How to pay Voluntary contributions to fill gaps

As of 12 June 2023, absolutely impossible either to get through on any number, either to get the 18-digit code, or to talk to 'Future Pensions'. In all cases line hangs up, goes dead, etc. So I am giving up and sending large payments via cheques for gaps in the NI contributions, according to my own calculations, without having been able to speak to anyone as they insist. It's that or presumably lose my pension after 31 July. What an appalling dilemma you have put people in, *for the second time* in six months !! Is there no accountability.

Hi,

We are sorry that you have been unable to get through to the National Insurance Helpline due to the large volume of telephone calls that have been generated due to the extension to the 31 July 2023 for payment of voluntary NI contributions to enhance your State Pension.

You will be pleased to know that the time limit has now been extended to 5 April 2025 for payment of voluntary NI contributions.

If you have sent in cheques, please ensure that you have noted the back of the cheque with your National Insurance number and enclose a covering letter to explain what the payment is for.

Thank you.
 

Hi, i contacted the future pension centre to determine the amount I owed, after an hours wait the information was provided & I have 2 queries arising from this which I would be grateful to receive answers to please.Firstly I checked online & for 2015-2016 the online account clearly stated I owed less than £50, the future pension unit advised an amount 16 timers higher was owed.I asked why the large discrepancy & was told the online figures are inputted by HMRC & cant be relied on.Is this correct as HMRC NI say their figure is correct!Which figure I=s correct?? Secondly I had a year 2009-2010 where then figure was not available online & the future pension centre advised they had no information so could not advise me & I had to phone HMRC NI centre(03002003500)Phoned & was advised ONLY the future pension centre can provide figures. I spent in excess of 2 hours phoning the 2 units & feel Im still no further forward.Please can anyone help with accurate advice., fed up with the internal politics between future pensions & HMRC Thanks in advance HHY

My wife is missing one year on her contributions to get her full pension se we are looking to make a voluntary contribution to make it up. The problem is that on her record she has two years which say, "We are checking this year to see if it counts towards your pension. We’ll update your record when this is finished, you do not need to do anything." How long does it take to do this as we are talking about years 2012-13 and 2009-10?

I managed to contacted the future pension line in April and was given the 18 digit number. To top up my pension , now that the date has been extended, I tried several times to get through but kept getting disconnected after staying on the phone for 30+ minutes each time. As mine is a rather large sum to pay, I was wondering if I could find forms to fill up and pay it monthly by direct debit till I reach my pensionable age which will be in 18 months? Please advice? Thanks Jane

Hi Tony Magson,  

Unfortunately I don’t have a timescale for when this will be updated.
However, you can contact our Helpline and we will be able to look into those years and provide you with the amount required if your wife wants to pay Voluntary National Insurance contributions for those years.
The contact number is 0300 200 3500, lines are open Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm.
Alternatively, you can use our webchat facility - National Insurance: general enquiries, choose the option ‘Ask HMRC online’ This facility is available Monday to Friday from 10am to 6pm.

Thank you.

 

Hi Jane Jacob,

Unfortunately, the option to pay via Direct Debit for past tax years isn’t an available payment option.
We don’t offer any payments by instalments.
However, if you owe more than one year you can break it down and pay one year in full at a time. 

Thank you.

Hello .... I submitted a CF83 form in May 23 and have checked on my Gateway account that shows"completed" - i have requested that messages are sent to me on the Gateway account (and E mail) - but i have received nothing .... is there a number i can phone to confirm that i can now pay my Class 2 shortfall payments, what years i need to pay and how i go about paying them ....ps: is there a way i could check these on line (my gateway account shown Class 1 payments, not Class 2) - then agree the years, then pay on line ? Look forward to hearinf from you ...