NI voluntary class 2 paid in May 2024, no update yet?

Hi, I am a British citizen living abroad now and am eligible (letter received from HMRC) to pay class 2 NI contributions. I have made two payments to HMRC using the reference code of £ 163.80 for 2022-2023 and £ 179.40 on 16 May 2024 but both the payments are not updated on my HMRC profile yet. Can the admin please update by when can I expect the contributions to be updated?

I am in the same situation. I paid voluntary Class 2 NI contributions since moving abroad in 2018. My record shows 2024 as full, but the previous three years as not full. When can I expect the record to be updated. (All contributions have been paid.) Calling is impractical due to the time difference. Is there a way to contact someone via email?

Hi Hasnain Syed,
Thank you for your query,
The timescale for a Class 2 payment to be allocated to your record depends on whether you were paying off years you were outside or inside the UK. If you were paying off years you were inside the UK, it should not take at the very longest 24 weeks for the contributions to start reflecting on your record. If you were paying off years you were outside the UK and living in an EU country it could take at the very longest 38 weeks and if you were living in a None EU country 16 weeks. However if you are within 6 months of state pension age or have made the payment for a benefit purpose then your payment would be treat as a priority. If you want to progress chase your payments, please contact us on the details below:
National Insurance Enquiries helpline
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: www.hmrc.gov.uk/ni
Thank you.

Hi EllieMay24 Douglas,
It may take up to 6 weeks for a payment of voluntary contributions to be reflected on your National Insurance account.
If it’s been more than 6 weeks, we would have suggested you call the National Insurance Helpline, but you have advised that you are not able to.
The only other way is to write to us at the following address:-
HM Revenue & Customs
PT Operations North East England
BX9 1AN
United Kingdom.
Thank you 

 

Dear HMRC, I am in a similar situation to EllieMay and Hasnain. I am in the UK and I applied to pay for Class 2 contributions retrospectively in early July 2024 for period working in Qatar between 2019-2021. I paid up using the 18-digit reference no. starting "1133..." the HMRC representative gave me. I also paid voluntary contributions for 2022-2024 whilst temporarily employed in UK (18-digit reference starting 6099). I've been checking my HMRC app, but it hasn't been updated- it's now more than six weeks since I made these payments. I would have expected these voluntary payments to be shown by now. Can you advise?

Hi sultana,
Please contact the National Insurance helpline to check if your payments have been received, and to check the progress of when your payments will be allocated.
The contact number for the helpline is 0300 200 3500. Lines are open from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. Alternatively, you can use the webchat facility which can be found here –
National Insurance: general enquiries - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) Please choose the option ‘Ask HMRC online’. 
Thank you.

Dear HMRC, I'm in a similar position. I paid voluntary Class 2 NI with my SA in July 2023 and my NI record for 2022-23 is still showing as not full, checking account. It was my final year before receiving my State Pension. Now receiving my SP but believe underpaid £5pw due to this missing NI year. Tried ringing NI helpline a couple of times, told when review completed my pension will be adjusted. Written to Pensions Service twice and received no reply, 2nd letter was a signed for delivery. How do I escalate this to get my NI account reviewed and updated? TY

So I contacted HMRC today for payment made on 16 May (NI Class 2 contribution). They confirmed receiving the payment and have given an approximate date of 8 Dec 2024 (could be delayed) as amounts are credited as received on first come basis. Waiting time is approximately 27 weeks these days.

I live in Australia and have paid for two years. One was in response to the bill sent by HMRC and was credited within a week! The second payment I made has still not been credited after 12 weeks. HMRC inform me that it could be January next year before this is credited as they are still processing payments that people made in February 2024!! It’s very inconsistent and inconvenient. These are our pensions we’re dealing with and it’s not right that it should take this long.

Hi Kym,
Unfortunately this is a known error and we will need to take action to update your National Insurance (NI) account, please contact the NI helpline on 0300 200 3500, please accept my apologies for the inconvenience caused.
Thank you.

Hi,
We apologise for the time it is taking for your payment to be actioned and posted to your record.
If you haven’t already we would advise you to contact our helpline where we can give you a more precise reason as to why your payment is taking a while to be allocated.
If you are within 6 months of State pension age or if a voluntary payment not being allocated is effecting you from claiming a benefit,
We have a fast track procedure that might interest you if you fall into that category.
Please find our contact details below:
National Insurance Enquiries helpline
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
www.hmrc.gov.uk/ni
Thankyou
 

Hello HMRC Admins. And how long usualy does it take for voluntary paiments to show on records? Deadline for 2006-2016 is 2025 April 5, will it be OK by that time? I paid 29 July 2024. Thank you.

Hi Antanas1963,
Sorry for the delay in allocating your payment of voluntary contributions to your National Insurance account.
It can take up to 8 weeks for your payment to be allocated.
As you have waited this time already, may we ask that you call our National Insurance Helpline on 0300 200 3500 (from the UK) or +44 191 203 7010 (from overseas) and they will make sure that your payment is recorded and arrange allocation.
You may wish to have your payment details handy when you call just in case they need some details.
National Insurance: general enquiries
Thank you. 


 

HMRC Admin, you are giving incorrect replies to people who ask about time to allocate National Insurance voluntary contributions. While the stated goal may be 8 weeks, it's actually taking about 5 months currently for voluntary contributions from abroad to be allocated. Please update your guidance.

I am reassured by reading these comments that the NIC 2 payments I started paying from May 2024 onwards are in the pipeline as it is a concern. I have called the helpline and have been told my payments have been allocated but was also told it would be about 60 working days before the payments would show on my account. It looks as if it's now going to be around December time. I also sent a letter confirming everything (dates, payments, for which year etc, CF83 letter reference, etc.) so hopefully all will be fine, at some point.

I have the same problem and have been waiting since August 2023. That's 15 months at the time of posting. No response from HMRC to any of my attempts to have this corrected.

I have a similar situation, paid NI on the 15th May 2024. Finally got through on the phone on the 1st october 2024 to ask why NI had not been allocated to my account. I was told that in May the necessary "Bill" which my payment would match had not been raised, so my payment was sitting unallocated. They then raised the "Bill" for me on the 1st October, but still waiting for the funds to be allocated to my account. They did say it would not be a quick process and to check back in November if nothing was showing...............

Hi I'm facing the same problem. Following confirmation from HMRC on the total class 2 voluntary contribution required to address the gaps in my record, I made the full payment in August 2024. 15 weeks on and the payment is still not showing in my profile. I've checked the bank transfer and all is in order so the funds have been transferred. I just want reassurance that all is in hand and that in time the payment will show in my profile.

Hi
We are currently dealing with a high volume of voluntary payments.
The timescales depend on the circumstances of your payment and the National Insurance class.
If you paid for an abroad period it can take up to 29 weeks to allocate the payment to your record, if it is a domestic Class 2 payment it can take up to 29 weeks and a domestic Class 3 payment can take up to 8 weeks (based on the automated system allocating the amounts).
The domestic Class 3 payments can also be allocated over the phone, if you’d like to call us on 0300 200 3500 to do so.
However, abroad payments and Class 2 payments take 29 weeks, due to the high volume of other payments in the queue needing to be allocated.
Thank you.