Annie Turner

Hello, do the HMRC respond to these questions and if so how long does it take. Thx A

I am a Brit abroad and have applied by post to pay voluntary national insurance contributions (and backpay from 2006). My application was received by HMRC in February 2023. I am however extremely confused over whether that confirms that I have hit the deadline (July 31st 2023) or not. I was assured by friendly HMRC helpline staff on two occasions that I had hit the deadline because my application had been received: even though I will not have paid by the 31st July because they are 21-28 weeks behind processing applications. The website however suggests that payment needs to be made by 31st July. How do I get a definitive answer? Please could the website align with the information Im hearing from the hotline staff? In addition, friends that have agents representing them have suggested that I should have sent an estimated cheque to ensure that the deadline is met. Plse can you talk me through this process. Many thanks. Annelies