UK state pension

Thank you!

Somebody could work five years in UK and 35 years here.

They could pay for voluntary NIC in the UK, and so build up the right to a full UK pension.

Meanwhile, the person works and pays PRSI here, and will get the full State Pension here.

Under the new pension scheme in the UK(for those retiring after 2016)the minimum qualifying years of contributions is 10 years.The HMRC may chose to add additional years(possibly one or two).After that you can buy credits up to the year of retirement,max 35 yrs contributions in total(stop at 35 yrs total)-all the discretion of HMRC

I made a payment in early April. Rang them just before to tell them which years to allocate it too.

Still hasn't been allocated, but I rang them a few weeks ago and they were able to confirm that payment was received and showing on my account, just that the allocation hadn't happened yet.

They're very helpful and informative once you get speaking to them. But it takes a while on hold!

Give the information as best you can and tell them that you can't be precise... They will be able to match things up on the UK end and if you can send your PRSI record from this end they will probably be satisfied with that... That's what I did and all went well .

Is this what you were looking for?

https://www.gov.uk/pay-voluntary-class-3-national-insurance/make-online-or-telephone-bank-transfer

I notice on my letter that allows me to pay voluntary NICs, it says below. Assuming I am over the 10 years and staying under the 35 years, my UK sate pension would automatically increase (Once I made payment in correct way). So I don't follow why the Pension Service need to confirm this. Am I missing something? Thanks!!

With the same paragraph in my letter I would like to know also what the use of ringing them is. Otherwise I will just send an old fashioned letter with all the relevant information and a sterling cheque.

Thanks. Rang them this morning. Got through very quickly and person confirmed that my payment has been allocated to the correct years, but the online system can take a while to update.

She's sending me a letter to confirm everything.

I was told three days but it was done the following day... Feels good...

Of course it's not means tested since you are contributing it throughout your working life, it's not welfare it's a social insurance fund that gives you pension rights on completion of the contributions. The non contributory pension is welfare and is means tested since you didn't contribute to it. I think this point needs to be re enforced since many on the left are trying to tie it to welfare payments

In case it helps anyone else, here's my own experience so far.

I paid 18 years worth of Class 2 NIC shortfall payments back in July, and sent a letter breaking down the allocations per year and posted it to HMRC.

The class 2 contributions are mostly the same, £163.80, but some years are different at £166.95 (I think these are years with an extra week). 2021-2022 (£158.60) and 2023-2024 (£179.40) are different again. The letter I sent listed the allocations for each year, which added up to the single payment of nearly £3,000 which I had sent by bank transfer from Revolut.

Anyhow, I phoned +44 1912037010 this morning, and after a 30 minute wait spoke to someone who confirmed that my payment was received, and she could also see the letter I had sent describing the yearly allocations. She also confirmed that the allocation had not been done yet, and she said she would raise a request to have the allocations made. She said this could take another 4-8 weeks to get done, so I'll keep an eye on it online.

New category to "tidy"up" Dept of SP budget?

I am waiting until February 2025 for the ones due in April 2025 and the rest of them.

You have not mentioned, but I presume you will continue to pay for the foreseeable future.

So don't forget you will have to pay for the new years like 2024 - 2025 which will be available to pay after April 2025.

So I would probably pay all them next year and then start fresh and continue to pay every year until you have the 35 years built up. That's presuming you are a young lad like me at 40 🫣😅

Thanks, have 15 full years on the national insurance record. Can buy back 11 @ class2.

My record also says i only need 32 years to qualify for full pension, don't know why its not 35!?

Anyway ill only need 6 more then ;o)