alfista1

44 weeks!! OMG
I thought the date 17th July was fitting in with their timeframe of the deadline approx 23rd July for the NI contribution year cut off date.
Hope I don't miss another year due to them taking so long.

Pulaski

The extended deadline to clear the backlog and collect payments for years as far back as 2006-07 has been extended to 5 April. 2025, so you won't miss a year even if it takes 44 weeks to process your application.

jjmb

This question has probably been answered, but here goes. We are applying to see how much my husband must pay for any State pension shortfall. He had paid up to 30 yrs, but they changed it to 35 years just after that. I also qualify for a small pension based on my work record and child benefit. I have only worked 6 yrs and a few months while living here. I would have been eligible for child benefits until my youngest was 18, 8 yrs after we left. Can I apply to make up for the shortfall, and if so, do I list my years of employment on a separate sheet with the form?

Giantaxe

I'm very impressed with the efficiency with which my State Pension application was dealt with. Three weeks after sending off my application the supporting documents I'd sent arrived by mail back here. And a few days later my first pension payment appeared in my US bank account.

Pulaski

Your husband should apply to pay Class 2 contributions, assuming he was working before and after leaving the UK, and has not yet reached retirement age. The current cost for Class 2 is just over £160/yr, so about £815 total. His pension will increase sufficient to repay that amount after about 7½ months of retirement.
Firstly, child benefit paid by the British government is conditional on you being resident in the UK, so you ceased to be eligible at the time you left the UK, however it sounds like you are probably eligible for Class 3 contributions, (and maybe some Class 2 for times when you were working) to boost your pension entitlement, which are much higher (now over £900/yr) than Class 2, but are still an extremely good investment, expecially if you are close to retirement age. You are likely eligible to pay for years as far back as 2006-07, and depending on your abilty to obtain a personal loan, it may be beneficial (profitable to you) to borrow money to pay for the NI contributions to boost your pension. Please note I am not recommending borrowing, you would have to do your own calculations and/or get advice to reach your own conclusion, but I suspect that if you are close, or even not-so-close to retirement, that borrowing to fund Class 3 contributions would be financially beneficial for you.

I posted this a few weeks ago:

tdrinker

Adding to the above response, you need a minimum of 10 years' NI contributions to get a partial pension, i.e. no pension if 9 or fewer years, 10/35 x full pension amount for 10 years' NI contributions, and so on. So if you have (say) 6 years' payments, paying for an extra 4 years will get you 10 years pension.

The first thing you should do is check your record and find out how many years contributions you currently have.

Steerpike

That is amazing! Simple letters sent to me by HMRC seem to take over a month to arrive, based on the date included on the letter.

What 'supporting documents' did you have to provide? I guess I need to start gathering info ...

jjmb

Thanks for that reply. I am going to apply and see what I can get. I think I might be too late to pay any more, especially with all the delays. I will get £520 a month once I claim it, which is more than I expected, but disappointed that a married couple's pension doesn't still exist.

Pulaski

You now have until April 2025 to get your request in, get whatever answers you need, and arrange payment. That should be ample time, though you should get started ASAP to secure your place in the queue.

jjmb

I wish there was a like button on these posts. Thanks, Pulaski, The form is going in the post tomorrow.

Pulaski

Over to the bottom left of each post <--- are three small icons - a round button, a set of scales, and a red warning triangle. If you click on the scales (or hold your finger on it if you're posting on a phone or tablet) you can give "karma", and attach a message to it if you choose.

If you receive karma it shows up on your profile page with activity on threads you're subscribed to, and threads where your posts have been quoted.

Giantaxe

Birth and marriage certificates.

Steerpike

OK, I have my Birth Certificate somewhere - a hand-written document quaintly filled out in cursive that is barely legible! I presume they want originals, not a copy. And I presume a British Passport is not a substitute? I was briefly married/divorced to a US citizen (early 90s), I presume they wouldn't want any paperwork regarding that? I have no idea where that might be!

I haven't looked at my Birth Cert for a long time; it's so quaint! It states the 'occupation of father' (but not mother). I'm guessing this says 'Wire Coiler' (Radio Valve Works) ... how's that for a job!


I wonder if Donald Trump would accept this !

morpeth

I originally had less than 10 years, but then paid for missing years and brought up to 25, was well worth it from standpoint of return on investment from what I had to pay.

Giantaxe

The way I read the instructions they wanted a marriage certificate if you were currently married, not from a past marriage.