UK Pension Buy Back - National Insurance No. Issue

I'm trying to understand if I'm eligible for the UK Pension Buyback.

I worked there for 2.5 years from August 1998 until March 2001. I've hit a roadblock. I have two payslips from back then. Once from October 1998, and another from March 2001. In both cases, in the section that holds the category "NI No." says "required".

So it looks like I never got a National Insurance number. However, PAYE and National Insurance were paid according to the payslips. I tried the relevant section of the gov.uk website, and went to the section where you apply for a NI number:

However, it appears to be only geared to getting you a NI number if you are current in the UK. I rang the helpline at the bottom of that webpage, and had to hang up after I was waiting for about 15 minutes. I'll try again when I'm off work in a couple of days.

Has anyone come across this problem before? And has anyone found a roadmap to getting it sorted?

Thank you,
JA.

Do you recall if you applied for a NI?

DannyBoyD said:

Do you recall if you applied for a NI?

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I don't recall ever having done so, or anyone chasing me to do it. My wages were coming in, and the regular deductions were happening as normal on the payslips each month - I never thought it would come back to bite me 25 years later !

If you've paid NI you must have a NI number surely.

I didn't know my NI number, had no documentation from "back in the day", so I used the link below to retrieve it. I did need to post the form. From memory it took approx. 6 weeks until I received a reply (by post) with my NI

Zobeda said:

If you've paid NI you must have a NI number surely.

I didn't know my NI number, had no documentation from "back in the day", so I used the link below to retrieve it. I did need to post the form. From memory it took approx. 6 weeks until I received a reply (by post) with my NI

Get your National Insurance number by post - Get your National Insurance number by post - GOV.UK

www.tax.service.gov.uk

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Thanks for this, it's much appreciated. The only thing is that it says on that link:
"If you have never had a National Insurance number, do not use this application form."

As you suggest, maybe I did have a NI number, but for some reason it may have never made it on to my payslip, and I was unaware of it. I'll have to do a bit more digging first to establish that. I'm hoping that helpline might be able to answer that question.

I hear you. If I were in your shoes I would still be inclined to complete the form and send it off. I'd also send copies of the payslips and a brief cover note saying that it's obvious you've been a NI contributor per the payslips but that you don't understand why your NI number isn't on them.

Zobeda said:

I hear you. If I were in your shoes I would still be inclined to complete the form and send it off. I'd also send copies of the payslips and a brief cover note saying that it's obvious you've been a NI contributor per the payslips but that you don't understand why your NI number isn't on them.

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Excellent idea thanks - I'll do that in conjunction with making the call. Hopefully if I throw enough darts, one of them will eventually stick...

Update:

I called the National Insurance Number Application Helpline this morning after a 40-minute wait:
0800 1412079

Thankfully, with my DOB and previous UK address information, he was able to confirm that a NI number existed for me. He was unable to disclose that number over the phone, because I wasn't in a position to pass all of the security questions.

He then told me to fill out Form CA5403, and post it, and I should have it posted it to me in 2-3 weeks (as suggested by @Zobeda in the link above ).

Hopefully that will get the ball rolling, and I can get over the line with it. Thanks @Zobeda and @DannyBoyD for your help...

Best wishes,
JA