Hi,

My wife is a UK citizen who moved to the US in '94, and has lived and worked here full-time ever since. We have no plans to return to the UK, but she's now thinking of paying "catch-up" NI contributions, and has 3 questions:

1.) We're assuming it can be class 2 (and not 3) - is that correct?
2.) We also assume that she will ultimately be eligible for both US and UK pensions without one impacting/negating the other - is that correct
3.) When she left she was in dispute with the UK tax authorities over a small tax bill. She should have got it resolved at the time of departure, but the reality is that she didn't, and there has been no correspondence on the topic for 20 years. Does anybody have any insight into the likelihood of that can or worms being open up again by NI enquiries/contributions.

Thx.

Get a pension forecast.

National Insurance Contributions - International Caseworker Team

Point of contact International Caseworker Team
Phone number 0845 915 4811
Calling from outside the UK
+44 191 225 4811
Opening hours From 8.00 am to 5.00 pm, Monday to Friday

+1

I did my inquiry by mail after 20 years of not paying in. They replied in writing with my pension estimate and also the paperwork and costs of paying catch up contributions. I was not working so was class 3 for me.

I have no idea if HMRC will have recorded the old tax dispute with DWP so cannot comment if they will get back to her with a demand for the arrears plus 20 years of interest

I have been considering this myself. What info did you have to be able to provide to them in order to do this?

I'm pretty sure it included NI number, last address in the UK, name and address of last employer in the UK, probably date of leaving the UK ..

That should all be doable. Pretty sure I have my old NI card somewhere. Hopefully.

I still remember my NI number,and my Halifax Bank account number, ..... and the Sort Code, ..... and the "roll number". Anyhow I need to do this too, I have meaning to for several months, but this is the week to contact them.

My mother is also going to send me a domestic passport application form, so I can get it replaced (at the UK price) and pick it up when I get to her house in June.

That's not the phone number I used!
Nor is it number on their web site now.
See here:

https://www.gov.uk/international-pension-centre (This is the number I used countless times to sort out my situation. And they're open late (as I recall- 8:00PM ? UK time)
Have your NI no. when you call (sometimes helpful)

And then to download req'd. application form:
https://www.gov.uk/government/upload...dg_1812450.pdf

whoops: ....looks like they're no longer open late.....

Damn that's a long form.

Anyone had success recently calling this number? I keep getting through to an automated reply system that eventually (after several minutes) says we are too busy to take your call, and hangs up!

That's a claim form though, so you have a few years to complete it. ..... At the moment I just need to request a statement of my current balance and what I am eligible to contribute in arrears.

That's really what I'm after....

What I would currently be entitled to (once reaching 65).
What I can contribute to "make up" arrears.
What difference that "make up" amount would make.

From memory, you now need 35 years for 100%, and you can pay six years in arrears, so to get 100%, (years worked in the UK + (65-your age) + 6) >= 35. As far as I can tell, you can stop paying voluntary contributions when you reach 35 years, but they could always increase the 35 to some higher number as it was on "30" until quite recently.

I had to be in touch with them a lot to sort out my situation (tho last time was over a yr. ago)
They advised calling after 3:00 or 4:00PM/UK time....and best not on a Monday.

Just checked the form I completed in 2010 and I supplied my last 2 addresses in the UK, but I'm sure last address would suffice if all other info matches up. I think it is only to confirm the NI number to be sure you are who you say you are.