Asking for Advice about UK Pension and NI

[jonnyd]

HI Everyone,

I would like some advice if possible and will first give a bit of background info.
I'm British, but when I was young my family left the UK so I never got my NI number, but I went back to the UK for uni and lived there about 5 years from 1997 to 2002, but because I was 19 when I went back in 1997, I passed the age where they automatically give out NI numbers. This year at the age of 40 I decided it's about time to sort out a pension (20 years too late). I wanted to do it ages ago but there were evidence of identity interviews and I didn't want to travel to them, but cause of corona, there aren't interviews anymore, so I managed to use a friend's address, sent my passport and got my NI number. So my question is without being back in the UK how could I pay NI contributions? I have no NI record since I only got the NI number a few week ago. I also don't want to move back to the UK as I have a good uni job here and would make half the money. Can I start to pay class 3 now I have my NI number? or would it be strange for HMRC to see an application from someone who just got the NI number? Or is there another way?

thank you

[Beaglehound]

I don’t think you will be able to contribute as one of the required criteria is that you already have some qualifying years at the time you left the U.K.

[beanhead]

Eligibility 'rules' are here:

https://www.gov.uk/voluntary-national-i ... tributions

[Beaglehound]

Actually, looking at page 10 of the document below, it seems you may qualify by satisfying the requirement of having lived in the U.K. for 3 years. Either they have changed the criteria or (more likely) I remembered wrongly. The form at the end is what you have to send them.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... _12_20.pdf

[RetireJapan]

Standard operating procedure is just to fill in the form, cross your fingers and send it in

[JapaneseMike]

HI Everyone,

I would like some advice if possible and will first give a bit of background info.
I'm British, but when I was young my family left the UK so I never got my NI number, but I went back to the UK for uni and lived there about 5 years from 1997 to 2002, but because I was 19 when I went back in 1997, I passed the age where they automatically give out NI numbers. This year at the age of 40 I decided it's about time to sort out a pension (20 years too late). I wanted to do it ages ago but there were evidence of identity interviews and I didn't want to travel to them, but cause of corona, there aren't interviews anymore, so I managed to use a friend's address, sent my passport and got my NI number. So my question is without being back in the UK how could I pay NI contributions? I have no NI record since I only got the NI number a few week ago. I also don't want to move back to the UK as I have a good uni job here and would make half the money. Can I start to pay class 3 now I have my NI number? or would it be strange for HMRC to see an application from someone who just got the NI number? Or is there another way?

thank you

Did you work at all when you were in Uni? If you did so without an NI number then your employer (if they were doing it properly) should have assigned you a temporary national insurance number and you'd have been paying 'emergency tax' until such time as your record got sorted out. - [If you were working part time and got paid in cash, then all bets are off though]

Go with what Ben said, send the form, wait 6 months, cross various appendages.

[jonnyd]

Thank you all for the advice.
I believe I qualify as I lived in the UK more than 3 consecutive years from 1997-2002 and all of them were at uni, so I would be able to show the transcripts as proof if they ever need that. But, I never worked while at uni, so that's also why I didn't get an NI number.
So you think the best bet is just to send off the form, ask to pay class 3 and see what happens as the best approach?

[Beaglehound]

Thank you all for the advice.
I believe I qualify as I lived in the UK more than 3 consecutive years from 1997-2002 and all of them were at uni, so I would be able to show the transcripts as proof if they ever need that. But, I never worked while at uni, so that's also why I didn't get an NI number.
So you think the best bet is just to send off the form, ask to pay class 3 and see what happens as the best approach?

100%. Be prepared for a long wait, they ain’t quick.

[adamu]

+1 on just sending the form. Include a letter explaining the situation, too. Looking forward to your update here in February when you get a reply.

[JapaneseMike]

Looking forward to your update here in February when you get a reply.

harsh but fair warning </reality>