CF83 status COMPLETED - What next?

Hi there, I just checked the gov gateway to see if there was any progress on my CF83 submission and when I go to check status, it says COMPLETED. I don't know how long it has been like this, but the form was originally received back in July 2023. I'm just wondering what happens next, and how long it takes for me to hear back after I've reached the "Completed" stage? Should I be expecting something to be mailed to me? Thanks in advance.

Hi BritishCanuck,
If you have not yet received a reply from our International Team you may wish to call the National Insurance Helpline on 0300 200 3500 (from overseas) or +44 191 2037010 (from overseas) and they will be able to advise when the reply was sent to you and if required will arrange for a copy to be sent.
Thank you.
 

Hello I just discovered the forums today and am hoping they will help me avoid lengthy phone calls to the Pensions Office from abroad. I submitted my CF83 form in August last year but the HMRC tracking tells me that applications being processed are currently from March 2023 and not to expect a reply until July 2024. Can this be correct? When I phoned around November they were processing requests from February 2023 so not much progress seems to have been made. It seems odd to me that BritishCanuck's application has been completed. Any comments/advice?

Thank you HMRC Admin 20! Sue A, the tracking told me I would not receive a reply until March 2024, even though my request says completed. I'll be giving them a call today to see if they have actually sent out a reply yet or not.

Well I tried to call. The first time the phone bot voice couldn't understand what I was calling about and so left me waiting for an agent. The call was connected but silent and after reading some other posts it seems like there should have been some awful hold music, so after 50 minutes of silence I decided to give up. I called back and the phone bot seemed to get what my call was about. It asked me a bunch of security questions and said I was being put through to wait for the next available agent. About a minute later I got disconnected. I guess I'll go back to waiting for something to arrive in the post and hope it didn't get lost.

Hi BritishCanuck, did they explain why it takes so long to mail the answer after stage "completed"?

Hi BritishCanuck...given that the online tool says that they are now processing applications received in March 2023, it is surprising that your CF83 submitted in July 2023 has been "COMPLETED". Perhaps "COMPLETED" doesn't mean what we think it does? Please post back here should you ever get through by phone or when you receive a mailed response. Cheers!

Hi Keith, The Admin on here just told me to call them, but I wasn't able to get through to them on the phone, so I don't have an answer. I also don't know how long my request has been in the "completed" stage. So it may only just have reached that stage, but I have no way of knowing. Also the tracking page said I may not hear back until June 2024 (I initially said March 2024, but that's because I put in the date I posted my form, not the date they listed as receiving it (which was about a month after I posted it).

Hi SueA,
I note that you have advised that you submitted a CF83 application form in August 2023 to apply to pay voluntary National Insurance contributions.  
Our International Teams are currently experiencing a high volume of queries at the moment and are currently dealing with queries received in March 2023 so, unfortunately, there will be a delay before you receive a reply.
Thank you.

Dear HMRC Admin 20 many thanks for your reply, much appreciated. My follow up query is, if eventually I can pay the lover rate of contributions, will the reply I receive contain the amounts necessary for each year I can make up the shortfall? And will the fact that I submitted my request previously mean that I will not be penalised if I have then missed deadlines for years I could have otherwise paid? Thanks again

Hi BritishCanuck: Where did you see notification that your CF38 had been received (and subsequently marked as "Completed")...was it on the HRMC app > Communications tab > Form Tracker? I ask as I've been notified by Canada Post/Royal Mail that my form/letter (mailed on Jan 24th) has been delivered and signed for by HMRC today (Feb 13th) and I'm hoping that the App will eventually confirm their internal receipt of it. Cheers!

Hi SueA,
I can confirm that our International Team will detail all the voluntary National Insurance contributions that you may pay and how to pay them.  
You will not be penalised because of our delays.  
If you’d like to speak with the National Insurance Helpline (on 0300 200 3500 from UK or +44 191 2037010 from overseas) they will be able to advise
you when you might expect to receive a reply.
Thank you.

Hi Keith, I logged into the government gateway on the web. Near the top of the page there is a "Check progress" tab, between the "Messages" and "Profile and settings" tabs. The "Check Progress" tab opens a page that shows "Your Submitted Forms" Under here there is the date received and status. This is where I could see when they marked my form as received and the status is COMPLETED. Latest update: I did receive a letter back from HMRC listing the years I can pay for and the amount. It told me to phone the Pension Service to check that paying these years would result in a higher state pension. I gave them a call and I got through to someone straightaway. The letter also has the 18-character reference number I need and where to get instructions on how to pay my NICs. FYI, I sent my form CF83 in June 23, it was marked received in July 23, and I got my reply in Feb 24. I hope this is helpful.

Hi British Canuck: Thanks for this reply...excellent information! Thanks for the heads-up about where to find the form tracking info on the gateway...it turns out that it is also visible through the HMRC phone app > Communications tab > Form Tracker (and my form was received after I'd written the last set of questions to you). I'm glad I'm "in the system" now! Your dates are helpful too. Mine took 3 weeks to get there (via Registered Canada Post...1 week to get to Pearson...1 week to get to Heathrow...1 week in Customs...sigh). Looks like the HMRC response to you took about 8 months. The current expected response to mine is almost 12 months! Now that you have the 18-character reference number, is the payment process straightforward? Will you pay from a Canadian or British bank account? Thanks again for your helpful replies! Cheers, Keith

Hi Keith, Sorry for the delay, I didn't know you had replied - HMRC accidentally deleted my forum account - they sent me an apology email today :o) Anyway, I was wrong about the reference code, the REF in their letter wasn't for me to use when paying. They had links in the letter that sent me to the web page with info about paying. They give you the option of paying from a foreign bank, or sending a cheque. They seem to have removed the option to pay by direct debit from a UK bank, if you live abroad (which makes no sense to me and was very frustrating as I had already transferred the money over to my UK bank). I ended up posting them a UK bank cheque, along with a note with the details they request (Name, NI number etc). At this time that cheque has not yet been cashed, so I don't know how long this next stage takes. Those web pages also tell you how to make up the reference number if you don't have one, but I think for the cheque payment it was just your NI number. But the web pages they link to have all that info. Mine definitely got processed faster than what they said was the expected time, so I hope yours does too. But like you say, you're in the system now, so that's the important thing. It's a shame that Canada post still seems to use horseback to get across country. I'm always reluctant to use them after they lost my permanent residence renewal application that I sent by registered post. Now if I have to do a passport renewal or something I'll pay extra and use Fed Ex - they're also waaay faster!

Thanks all for the useful info, this certainly helps to get some status. Keith's post -HMRC phone app > Communications tab > Form Tracker !!, thanks. I sent my CF83 end of Sep 2023, the form tracker indicates a form received 17th Oct 2023, status received but it doesn't indicate which form, reference is blank and shows Form type as Online. It seems impossible to phone through and check. I was also trying to check on the website HRMC Goverment gateway but it wants an access code from the phone app. To set up a access code , you need UK passport (which of course I have), don't live in the UK (no address), Photocard driver's license, my lic is 1980, tried that and it said cannot confirm your identity.

Hi Jesse Abroad, I used the GOV.UK ID Check app to verify my identity when I created an account on the Government Gateway. I can't remember exactly, but I think as you work your way through setting up login details, it may send you to get the app if you can't verify your identity another way (I thought I was stuck too at first). There is some guidance on the ID-checking app here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/using-the-govuk-id-check-app Hope that helps!

Hi Jesse. I'm glad you could find out the status of your CF83 using the app. The app (and the online Government Gateway - which reports exactly the same information about the submitted CF83) reported that my CF83 was received by HMRC on 13Feb24 and it too says "Online" as Form Type, even though it was mailed (the "Reference" section is also blank). For about 4 weeks the Status showed as "Received", but a couple of days ago it changed to "In Progress". This change surprised me as when I check the "When Should I Expect a Reply from HRMC" it says they are working on applications submitted in March 2023. I'm not getting my hopes up!

I completed my CF83 in March 2023 and I have just received a reply, and I have been given permission to pay class 2 national insurance contributions, however when I check my "national insurance" on line under the gateway the system has not been updated has it shows "Class 3" . When Will this be updated? Thanks Sharon

Hi,

Your personal tax account (PTA) will always show shortfalls of National Insurance contributions at the voluntary class 3 rate.  As you have a letter from our International Team to allow you to pay voluntary class 2 contributions then please work off this rather than the PTA.

Thank you.