which years I need to pay for and how much this will cost so can see no reason to contact the Future Pension Centre. Many thanks Sarah

Hi,
Please refer to guidance at:
Voluntary National Insurance: How and when to pay
Thank you

Hello, Thank you for your reply to my enquiry, I have clicked on the link and the information there is helpful up to a point but states that I need to include an 18 digit reference number which I do not have as I have not got an HMRC payment request. My apologies if I am missing something, I have seen another reply to this question that made no mention of needing the 18 digit reference number but it was from some time ago so I thought I would enquire rather than follow that advice and not do things correctly.

Hi,
If you have already confirmed with the Future Pension Centre that the years you are paying for will boost your pension entitlement, you can contact National Insurance on 0300 200 3500 or contact us using our webchat service on the GOV.UK website.  Contact HMRC
In turn, we can provide your 18 digit reference number over the phone or the chat service.
Thank you.

Hello, Thank you for your reply, please can you confirm that I can pay my missing National Insurance years by cheque which was my original question. If this is the case please can you tell me if I need an 18 digit reference number in order to do this, as I said before a previous answer to another user of the forum made no mention of needing this. Many thanks Sarah

Hi
I can confirm that you can pay shortfall of voluntary National Insurance contributions (NICs) by cheque. Whether or not you need an 18 digit reference number depends on what your payment represents:
If you are abroad, or paying for periods you have been abroad you will not need an 18 digit reference number.
If your payment is not relating to periods abroad you will need to contact National Insurance on 0300 200 3500 or contact us using our webchat service on the GOV.UK website to obtain your 18 digit reference number.
Please make you cheque payable to 'HM Revenue and Customs only' and send your cheque to :
National Insurance Contributions & Employer Office
HM Revenue & Customs
BX5 5BD
Please write your 18 digit reference (if applicable) and NINO on the back of the cheque.
Please also include a covering letter with your name, address, phone number, NINO, what the payment is for, the period you are paying for and  request for a receipt (if this is required).

 

I am receiving a state pension but I know I have missed payments, how can I find out how many I’ve missed and how can I pay for them?

Hi,
You can see guidance here:
Voluntary National Insurance
Thank you.

Hi I emigrated to the UK in December 2023. I obtained my NI number in May 2023 when I came to establish my stay here. I have been paying NI contributions since I started working in March 2024. I have done a State Pension Forecast which shows I have one incomplete year and plenty of time to make a top-up payment for that HOWEVER, I will reach state pension age before being able to accumulate 10 years State Pension through NI payments to qualify for a State Pension. I am concerned about the deadline, am I eligible to make voluntary payments to pay for two year of non-payment (due to not residing in the UK) prior to my incomplete year and how do I do this? I have been onto all the sites and my husband who is in the same position has made numerous calls, the most recent one indicated we should complete CF83 forms but most of the detail required does not seem applicable since we have not lived in the UK previously and then left to work abroad. Are we eligible to make voluntary payments and how can we do this if we are? Very grateful for any assistance please. Thanks

Hi CatE,
You can only pay Voluntary contributions for the years you were living in the UK.
Years before coming to the UK cannot be paid.
Thank you.