Key Post UK State Pension - Make voluntary contributions to qualify for UK pension on top of Irish pension

Hello all, I am just hoping to buy back some National Insurance contributions now as I see the deadline is being extended to 5th April 2025, I heard the podcast on Claire Byrne RTE.. I had a job to find my NI Number but then found my P60 from UK, but i was only there for roughly 2.5 years,can't remember exactly.. and I see on all the information relating to the buy back scheme that it states 3 years etc.. but on the Podcast the guy said even if you have only worked for a year in the year you can claim it.. confused.. anyway i downloaded the Form CF83 and will fill that in, will send them a cover letter and passport backup etc.. I tried to do it on line and i tried to register with the Government Gateway but it was looking for 2 forms of ID and they were all UK id..

Was working for 7 years in Ireland before i went to London, then 2.5 years in London and back to Ireland where i have been working for the last 20 years.. so am hoping i can top up my English pension if i can get one..?
 
You should read the main key post threads on this:

Key Post - Step by step guide to applying for UK State Pension

To apply for a UK State Pension, all you need to do is fill in the form and send it off. https://www.askaboutmoney.com/threads/no-need-to-register-just-print-off-the-form-and-send-it-off.239474/ There is no need to register at this stage. But registering will tell you what the gaps are in your...
www.askaboutmoney.com

Key Post - UK State Pension - Make voluntary contributions to qualify for UK pension on top of Irish pension

Summary If you lived in the UK for at least three years and worked there for at least some of this time. You can make backdated contributions of National Insurance for up to 18 years which will cost you either £163 for each year purchased or £824 for each year purchased. The UK state pension...
www.askaboutmoney.com
If in doubt just do this:

No need to register, just print off the form and send it off - UK Pension

an overview of the process Keep it simple. Print off CF83, fill it in & post by recorded delivery - 20 mins work. You can faff about with the online registration after you've done that.
www.askaboutmoney.com
 
Hi, great info here. I am having trouble finding my National insurance number. I worked and lived in UK between 97 - 2001. I am very late in realising that this may be applicable to me and I know that time is running out. I tried the hmrc website but it requires a uk postcode which I can't remember. Could not get through on phonelines today. Would a tax office in Northern Ireland give it to me if I had ID (walk in). I can write to hmrc but there seems to be a very long time lag.

Any pointers or ideas to find it, I would be very grateful.
 

I did it, was passing Newry anyway, very helpful receptionist there and pretty sure I wasn't the first, need photo id (maybe 2) and some of your addresses, it wasn't the one I thought they'd have.

Newry Jobs & Benefits Office · 40 Bridge St, Newry BT35 8AJ

âââââ · Job Centre
maps.app.goo.gl
 
mmclo said:
addresses
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Thanks v.much I think it may be the quickest option at this late stage. A drive from the west to Newry!
Were they very particular about the address as I can remember the vicinity but don't have exact address or postcode as lived at a few location's.
 
Fortunately I could remember a few, street not number, hard to say tbh, with date of birth and close with the street maybe, no guarantees, the number was all they would provide though no other info

Might be another closer like Enniskillen etc think may be more "jobs and benefits" offices and more walk in than HMRC
 
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Thanks to all the guidance on this and other threads especially to DannyBoyD. I sent in the CF83 online about a year ago and received a letter from HMRC in May 2024 stating that I have 3 years contributions from working in NI and England during the late 90's plus the 3 additional juvenile credits (although I am not 100% sure I will keep these as per other posts in this forum).

I was Class 2 all the way for the 18 years from 2006-2024 as I have been continuously working since mid 2000 after returning from the UK; I sent a payment in GBP through Revolut in the last week of October 2024 for the exact amount to cover the 18 years and eventually this week, it showed up on my online HMRC Gateway portal without any phone calls, which is way less than the projected 53 weeks mentioned elsewhere in this forum.

So I now have 24 years (maybe 21 if the juvenile credits are removed) and have another 15 years to retirement so will pay one HIC per year from now on until I reach the full 35.

Still thinking at the back of my mind that the whole thing is too good to be true and the UK Government will change the rules (or even reverse Brexit) and I threw away about €3600 (and any future NICs) for nothing but risk v reward definitely seems to lean in my favour
 
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redchariot said:
too good to be true and the UK Government will change the rules
Click to expand...
Other than death & taxes there are no 100% guarantees for anything in this life.

However, whilst it may be closed to future entrants, it is in my view very unlikely that anyone in the system will be kicked out.
 
" (maybe 21 if the juvenile credits are removed)"

Don't think that will happen as long as you got your NI number before 2010 which you clearly did, see other threads.

Be interesting to hear though.
 
Still waiting to hear back about my NI number as I had a temporary one back in 2000-2002. Rang the helpline and stuck it on speaker and got really helpful guy afterabout 50 minutes. He wasn't able to find me but said if I registered for a call back that they counted that as being in before the Apr 5th deadline and I'd hopefully hear back about my NI number then. Directed me to website and I'm now registered for call back and have print out of the confirmation. Would be happier if I could get my NI number and be able to send in the CF83 before 5th April but at least I'm in with a shout as I was close to giving up.
 
Just checking. This scheme is not just for Irish citizens that worked in the UK but is open to a German citizen who worked in the UK for three years and now resides in Ireland? Thank you so much.
 
Just a quick thank you to DannyBoyD and others who have made this whole process so much easier. My husband and I lived and worked in the UK for 8 years. In May last year we downloaded and filled in CF83 forms and sent them off. In June, having read posts from people who had used the online application process, I tried that and it worked a treat. Did the same for my husband. Within a week we'd both received letters confirming our eligibility and the years the shortfall related to, the cost of buying them etc. At the end of October my husband got a letter from HMRC saying they'd received his CF83 form and he wasn't eligible!! We must have made a mistake on the written form we sent in? Or it wasn't processed properly at their end. But either way, he'd already received his response from the online application so I'm very glad we were able to do that. Again, following the very helpful instructions that people have posted here, we were able to make the payment for the shortfalls using Revolut and it was all very straightforward. We've each sent off letters by registered post confirming our payment and what it relates to, with copies of the correspondence we got from them and confirmation of the Revolut transaction (just to be on the safe side) I intend to call them first thing Friday morning in the hope I can confirm what years to apply my payment to (due to maternity leave I had a few NIC3 years so I am not going to buy them) This thread has been invaluable for information and advice, now in our 50s we are suddenly aware of how quickly the time goes by so we know this investment will pay off sooner than we think! Best wishes and thanks to you all.
 
"
was looking at the UK legislation on starting credits. 3 years of starting credits were awarded to everyone who registered for an NI number between 1975-2010. These cover the tax years of your 16th, 17th and 18th Birthdays.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2011/709/pdfs/uksiem_20110709_en.pdf


It is still better to purchase the extra years to get to the minimum 10 years, if affordable. But above may be useful to some one."

I think it's clear they will help people "qualify" for pension eligibility but less clear on assisting in paying for voluntary contributions and whether that would be class 2 or 3, they do seem to say "paid" contributions a lot.

Let's see, suppose beggars can't be choosers. Mine May be more complicated as worked there when 16 and 18
 
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