Time until payment accepted at the other end?

L

Lara

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I’m just wondering how long most people are waiting to see a change on their NI HMRC account? Seems to be several months to a year? I paid in 10 years a month ago and no change on line to date.
 
Did you pay on foot of a letter from them?

I did but I paid online and it was only when I called them that it was allocated to specific years. Considering I paid in response to their letter I didn’t expect to have to do that. But I just let my computer call and let it sit until I got through and then it took 2 minutes and showed up online a couple of weeks later.
 
Yes, I started at class 3 and got a letter revising it to class 2. I paid via Revolut. The portal still quoting class 3 fees.
 
There’s a mismatch between online and letters it seems until you call. Or maybe it’ll sort out eventually. I made a call, me nerves couldn’t handle it!
 
My sister made a formal claim and and made a bank payment for 7 yrs in April 2025 (3 already worked & Paid in UK years ago )
The amount paid was based on the lower rates for 7 yrs ( circa 165 STG)
website does state the 10 yrs do not have to be consecutive
Now the UK pension website says you can only pay the last 6 yrs (at circa 900 STG per yr)
Therefore she appears to have made an underpayment !??
MUST She pay the latest 6 yrs or can it be the earlier (cheaper) 6 yrs ?? -
She rec'd a letter in post on 25 May 2025 - letter dated 5 May 2025 - saying she needs to pay by 31 May 2025 or otherwise penalty is due
The amount of the penality not stated.
 
So she applied before the cut off? And got a letter and paid on the foot of that? For only 7 years?

Or did she calculate what she owed and sent that last month?

Going forward I understand that you can only pay for the last 6 years, and the default on their website will be class 3, the higher rate.

You can’t pick and choose any set of years. The ‘loophole’ has been closed and it’ll be the last 6 years from now on.
 
Just to clarify ...
She sent in the form in April 2025 before the deadline and sent a total payment for 7 years of 1,155 STG ( 7 yrs x est. STG 165 per year)
She was not asked for any payment by HMRC but was advised by a friend to pay an estimate to cover 7 years and await a response from HMRC as to what years they would allocate it against.

She had 3 years worked in the UK and paid for in her payroll taxes/deductions in early eighty's
She now reads the letter as saying she can only pay the last 6 years but she thought that as she applied before the April 2025 deadline she could pay the earlier years at the class 2 rate which was 163.80 per year up to 2010/11 and at 824.40 for 2 yrs 2011/12 and 2012/13
I think this deadline was later extended further into July 2025 ???
 
So she worked out what class she qualified for. Why did she pick 7? Why not more? Early 80s to now is a long time. She could have paid for 18.

From now on she can only pay for 6 years and what class that is at depends on her work situation,

She should call them and see where it has been allocated. Presumably when the the door was open for 18 and she paid 7 they thought that was all she wanted. Or is the letter allowing her to pay the remaining 11? Very confusing
 
She has not got a lot of funds at her disposal
A friend told her that she needed at least 10 yrs to qualify - so she paid the 7 years and added to the 3 years worked, she would then have 10 years The friend said she would qualify for the class 2 - the friend had already done this for herself having worked in the UK for 8 years or so.
She is not working now but on a part time course (aged 62) but that will break for the summer and resume in Sept 25
Thanks for your comments - this appears to be complicated and the UK are making/changing the rules in order to cap their cost
I hope she can qualify for something as it would make a huge difference to her circumstances
 
She’ll get something certainly for the 10 years she has now paid up.

I had 11 years contributions and I can’t recall exactly how much I was due to get, €80 a week maybe… so €4k a year or thereabouts. Hopefully she’ll get at least that.

She should call them and say where the payment sent in is to be allocated
 
Did she fill in the form and get confirmation from them that she qualified? If she just paid without that then she might not be able to do now.
 
I think she filled in the form and sent the money all in one go.

I was advised not to do that as it’s hard to get it back if you don’t qualify.

From their point of view they got a payment and a form, maybe they’ve just allocated it to the 7 years furthest back, that would seem to make sense.

The form should clarify what rates apply to what years.
 
She just got a letter last week confirming the 3 yrs worked in early eighties and that the yrs and amounts per year that could to be paid for her to get the 10 yrs in total to qualify
They did not acknowledge the STG 1,155 paid to date or state if it was allocated to any particular years
If the more expensive later yrs (800/900 STG per year) are the correct 7 years to be paid, then she needs to pay that amount ...circa 6k less the 1,155 that she has paid ....which is circa 5k balance
She was only expecting to pay circa STG 1,300 to make up the 10 yrs due
I know it may not be much for some but it is a lot if you dont have it !!!
 
That’s a big difference and if she needs 10 years then of course she wants to choose the cheapest years. Be mad not to!

I can’t see anything that says you can only pay the most recent years.
 
Did she ring them and tell them what years to allocate the money to? Even if you get a letter telling you the amounts you still need to tell them what years to allocate the money to.
 
She sent a balancing payment to make up earlier shortfall and a letter to HMRC stating the allocation of the 7 yrs total paid to date ( 5 x low cost years 163 STG and 2 x 800+ STG cost years ) - (as per her letter of last week)
She is told it couuld be 6 mts to a year before HMRC ger back to her
 
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