HELP Just HOW exactly do I pay an NI shortfall by April 5th

[AchieveBelieve]

I’m going round in absolute circles. I’ve logged on via my Government Gateway - found a year that was not ‘In Full’ (2022-23) - know exactly what I need to pay £79.25 - but CANNOT for the life of me find out how to pay. I know I need to get sent an 18-digit reference code and then I can go into a bank or pay online but to get hold of this 18-digit number they only have a postal address as contact and say it could take 14 days to receive this number which would go way past the deadline.

I’ve looked at older Mumsnet threads and found that in 2023 people were telephoning a ‘Pensions Forecast’ number but that number just fails now.

Can anyone help? I’ve even downloaded the App to see if that was any more transparent but even the digital assistant wasn’t working like it was on the website - I typed in a question twice and it just disappeared.

All my Google searches just return instructions about finding out how much of a shortfall you have - none explain the next all-important step of doing anything about it.

Martin Lewis has lots on info on this. What is your pension forecast? I think if it’s at the max at the moment you can’t add years on yet. Unless you know you are never working again.
look on his website. He did a whole program on this a few weeks ago.

Don’t you still have 6 years to top up? This year is important because you they are reducing the window but I think it will still be 6 years.

Yes watched it on GMB yesterday. You apply by post and they need to receive it by Saturday.

Also this ^

What is your forecast? There is no need to top up if your forecast is already for the full pension.

If it's 2022-23 you don't have then you have another couple of years to do something about it. Just request it via the postal address.

You will still be able to go back 6 years. It is only the years going back to 2006 that will be shut down.

Anyway, you can call the Future Pension Centre on 0800 731 0175 who can give you the details.

£154 to pay HMRC by 5/4/2028, to get a full pension, if i don't, i get £3 pw less, not much but as the pension goes up, that will increase over time.

Bonkers not too, assuming i live!!

The forecast will always be the max amount, its the actual pension payable you need to be doubly sure off.

Took me all of 5mins, if you have a hmrc gateway ID, to find out all i need, payments can, if not self employed or worked overseas, be made via bank transfer...
My shortfall is for 2021/22, can make good this by 2028.

OK. Thanks all. So no need to panic as you’re still allowed to pay shortfalls within the last 6 years? So I’ve misunderstood - the big deal is that the ability to pay any shortfalls back to 2006 is closing on April 5th?

My record currently shows 31 years of ‘Full Year’ contributions. This tax y/e 2025 will take me up to 32 years and when I eventually pay the y/e 2023 shortfall that leaves me with 33 years. I believe the current magic number is 35 years - so I’ve a few more years to exceed this goal.

So have been a bit dim-witted about the shortfall time span!

However I still think it’s not as simple as having a HMRC Gateway ID and 5 mins, bobs your uncle, easy to pay online. There’s a bit that asks about whether you’re abroad, self-employed etc… and then a bit that speaks about making weekly regular, recurring ‘voluntary contributions’ online but NOTHING that says click here to pay any one-off shortfalls in your contributions. And you have to get sent an 18-digit number. Perhaps people who are self-employed, or those who have to submit a self-assessment every year have this already set up? But I don’t - so, sorry, not a 5 minute job.

I eventually found a section to make an enquiry and was sent a text. This text sent me to a form that I had been unable to find by searching the website/App that basically said ‘if you’re trying to make a payment for a shortfall - we’re crazy busy dealing with this - so leave your details and we’ll call you back within 8 weeks and will still allow payment beyond April 5th as long as this request for a callback was submitted BEFORE April 5th’

They aren’t making it easy. However I am impressed with how easy it was to see the entire span of my working life mapped out. I had a few years of being at home with the kids and not earning and it’s good to see my claiming of child benefit led to a full years contribution - no different to when I was busting a gut in the workplace. I still have my Mum’s voice in my head complaining about not having paid a ‘full stamp’ and getting a lesser pension because of it. Does this still exist? Do you still get penalised for working part-time rather than full-time? It doesn’t appear to be the case.

The forecast isn’t always for the maximum amount. It looks at how many years you have paid and tells you what you would get now if you don’t pay any more NI. It then tells you what you will get if you retire in XXXX year (the year you reach retirement age) if you continue to you pay NI for X years.

I had a few years of being at home with the kids and not earning and it’s good to see my claiming of child benefit led to a full years contribution - no different to when I was busting a gut in the workplace.

That has just reminded me, the child benefit NI credit doesn’t just apply to the person receiving the child benefit. If they don’t need it because the are working, they can apply to transfer the NI credit to a grandparent or step parent if they are providing childcare for the child (under 12) so the parent can work. In case that is useful for anyone reading the thread.

Mine says "Your Forecast is 221.20 per week.... " at the top of the page in a big green box...

Its further down the page that it says you have to keep paying to get this, giving what you'll get if you do not.

Follow the "Your NI record link/view payable gaps/check if you can pay online..." then 4 quick questions to get your shortfall statement... one more click and the HMRC bank details... for online payment.

5mins with a Govt ID, an age without one!!!

35 years is completely irrelevant to your circumstances. It only applies to people who started paying NI after 2016.
You could need anything from 29 to 49 years.
You need to check where it says your forecast in the big green box and then scroll down to see where you are currently at and it will tell you how many years are needed to get there.
If it says you can't improve further then you would already have the full amount.

@AchieveBelieve how old are you now and do you know your State Pension/Pension Credit Age?

Yes, you are correct, @Alexandra2001. There is also a green box at the top with a summary! I meant the 2 bars lower done.

The forecast isn’t “always for the maximum amount” though. It depends how many years you have have accrued and how many years left until retirement, whether you have enough years until retirement age to gain enough the extra full years required. If you do, you don’t need to top up now. The only reason it would be worth topping up in that scenario is if the top up payment is very small so it’ might be worth a gamble in case there you decide to go abroad for a few years or become a SAHM to children over 12 or study, and topping up a full year would cost more IYSWIM?

Although, if your user name is because you were born in 2001, the forecast for anyone born in that year (or under 33) will have a forecast for the maximum amount because you still have more than the required 35 contributing years ahead of you!

It says I can get my state pension in x year and that ‘£221.20 is the most I can get’ and ‘you cannot improve your forecast anymore’. And ‘if you’re working you may still need to pay National Insurance contributions into x year’ (same date I’ll get my pension)

So to me that sounds as if I’m already entitled even if I don’t make any more contributions (which I will anyway as I can’t afford to stop working until my retirement at 67).

If that’s the case then I actually don’t need to plug that shortfall in 2022/23.

So how many years do you have to have worked with Full Year contributions if you started working before 2016? I’d like to know. I find it all a bit confusing!

Yes, if it says that you cant improve your forecast any more then you have tbe required number of years for the full.state pension.
There is no set number of years needed for people who were contributing before 2016 as it would depend on various factors. A calculation was done for everyone at 2016 to determine this. It can vary from 29 to 49 years.

Thanks for the explanation RainbowUnicorn

Call them at 8.30 in the morning and they will give you the 18 digit reference number that's whatvi did

Call them at 8 30 in the morning so you dont have to wait in the phone for an hour or more

For anyone unsure or struggling with this, fill in this form requesting a call back:

https://secure.dwp.gov.uk/request-a-call-back-to-pay-voluntary-national-insurance-contributions/contact-form

This allows you to extend the 5 April deadline.