Simon Atkins

Thank you for your response. From the sounds of it, I will probably not receive a response to my CF83 application until 2026. If this is the case, will I still be able to pay for the years from 2006 onwards in 2026, after I have had a reply about my CF83 application? And if yes, is this true irrespective of whether I am still in Class 3 or I have been put into Class 2 NI contributions? In short, even if I don't hear until 2026, will I still be able to pay for the years 2006 onwards? Thank you in advance for your answers.

I have been living abroad for many years. As a consequence, I only have 7 years of NI contributions in the UK. After checking my NI/pension status online, I could see that I can still make contributions going back to 2006, but only if I pay before 5 April 2025. At the beginning of February 2025, when I was in the UK, I called the Future Pension Centre about making some of these contributions for past years. I was informed that I would probably be eligible for Class 2 contributions, rather than the Class 3 shown online. I was told to complete a CF83 form to pay Class 2 contributions. I was also told that as long as the completed form had been received by HMRC before the 5 April deadline, then I would still be able to pay these contributions going back to 2006, even if a decision about whether I can pay Class 2 came at a later date. As a result, I completed the CF83 form when I returned home, which is abroad, and posted it to HMRC. It is now 28 February, and the 5 April deadline is getting closer. As i haven't heard anything back from HMRC, I have some questions: 1. As I sent the CF83 form by post, how do I know if HMRC received this form? 2. Can I have confirmation of this, and also written confirmation, or an email confirming that I will still be able to pay for the years going back to 2006, even if HMRC take some weeks, months... to inform me of the outcome of my CF83 form Class 2 application? 3. As I live abroad, I am not prepared to call the Future Pensions Centre, or any other UK number from abroad, as this will cost me dearly. Is there any way of communicating via email about my status and receiving confirmation about receipt of my form and being able to still pay for the years going back to 2006 after April 5? 4. Finally, how long does HMRC take to respond to CF83 forms sent from abroad by post? I would be very grateful for answers to these questions, because the gov.uk website seems to only post phone numbers for assistance, and not email addresses.