National insurance contributions.

[BusterGonad]

Hello. I'm looking to make voluntary NI contributions as I'm living abroad. I have been for 4 or 5 years. I've previously filled the form out and sent it off. They did not return the form (maybe it got lost in the post) and the direct debit didn't get set up, I know they received my forms as a friend posted them in the UK and my details were correct up to date online. I have no idea what happened and why the direct debit didn't go ahead. Can anyone help as I'm unsure if I ticked the right box. Do I want to pay NI class 2 or class 3? Maybe this is why it got rejected? I just wish I could do this all online as posting from thousands of miles away amd waiting for a letter which may not even arrive is ridiculous. Does anyone know of a way to get my missed payments bill sent online?

@TheTeenageYears understands it.
You can always back pay 6 years, and up until this April you can pay all the way back to 2006.
My experience was it is very easy to get through on the overseas line. Call them when they open.
I had to back pay the missing years by a one off payment. They sent a statement by letter. The DD is only for when you have caught up.
The GG portal allows you to back pay class 3, but for class 2 you have the rigmarole of contacting them.

@C4tastrophe so you can pay back the missing years as class 2? I've not heard that before. Surely the DD can be set up to start paying now without having cleared the non payment years?

You can pay back previous years at the applicable rate. Myself and my partner both work abroad so back paid class 2. We definitely had to back pay before starting the DD, though maybe that’s because we wanted to back pay. We had about 11 years to pay, then started the DD. When we sent in the NI83 forms, we attached our work history.
Class 2 basically only entitles you to pension. When you work abroad you have to pay into the local social system, so no need to pay class 3 in UK.

Following

@BusterGonad on the gateway, you can see your previous years, and you get the ‘pay now’ option for the missing years, class 3 is the only option.
For you, why not do that every year as you don’t work?
Your partner will have to go the letter route to get class 2, but seems there is no rush as you haven’t been gone long.
The back pay option to 2006 was an incredible offer from HMG.

@C4tastrophe Many thanks.

@BusterGonad in my opinion no it's not worth back paying at this stage for your husband. Unless he's going to retire at 50 he's likely to end up doubling up on contributions.

@TheTeenageYears Thank you, and were you offered to pay back at class 2 instead of 3? Sorry for all the questions. 😬

I’d agree, just pay going forward at class 2 as it’s only a couple of years. If it was 10, different matter.

@BusterGonad The form was received end of Nov and not yet heard despite they date it should of been processed being mid December. I don't think forms being sent in now have a hope of being processed by the deadline and only hope that as long as the form was received well before the deadline (and I think 4 months will suffice) that the ability to back pay further than 6 years is honored. This is for class 2 for my husband. I'm not doing Class 3 for me at this stage, could end up back in the UK and working or can start voluntary contributions in 10 years and still have enough for a full record by 67.

@TheTeenageYears so just to confirm, you are paying back the missing years (gaps) at class 2 NOT class 3? I have not heard this is possible on any other forum and I am surprised. I am not talking about future contributions, I am strictly referring to missing years.

@BusterGonad That is the plan yes, waiting for the paperwork to confirm. Going back to an earlier question - when we completed the form (I mean me, on behalf of DH) on a separate page I listed everywhere we had lived, all jobs, company address, dates of employment etc etc. I remember the form questions being a bit ambiguous.

I guarantee you can pay back class 2 IF you are eligible. I live abroad and am on other forums.
Lots of people have done it.

Many thanks. I will do exactly as you've said and give them all the details so nothing can go wrong. 🤞I will also put both our names and signatures on the direct debit form.

That's reassuring. Thank you.