mx5mojo

I need to start paying my NI contributions so I can receive a full pension when I retire. I am filling out form NI38. They want to take direct debit payments but the form wants a branch sort code and address. Obliviously we don't have those over here so how are people paying their contributions while living in the USA?

durham_lad

We kept our UK bank account when we moved over so I'm not sure how you would pay HMRC the voluntary monthly contributions without one. IIRC nun pays his contributions from the US once each year rather than monthly. Maybe he can offer some advice.

http://britishexpats.com/forum/members/nun-27860/

mx5mojo

Thanks for the answer. I think I will have to go with the once a year payment.

nun

You can just ask HMRC to send you an annual bill and then send them a foreign bank draft or wire them the money.

mx5mojo

I am just getting back tot his as I now have a reply from HMRC. Can you give me more information on how I get a foreign bank draft or wire them money?

cranston

transferwise.com offer a borderless bank account in pounds, try that for making payments and transfer funds

celticgrid

Okay, a quick sanity check if I may, please.

When I left the UK I had 38 years of NI contributions. Since then some elements of the rules that affect me have changed and I now have 27 years. Not an issue per se, but I'd like to get it back to the maximum of 35 years.

I've filled in the forms and now have a letter back from them saying I can pay Class 2 for a number of previous years. A bargain. The last 8 are included so I plan to pay the cost for the last 8 years and that would be all done.

However, no clear instructions on how to pay.

The plan is to call them and discuss.

That the way?

Anybody had that conversation?

Thanks.

durham_lad

Yes, I have had that conversation. Before you call have the total figure in front of you that you want to pay. You should be given a very long reference to either note on your cheque or on the online payment if paying direct from a UK bank.

celticgrid

Thank you.

scot47

I did rhis pre-modern electronic banking by post with a draft drawn on a UK bank which I got from my bank in the Middle East. I assume that banks in the USA know there is a world beyond ?

FatFrank

HMRC Instructions to pay Class 2 from abroad are a little nebulous but here;

https://www.gov.uk/pay-class-2-natio...e/bank-details


I just today paid my Class 2 from prior years and used the HMRC Sort Code 20 20 48 and Account number 30944793, and paid via CHAPS from our UK account.

There was an 18 digit number printed at the bottom left of the NI statement that HMRC sent me giving permission to pay Class 2, so I used that as the reference - the first 12 digits of the 18 were the same as the digits in my HMRC reference at the top of the page, so I expect this to reference needed. Let's see

celticgrid

My telephone call went surprisingly well (see below) and a cheque is in the post - literally - to pay the prior years that will actually enhance my eventual UK state pension.

Sadly, this comment, "Let's see", sums up exactly all my dealings with a couple of non-US countries over pensions, tax, etc. Whatever the truth, you never quite can be sure what their next response is going to be, and it always takes time.

durham_lad

Excellent, thanks for the update.