Have you topped up a UK pension to cover gaps?

[MEL_Traveller]

A small update.

I completed all the forms on line, including employment history since leaving the UK.

Got a form in the mail, dated three days after submitting my application, asking for all employment since April 2024.

I had provided details of my current employment, which was ongoing a the time i filled out the form (late July).

So I phoned… apparently they want exact dates of all employment since leaving the UK. I explained it’s been 20 years! And I just don’t have exact dates.

The agent said not to bother filling in or returning the form, he’d email the relevant department with my comments.

So, we’ll wait and see!

It took 25 days for their letter to reach me here. So doing things by phone rather than mail would save a fair bit of time.

 

[FlyingFiona]

A small update.

I completed all the forms on line, including employment history since leaving the UK.

Got a form in the mail, dated three days after submitting my application, asking for all employment since April 2024.

I had provided details of my current employment, which was ongoing a the time i filled out the form (late July).

So I phoned… apparently they want exact dates of all employment since leaving the UK. I explained it’s been 20 years! And I just don’t have exact dates.

The agent said not to bother filling in or returning the form, he’d email the relevant department with my comments.

So, we’ll wait and see!

It took 25 days for their letter to reach me here. So doing things by phone rather than mail would save a fair bit of time.

I only just submitted mine last week. It's been 18 years since I left Scotland and I have had about 13 different employments since that time (as is the nature of contract work) and had to really dig deep to find dates. Many contracts only lasted a few months and so the dates are approximate. Most of the companies do no even exist anymore! In fact, if it wasn't for my tax returns I wouldn't even have known the names of half of them.

I'm a bit confused why they asked for employment since April 2024 - did you mean to write 2004?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I only just submitted mine last week. It's been 18 years since I left Scotland and I have had about 13 different employments since that time (as is the nature of contract work) and had to really dig deep to find dates. Many contracts only lasted a few months and so the dates are approximate. Most of the companies do no even exist anymore! In fact, if it wasn't for my tax returns I wouldn't even have known the names of half of them.

I'm a bit confused why they asked for employment since April 2024 - did you mean to write 2004?

lol… no! I initially thought the request must have been 2004… but while on hold for 37 minutes I looked more closely and it said April 2024 (yes, twenty four!)

The agent’s initial response was ‘we need exact dates’, which didn’t really fit with what the form was asking, which was ‘since April 2024’. So maybe the form was printed incorrectly and meant 2004, with exact dates. No idea!

Suggest if you get a similar letter than you might want to call rather than spend time filling everything out. I may have potentially saved 52 days of time (26 days for my letter to get back to them, and another 26 for them to reply)… or I may not!

The agent said he’d just send an email saying I’ve been in contact, I don’t have exact dates because of the length of time, and that I’d been with my most recent employer since April 2024, so nothing to add.

I’ll update when I get news, but I suspect that will be by post, so another 4-5 weeks away.

 

[FlyingFiona]

How odd!

And thanks for the tip to ring. I'm expecting some kind of "more required" response from them but have no idea how to produce more than what I have. Will post an update here.

 

[Brissy1]

It seems that getting a UK Government Gateway Login is a required 1st step, and that requires a NI number .

Can't recover Mrs.B NI number from 30 years ago, original bank account still open but no other records except a poor memory. Hospital she worked at has since closed. Not hopeful.

Pity, the entire pension £s + would go back into the uk economy

 

[FlyingFiona]

It seems that getting a UK Government Gateway Login is a required 1st step, and that requires a NI number .

Can't recover Mrs.B NI number from 30 years ago, original bank account still open but no other records except a poor memory. Hospital she worked at has since closed. Not hopeful.

Correct.

The UK Gov website says:

Other ways to get your National Insurance number​

If you cannot find your National Insurance number on any of your documents or by using the online service, you can:

• fill in form CA5403 online and post it to the address given at the end of the form
• contact HMRC to get a letter confirming your National Insurance number - this can take up to 10 working days to arrive

 

[Brissy1]

Correct.

The UK Gov website says:

Other ways to get your National Insurance number​

If you cannot find your National Insurance number on any of your documents or by using the online service, you can:

• fill in form CA5403 online and post it to the address given at the end of the form
• contact HMRC to get a letter confirming your National Insurance number - this can take up to 10 working days to arrive

Excellent, thank you.

 

[kelvedon]

A word of warning. A friend (Living in Australia) was contributing class 2 pension contributions of about £150 p.a.
She then retired from work (aged 62) and started to draw from her Australian super. Her subsequent Class 2 contributions are now over £900 p.a. The ATO reported her changed employment status to HMRC making her ineligible for the low Class 2 annual contribution You have to be still working to be classed under the “self employed” umbrella that offers the lower annual payment.

 

[andye]

A word of warning. A friend (Living in Australia) was contributing class 2 pension contributions of about £150 p.a.
She then retired from work (aged 62) and started to draw from her Australian super. Her subsequent Class 2 contributions are now over £900 p.a. The ATO reported her changed employment status to HMRC making her ineligible for the low Class 2 annual contribution You have to be still working to be classed under the “self employed” umbrella that offers the lower annual payment.

Best to max out contributions before retirement. The number of years you can buy at a time lowers in April 2025 so if you have many to catch up, do so early

 

[andye]

I couldn't remember the online form I filled in.
I was then applying on behalf of mrsandye*. The online screening process suggested we needed to call UK. After 30 mins on hold they told me we just needed to fill in form CF83

This is the link to that form (online or post). You need to have set up a verified Government Gateway to do online

Apply to pay voluntary National Insurance contributions when abroad (CF83)

Pay voluntary National Insurance for periods abroad.

www.gov.uk

The online process was straightforward.
They will write back with decision.

*mrsandye only needs 8 years so I was originally planning to wait a few years but the UK govt seems to be looking around for cost savings and I'm concerned the class 2 NICS scheme will change

 

[FlyingFiona]

*mrsandye only needs 8 years

Assume you mean only 8 years to top up to full pension, not to qualify in the first place?

 

[andye]

Assume you mean only 8 years to top up to full pension, not to qualify in the first place?

That's right