National Insurance Contributions

rejela


Joined: 09/02/2011
Posts: 293

Message Posted:
20/03/2012 22:22

I am retired and have 14 years or so until I receive state pensionfrom the UK. I do not pay NI and have not since 1998, although I do pay UK income tax.

Can anyone advise if it would make much difference to my state pension if I paid volantary contributions. Itried to get this info. from NI but they lost my request!

Geoff


Joined: 25/06/2008
Posts: 1370

Message Posted:
21/03/2012 07:18

If you are not working you will get automatic contributions credited between the age of 60 and 66 (your SPA will be 66). Provided you reside in UK, or they think you do!

Geoff

yenibob


Joined: 13/10/2010
Posts: 1203

Message Posted:
21/03/2012 07:37

If you stopped paying NI when you were around 38? You may not have enough qualifying years for a full pension. It will be best if you contact the Pensions office and check



http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Pensionsandretirementplanning/StatePension/DG_180132

Karmels


Joined: 20/12/2011
Posts: 58

Message Posted:
21/03/2012 08:26

regela.



When I first arrived in Cyprus I was in the same boat so I payed voluntary contributions till I had the correct number of years in.



If you contact the national insurance office they will give you all the details, they are very helpful.



I now receive a full UK pension, after leaving the UK 20 years ago.

cyprusairsoft



Joined: 22/06/2009
Posts: 2066

Message Posted:
21/03/2012 17:12

you can do this on line

rejela


Joined: 09/02/2011
Posts: 293

Message Posted:
21/03/2012 17:19

Thank you everyone all helpful comments!

gelin70


Joined: 17/06/2008
Posts: 66

Message Posted:
21/03/2012 19:40

I have just done the same thing, I printed off the forms and sent them back with someone to post. The reply came within the month to our address here ))

muadib


Joined: 19/11/2010
Posts: 74

Message Posted:
21/03/2012 23:47

I think they recently changed the rules,you now need to have worked for 30 full years to qualify for a full state pension.We also have just printed off the forms to receive a pension forecast(i may be wrong about the 30 years but i seem to remember something in a letter i received from the IR)

carian


Joined: 13/03/2009
Posts: 336

Message Posted:
22/03/2012 09:48

Yes, muadib, it is only 30 years now for a full pension and every year that you have paid counts now ie I think before the changes if you had paid less than 10 years you didn't get anything. Best thing to do is get a forecast from the address in message 3.

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
22/03/2012 09:56

We carried on paying NI conts to UK when we first came here... then they contacted us to tell us to stop as we had achieved the highest contribution record necessary to get full pensions at the appropriate time. We even got a refund of conts in the year we stopped.

gelin70


Joined: 17/06/2008
Posts: 66

Message Posted:
22/03/2012 13:53

Yes it is 30 years, I have currently had a forecast saying I need to work another 11 or pay voluntary myself.

rejela


Joined: 09/02/2011
Posts: 293

Message Posted:
22/03/2012 15:07

I managed to get the forcast done over the phone via skype!

It is life thats 30 years hard labour!

Si I am waiting to see how much a month I will need to pay to bolster my pension up to full.



Thanks everyone.

barnaclebill


Joined: 12/12/2008
Posts: 303

Message Posted:
22/03/2012 17:21

Groucho,

I would be interested to no how you dont pay National Insurance.The reason I ask is I started work at 15 I am now 64 and I have paid national insurance all this time except for 6 years which i spent in Cyprus.Out of my last weeks wage £30 was deducted in NI contributions.By my reckoning thats 43 yrs so far that I have contributed.Is there a form you fill in or someone you contact and if what you say comes off for me I could be in for a hefty refund. I have a colleague that works along side me and he on reaching the age of 65 recieved a letter saying that he no longer has to contribute to NI contributions.I was led to believe that even when reaching the qualifing point you still carried on making contributions whilst in employment and it only ceased when reaching pensionable age.I hope I am wrong.

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
22/03/2012 19:25

We retired to NC in 2005 but continued to pay voluntary NI contributions until we were told, by HM revenue & Customs that if 30 years worth of contributions had been paid we needn't pay any more. We, each, completed a form and were informed, some time later, that we had both paid enough and in fact my wife had overpaid so got a refund.

You may find the following link useful http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/ni/index.htm

barnaclebill


Joined: 12/12/2008
Posts: 303

Message Posted:
23/03/2012 00:29

Hi Groucho,

Copied from the link you supplied,

National Insurance the basics.

You pay National Insurance contributions to build up your entitlement to certain state benefits, including the State Pension. The contributions you pay depend on how much you earn and whether you're employed or self-employed. You stop paying National Insurance contributions when you reach State Pension age.

Would check if I were you to make sure everything is in order as the following are also connected to NI contributions

• the basic State Pension

• the additional State Pension, sometimes called the State Second Pension

• Jobseeker's Allowance - the 'contribution-based' element

• Employment and Support Allowance - the 'contribution-based' element

• Maternity Allowance

• bereavement benefits - Bereavement Allowance, Bereavement Payment and Widowed Parent's

Incapacity Benefits

barnaclebill


Joined: 12/12/2008
Posts: 303

Message Posted:
23/03/2012 00:52

Also worth noting,

Bereavement benefits and qualifying years



If you reach State Pension age on or after 6 April 2010 eligibility for bereavement benefits (payable, if someone dies, to their spouse or civil partner if under State Pension age, and based on the deceased's National Insurance contributions) is different to the eligibility for basic Stage Pension. For bereavement benefits, it remains at up to 39 qualifying years for a woman and up to 44 for a man. You may want to take this into account when deciding whether or not to top up your National Insurance contributions.

millzer


Joined: 12/04/2007
Posts: 978

Message Posted:
23/03/2012 09:01

The reason Groucho got money back was because he was paying contributions 'voluntarily' and no longer had to do so as he'd reached the number of qualifying years.



If you are employed in the UK you have to pay NI up to the age of 65 (may be 66 now!) irrespective of whether you have reached the new 30 year period or not.



After state retirement age if you are still working then you no longer pay NI.



Also, NI is not payable on pension income even if you retire and are in receipt of that income before state pension age.

Woodspeckie


Joined: 25/01/2009
Posts: 2263

Message Posted:
23/03/2012 12:32

I paid NI from age 15 to when I retired at 58 but didn't pay NI on my pension from County Council