UK state pension

Fann Linn · 29-03-2026 07:09PM

UK pensions increasing by approx £10 per week from next week according to my mate who received a letter from HMRC during the week.

Goldengirl · 29-03-2026 07:17PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124349382#Comment_124349382

They are credited student years . Everyone gets 3 .

gcuan · 29-03-2026 07:33PM

I didn’t go to school in the uk but I won’t say no. So is that 5 actual, plus 3 even though I wasn’t in school over there and I can pay 17 now so hopefully that’ll bring me up to 25 and I plan to make annual contributions.
I haven’t posted much but continue to learn a lot on here so thanks to all. And I’ll give a few bob to the Samaritans as well.

Goldengirl · 29-03-2026 07:37PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124349646#Comment_124349646

It is for everybody ..just take it and be happy 😁

Peckham · 31-03-2026 12:19PM

Article in today's Irish Times includes the following text:

And from next week, you will not even be able to do that unless you already have 10 years of NI payments. In addition, the much cheaper Class Two payments open to anyone who worked until they left the UK and were still working will disappear.

It suggests that unpaid Class 2 from past few years change to Class 3.

But according to UK Gov website:

These changes do not affect voluntary National Insurance contributions for time abroad before 6 April 2026.

My understanding is that if I still have a payment pending from 2023/2024 tax year, I don't have to pay it by this weekend. The date on the letter HMRC sent me previously remains valid.

Am I correct?

SCOOP 64 · 31-03-2026 01:23PM

That's my understanding of that to, I have 25/26 still to pay which I believe will be class 2 , 26/27 will be class 3 onwards

So any payments for years before 2026 will remain class 2, provided not over 6 years old.

EarWig · 01-04-2026 09:41AM

Deadline looms for Irish people to tap UK state pension rights
Cost of buying back national insurance to jump fivefold from next week as authorities tighten rules for expat workers

https://www.irishtimes.com/your-money/2026/04/01/deadline-looms-for-irish-people-to-tap-uk-state-pension-rights/

EarWig · 01-04-2026 09:43AM

Dominic Coyle deserves a big shout out for his reporting on this over the years.

He's made people a lot of money.

RCSATELLITES · 01-04-2026 10:27AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124355130#Comment_124355130

Never read any of his reporting, but good to see accurate information getting put out there.

But also since we are giving big shout out's.

I would like to give a big shout out to everyone in this forum and the people that stayed on even after they got sorted.

👍👍👍☺️☺️👏👏

Peckham · 01-04-2026 02:27PM

I'm confused by this bit...

With people entitled to buy back national insurance cover for the previous six years, it means that anyone qualifying for Class 2, who fails to act in the next couple of days, will face a bill almost five times higher to do so – €6,252 versus €1,254.

As with yesterday's piece, it gives the impression that if you're already paying and don't buy back earlier years by the 6th, the price of them goes up.

I don't believe this to be the case.

Goldengirl · 01-04-2026 05:15PM

My understanding is that you just have to have your application in before April 5th next . Not actually paid .

Also those who filled the form for call back before April last year still can claim back the back years as per the gov.uk site or is that just to apply for 6 years ?

Getting confusing the way the Gov.UK site has changed the information yet again about Class 2 and Class 3 payments …

"Check if the current rules apply to you from 6 April 2026

You may be able to pay voluntary National Insurance contributions for periods abroad from the 2026 to 2027 tax year onwards using the current rules. These require 3 years continuous UK residency or 3 years paid National Insurance contributions rather than the 10 year rules.

You must meet all the following:

you applied to pay voluntary Class 2 or Class 3 contributions for the 2024 to 2025 or 2025 to 2026 tax year on or before 5 April 2026
you paid the voluntary contributions you applied for on or before 5 April 2027
you apply to pay Class 3 contributions for the 2026 to 2027 tax year on or before 5 April 2027."

The last implies either that even if you were paying class 2s in the years up to this you will be paying class 3s from April 27 onwards for 2026/27. Or is it just new applicants as we thought before ?

Ambiguous wording

As to Dominic Coyle's reports in the Irish Times …Mostly they are bang on . But maybe because we are in the thick of it ourselves here😊 I have noticed some mistakes from time to time , but I am not putting myself forward as an expert ;)

This ...

"once these extra years have been bought and allocated to your NI record (which can take another six months) then your weekly payment will be backdated to when you paid your money.

At that point, Ring ( Xtrapension) tells me you will need to contact the Department of Social Protection here to advise them of a “material change” in your circumstances. They will adjust the Irish pension payment."

I am not aware this is the case at all because you are allowed claim more than one pension from EEA states once you fulfill the criteria ie. number of contributions and years worked there

This above would only apply if you were claiming a non contributory means tested payment afaik.

I am not talking about paying tax . If you have more than one pension you have to declare it to Revenue and you are taxed on it here as income .

https://www.irishtimes.com/your-money/2026/03/31/i-want-to-buy-uk-state-pension-years-but-i-have-heard-nothing-back-and-deadline-is-looming/"

Peckham · 01-04-2026 05:33PM

Ringing HMRC is no clearer. Apparently they can't see your account so can't tell you which years are unpaid or the amounts you owe.

They were previously able to give this info over the phone.

To find that out you need to submit another CF83 and they'll write to you with the details.

RCSATELLITES · 01-04-2026 07:34PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124356475#Comment_124356475

Hey Peckham, I don't know if you said already why you can't go onto the HMRC pension account and check what years you have still to pay. It will look like this (screenshot below)

Then you can search online to see how much it is to pay. Around £3.15 a week if class 2 and depending on the years.

The account is set to class 3 by default so don't go by that for payments. But good to see what years are outstanding.

Screenshot_2026-04-01-19-28-39-368_com.android.chrome.jpg

RCSATELLITES · 01-04-2026 07:37PM

I had forgotten how much I paid for National Insurance when I actually worked in the UK. Alot more than the class 2 £180 a year 🫣🫣🤣 The class 3 looks cheap compared to this 😅😅

Screenshot_2026-04-01-19-26-44-118_com.android.chrome.jpg

Goldengirl · 01-04-2026 08:01PM

Yes. It's well worth it .

I know the bureaucracy and delays are annoying ( I am guilty of giving out only last week ! ) but it's a good deal

All we have to do is concentrate on being healthy and living long enough now 🤞🙏

EarWig · 01-04-2026 08:08PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124356804#Comment_124356804

Yes, a far better deal than in Ireland. At least for me.

https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/social-welfare/irish-social-welfare-system/social-insurance-prsi/voluntary-prsi-contributions/

RCSATELLITES · 01-04-2026 10:18PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124356804#Comment_124356804

To health and well being 🙏.

To be fair to them I would say they have been Inundated since they decided to offer the buyback, imagine the amount of people from Irish to Polish and so on that took up this opportunity.

But to be honest it's still annoying and like you, I just want to get it in order so can move on. And it's definitely frustrating when you send a few thousand pounds and you don't know if they got it the other end. No automatic confirmation or a simple noreply email to confirm receipt of payment.

Hope the complaints work 🤞

Goldengirl · 01-04-2026 10:20PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124357156#Comment_124357156

Me too 🤞

I can expect to hear back ...

On 25th May !

Peckham · 02-04-2026 06:48AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124356738#Comment_124356738

What I was looking for when I rang was clarification on whether or not previous years would increase to Class 3 next week if the "Payment without penalty" deadline had passed. The media reports seemed to suggest that this might be the case.

It then worried me on the call that they were much less forthcoming with information than they were in the past. Maybe it was the person I was speaking to, but it felt more scripted and restrictive.

Ultimately I decided to pay the remaining 4 years I have outstanding and not take any chance with this 6 April deadline.

beachhead · 02-04-2026 07:11AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124356424#Comment_124356424

He may hinting at the fact that the DSP will reduce your irish pension by the increase you receive from the DWP.I think the DWP will inform the DSP anyway.

Also, I believe that if you are committed to buying class 2 that you will be allowed continue that payment after the 6th April

RCSATELLITES · 02-04-2026 09:39AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124357567#Comment_124357567

Ah ok 👍 there definitely is conflicting information out there at the moment and what you did was the best option. It's a bit of a lump sum but you are better off being upto date. Expect a letter in May now for 2025/2026, last year I paid within a few days of receiving the letter and my account was updated within a week.

Sterling is up a bit this week so I have set a few targets to get currency exchanged in advance.

Goldengirl · 02-04-2026 05:38PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124357574#Comment_124357574

That would be in the case of a means tested payment ie . State Non Contributory Pension .

The Contributory State Pension is not means tested and is based on your paid and credited contributions .

The only reason they contact each other afaik , and with your permission ( I think ), is to confirm you have worked in another EEA country due to a double agreement so you can use those years to qualify for the pension , if you do not have enough years of contributions for the Irish pension . Nothing to do with one paying the other . However you cannot use the years where you have not worked in UK and just paid vol .contributions to fill in those Irish gaps .

That is an omission/ error I think in that article .Maybe they did say NCSP as opposed to CSP and Coyle omitted it or it was too complex to explain in a short article

Either way it has been clarified by Coyle in this Q&A section below …

Source: The Irish Times https://share.google/81rAfALexewV4XEy2

Charles Babbage · 02-04-2026 05:46PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124358994#Comment_124358994

Is this issue of using the years where you have not worked in UK and just paid vol .contributions to combine pensions documented anywhere?

There are two issues in relation to Ireland. One is do you qualify for 10 years etc to get a pension. But the second is that if you qualify for a pension in the UK then Ireland has to pay their years as well, without requiring you to qualify in Ireland.

Goldengirl · 02-04-2026 05:50PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124359015#Comment_124359015

It was about not using those voluntarily paid years to make up your Irish pension . You had to have actually worked and paid those years to claim them for your Irish pension .

And not about Ireland paying ... Those years you worked in another EEA country are used by Ireland towards filling gaps in your pension years , as in the contributions, are not paid but credited , for example during years at home looking after under 12 year old children or as a carer .

However the same years cannot then be used as qualifying years in UK as well .

Coyle explains it a bit better . I posted a link

" as highlighted by the Department of Social Protection when I approached them on your behalf. " You cannot use the same years contribution to qualify for both pensions . As in the 10 years on either side. Unless you are only using them for one or the other or have no need to use those particular years to qualify for both ?

@The Continental Op have you had any experience with this because I am finding it very difficult to understand fully and am not entirely sure that Coyle is explaining it completely ?

He is pretty well respected although might not always be 100% correct but I don't think he's making it up .

It's very confusing though to a lay person and I am not sure I am explaining it very well here 😵‍💫

Goldengirl · 02-04-2026 07:21PM

@Charles Babbage

FYI .

Operational Guidelines: Application of Bilateral Agreements https://share.google/cVXb0VmlNgVTgdEwA

Under Aggregation of records : General Rules .

"Overlapping periods (e.g. where paid contributions in the other country coincide with pre-entry credits in the Irish record, or Irish contributions for a posted worker are reckonable as periods of residence in the other country) are only counted once."

Dodge · 02-04-2026 07:25PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124256286#Comment_124256286

I hope this explanation I posted a while back helps. The only reason for using cons from the UK (or anywhere else) is to help you qualify for the state pension here

If you worked here for 20 years (no credits etc) you’ll get 50% of a pension. Your UK pension will not be a factor in anyway

The UK is the international outlier in allowing people purchase contributions while at the same time the person could be paying SI in other countries (such as Ireland)

Goldengirl · 02-04-2026 08:02PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124359263#Comment_124359263

I really don't get it . I have read that and the operational guidelines but it's not going in .

Why do the UK or EU years not count ? I thought they aggregate the years and you get a higher pension as a result .

tjc28 · 02-04-2026 08:11PM

I find this pension to be totally confusing at times. Totally worth it if I make it to pension age though.

My question is… Do I need to fill in this CF83 form if I have previously paid to bring my contributions up to date? I paid for 2008 to 2025 last year.

Fann Linn · 02-04-2026 08:26PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124359351#Comment_124359351

No. You should get a demand by post for 2025/26 from mid June /July according to the lad I spoke to in Britain. He also told me this would be my last class 2 payment and class 3 from then on.

Peckham · 02-04-2026 09:40PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124359351#Comment_124359351

Yes and no.

My understanding is that you don't need to fill it in for 2025/26, but you may need to reapply for 2026/27 onwards.

UK state pension

Comments

"Check if the current rules apply to you from 6 April 2026