morpeth

I call te HMRC and they transfer me to a NI department- they tell me if two weeks passed, they can identify payment if one through bank an not cheque, an apply to right year- usually shows up within a week. When I call teh regular NI number I get same answer, that they have backlog.

adele

Update: A week later and I just checked my account again - 2020-2021 is now showing as a full year.

Phoning definitely speeds things up!

Steerpike

I just checked and my 2020-2021 payment still isn't showing. I sent the payment May 3rd - ~2 weeks after you. Yours showed up around August 6 - over a month ago now. Do you think it's worth giving them a call? Do you think it was your call that 'fixed' it, or was that a coincidence? You said 'phoning definitely speeds things up'; did you really mean that or were you joking? I notice their 'help line' hours are now published as being open until 3:30pm, which means 7:30am my time (Pacific). Given the long wait times, that may suggest I need to start calling around 6:30am ... which is not my preferred way to start the day

adele

I do seriously think that the phone call speeds things up - I asked the person on the phone and they said if you don't phone it would get updated 'eventually', but doing so prompts them to transfer the case to the international caseworkers and it seems to push it up the queue. I'm on PST too, but I usually phone at midnight before going to bed (they start at 8am) and the wait has never been very long for me. I try to make the call when I'm not getting up early to work the next day, so a stat holiday or a vacation day!

All the best!

morpeth

My experience has been a phone call definitely speeds thins up. hey have told me that absent a phone call payments received can take some time before allocated correctly. My experience is if I call after two or three weeks of payment being sent, presumably by bank transfer, they will then allocate within a week or set up a 'receivable' specifically for a payment, so when they get around to posting they know specifically where to post. I actually avoid being transferred to international caseworker, just the 'regular' caseworker suffices- as they are the ones per my understanding who actually do the posting.

Steerpike

Thanks for the 'midnight' tip - I'm much, much more functional at midnight than I am at 6am . It's midnight right now and I haven't even done the dishes yet, and have an hour or two of TV watching ahead of me! I never was a 'morning person' ...

neill

I sent payment in June, still waiting.

tht

I made the call today, no wait once I got through the robot questions. First adviser had to transfer me to one who dealt with international.

She looked up my details and said it shows as of the date I sent it… but that the system had not linked it. Said she fixed it and it would show up
tomorrow morning…..

neill

Did it show up?
So it sounds like the system is broken and we will have to manually get it linked.. great

tht

Just checked 2020-21 is now “Full year” so that worked.

2021-2022 is now showing up as a new line… so I guess wait for the letter in the spring with the amount…

she also told me on the call that I only need to contribute 10 more years for the maximum pension…

neill

That's great - I also have 10 years to go once they update it (unless they change the 35 year for the max in the mean time.)

classicmds

I just registered for overseas rate for voluntary contributions. If I send in money to pay for missed years to date, does it have to be applied sequentially, earliest year first, or can you pick years?

The first missed year was one where I was still in UK and worked half year after college - so I have $800 or so shortfall. Then after that all missed years are while overseas so at overseas voluntary contribution rate. In other words, if I sent in a check for the 10 overseas years, it would mostly all get eaten up by that first year in the UK. Is there a way to specify which years you are paying for?

tdrinker

Get a statement showing your NI record. This should show full years and missing years, and which missing years are available to be filled (some may have timed out; you can normally go back 6 years {temporarily increased due to the introduction of the new state pension?}) and the cost of filling each one. Then select which of the available missing years you want to fill and pay.

You should be able to see your NI record online:

http://www.gov.uk/check-state-pension

classicmds

yes i have this statement. My question is can you specify which years you are paying? If so, how?

tdrinker

Years ago, I made an application by post, they sent me a letter listing the missing years, stating either closed or available and the cost of filling, I ticked those I wanted to pay for and sent it back. I assumed the same thing could now be done online, but if not I expect it can be done by post.

I suggest you call the International NI office, tell them what you want to do and asking how to proceed. There may be a quick way to make an online application / selection and payment, but otherwise it can be done by written correspondence.

https://www.gov.uk/government/organi...n-uk-residents