frequentflyer1234

Millhouse

ouch - my overpayments have not been processed correctly. thanks for that

robUK81

I have been in the USA since 2013 and just recently applied to pay class 2 contributions. Of course I was denied and told that I am not considered as normally employed or self-employed whilst in the UK and therefore cannot pay the class 2 rate. They offered class 3 at £14.65 per week.

scrubbedexpat141

Ooh, I have 8 years of contributions.

Thanks for sharing.

jam25mack

Haven't paid any since mid 2006...

Can even remember my NI number.

sicklyman

I'm sure I've got it here somewhere with your credit card details. Let me see if I can dig it out.

scot47

You can get the NI wallahs to check what your number is. Do it. And do your best to be accepted as a legit Class 2 customer Worth it !

sicklyman

nope. Sorry. Turns out it was in a batch of stuff I sold to someone from Moldova.

FriendlyExpat

Great post! Very interesting. I didn't know about the possibility of paying Class 2 NICs as an expat. Page 12 of this fascinating document seems to set out the criteria: https://assets.publishing.service.go...NI38_12_17.pdf

From a quick glance, it looks like if you were working in the UK for 3 years, before leaving the UK, and then went to work overseas then the joy of class 2 NIC eligibility awaits.

Not fully digested but seems like an absolute no brainer investment for those of us who are expats and still need to get a couple of decades of national insurance contributions to max out our state pensions....

Johnnyboy11

Watch out for this Class 2 eligibility criteria: "immediately before going abroad you were ordinarily an employed or selfemployed earner in the UK". I recall that HMRC interpret this requirement as being no more than a week's gap between UK and overseas employment. So, again, watch the dates when you fill in the form...

chawkins99

My wife was approved for class 2 last year despite not working for 10 years after we moved to the US due to H4 visa. She worked up until we moved.

They are allowing her class 2 from the date she started working in the US (after Green Card).

jam25mack

Thought I better check this out after reading this post. The trouble is I haven't used my NI number in 13 years and have no idea what it is and have zero UK paperwork to find out. So I called them up and after 10 minutes talking to an automated bot which kept telling me to refer to the website and then 20 mins on hold I spoke to a nice scouse lady. After a bit of a memory test with regards to old postcodes she said she's found me...... but she couldn't tell me it over the phone but could post it out...... so I gave her my mum's address to send it to..... which seems a bit crazy. She can't tell me it on the phone but can post it to a completely random address....

scrubbedexpat141

I did the same when trying to register to vote. Nightmare but hang onto it, I've lost mine again.

Edo

@Taz786 you can pay your Class 2 NI retrospectively for up to six years. However, you have to be accepted on the scheme first and like someone said it will take some time and paperwork.

Get in touch with these people and they will put you in the right direction:

Future Pension Center:
Telephone number +44 191 218 3600
Email: [email protected]

Newcastle Pension Center (International Group):
Telephone number: 44 191 218 7777
Email: [email protected]

Good luck!

jam25mack

Doh. Mine arrived at my mothers house yesterday. Have saved it in several places!