UK Pension & Voluntary Payments Questions

[RetireJapan]

I used the below address which is the International Pension Centre for people living or having lived overseas.
https://secure.dwp.gov.uk/ipc/personal-details

Wonderful. Thank you very much. I'll give that a try tomorrow!

[Cracaphat]

I used the below address which is the International Pension Centre for people living or having lived overseas.
https://secure.dwp.gov.uk/ipc/personal-details

Wonderful. Thank you very much. I'll give that a try tomorrow!

No worries,good luck and hope you get the express VIP service to your questions

[Cracaphat]

1/. I never worked in the U.K. since I emigrated in my teens.

That's likely to be a no then... With regards to trying to make voluntary National Insurance contributions (and back pay) you need to satisfy two main requirements: Have lived in the UK for a set number of years, and have a minimum of three years of National Insurance contributions to your name.

Well, if what you say is correct,will have to go to plan B. Thanx.

[Cracaphat]

Having the HM's Gov.UK experience in waiting for an answer about the above topic.I wrote two months ago and not even a peep.I don't think I could live outside Japan and deal with having to wait forever to get a reply.So I wrote them again!!

[RetireJapan]

Persist. I phoned, sent three emails, nothing.

Phoned again and got passed around 8 different phone numbers. Finally got a reasonable sounding answer.

Grateful for Japan's public servants at times like these...

[Cracaphat]

Persist. I phoned, sent three emails, nothing.

Phoned again and got passed around 8 different phone numbers. Finally got a reasonable sounding answer.

Grateful for Japan's public servants at times like these...

Thanx RJ. I will. I've got the time

[Bubblegun]

Having the HM's Gov.UK experience in waiting for an answer about the above topic.I wrote two months ago and not even a peep.I don't think I could live outside Japan and deal with having to wait forever to get a reply.So I wrote them again!!

I just got my letter this week, from the UK and they confirmed I got 35 years contributions but that took me 4 months to get a reply.
I wanted them to give me a print out because I couldn't access their website due to my passport running out. But they did reply, eeeeeeventually.
I put it down to them being inundated with self assessment forms in December/January and then the new financial year in April.
I was just about to re-write a letter and then the letter dropping in my mail box yesterday.
I'm sure they'll get back to you but it Makes me appreciate the Japanese bureaucracy. Well,Kinda!

[Cracaphat]

I just got my letter this week, from the UK and they confirmed I got 35 years contributions but that took me 4 months to get a reply.
I wanted them to give me a print out because I couldn't access their website due to my passport running out. But they did reply, eeeeeeventually.
I put it down to them being inundated with self assessment forms in December/January and then the new financial year in April.
I was just about to re-write a letter and then the letter dropping in my mail box yesterday.
I'm sure they'll get back to you but it Makes me appreciate the Japanese bureaucracy. Well,Kinda!
[/quote]

Thanks for letting me know Bubblegun.Just need to be patient then.I think I've become spoilt with Japanese speed<or efficiency?> of things,though they love "red tape" and making you jump through hoops to get what you want.

[ricardo]

Observation: lots of people slag off the Japanese pension scheme but laud the UK one and fall over themselves trying to pay more into it voluntarily.

I think this is strange. The Japanese scheme is probably safer in terms of potential government default than the UK one. And the UK’s policy is to raise the retirement age in line with the average living age span, whereas the Japanese scheme currently still pays out at 65. (I expect this to change, but not soon and probably only for younger people).

Also the UK pension is frozen for Japanese residents, so every year your pension is whittled away by inflation. After 20 years it will look very low indeed. Even relatively low inflation is a silent killer over a reasonable period of time. You need to protect against it.

[RetireJapan]

Some good points there ricardo. Of course I am paying both

However, the UK scheme is currently better funded than the Japanese one: https://www.ft.com/content/431a5030-71a ... 0fdae72044
I doubt either scheme will fail but Japan is going to be hammered with health and nursing care costs going forward, as well as pensions. UK forces everyone to pay into the pension scheme, Japan has been slow to do so.

Paying voluntary contributions to the UK state pension is an excellent deal: the monthly payments are miniscule (class 2) or about half of kokumin nenkin (class 3), and the maximum monthly payout is higher!

UK state pension under its current form will be frozen from when you start taking it, so will continue to grow in the meantime. It is also reset if you ever move back to the UK.

So I do think from an expat in Japan's perspective, paying into both makes a lot of sense.