National Insurance: Neglecting payments and how to turn it around

[beanhead]

2.) My understanding is that "usually" people can only make payments going back 6 years. So I wonder why I appear to have the option of paying all the way back to 2006/2007. Can I pay all of those years or do I only get to choose from those years to pay back?

This one has been covered before. It is due to a change in the rules. This option to pay back for longer (around 15 years) will go away next year, so send in your form as soon as you can and pay back while you can.

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=238&p=2711&hilit=Voluntary#p2711

[beanhead]

I have a follow-up question.

This is not going to sound too bright, but I am having trouble remembering/tracking down who I worked for just before I came out to Japan.

I am pretty sure it was work that I had through an agency rather than a direct employment, but now I am not sure how to find their details or even to confirm which agency I worked through.

I tried going back through my bank records, but online they only seem to extend to 2002 (I need to go to 2000), and I cannot find anywhere on gov.uk site (or at least nothing that would go back that far).

Does anyone know a way to find out previous employers?

I had the same issue. Company had been bought out, changed names a few times. I never did find out.
I wrote a letter along with the form and explained the situation. If you know your NI number and the address that you were registered at before you left the UK, that should be enough for HMRC. They of course have that record in their database, but they will generally not give it to you, certainly not without some proof of who you are.

[volatileresolve]

I have a follow-up question.

This is not going to sound too bright, but I am having trouble remembering/tracking down who I worked for just before I came out to Japan.

I am pretty sure it was work that I had through an agency rather than a direct employment, but now I am not sure how to find their details or even to confirm which agency I worked through.

I tried going back through my bank records, but online they only seem to extend to 2002 (I need to go to 2000), and I cannot find anywhere on gov.uk site (or at least nothing that would go back that far).

Does anyone know a way to find out previous employers?

I had the same issue. Company had been bought out, changed names a few times. I never did find out.
I wrote a letter along with the form and explained the situation. If you know your NI number and the address that you were registered at before you left the UK, that should be enough for HMRC. They of course have that record in their database, but they will generally not give it to you, certainly not without some proof of who you are.

Thanks. That's good advice. It sounds like it worked out for you then.

[Wales4rugbyWC23]

This should help. https://www.gov.uk/voluntary-national-i ... /deadlines I downloaded the form and applied for Class 2 and it worked out. I also was allowed to pay back about 12 years at Class 2 rates.

Edited to add: Just noticed - it is all on the wiki! That will give you all the info you need.

Wow! That sounds great. Maybe I can get a full pension after all.

Do I dare to dream?

Write first to HMRC and things are a bit glacial with progress but their helpline +441912037010 to follow up on any correspondence I found them surprisingly helpful, and even more surprisingly I was not left on the phone waiting continuously. An improvement on most government and banking call centres.

[volatileresolve]

This should help. https://www.gov.uk/voluntary-national-i ... /deadlines I downloaded the form and applied for Class 2 and it worked out. I also was allowed to pay back about 12 years at Class 2 rates.

Edited to add: Just noticed - it is all on the wiki! That will give you all the info you need.

Wow! That sounds great. Maybe I can get a full pension after all.

Do I dare to dream?

Write first to HMRC and things are a bit glacial with progress but their helpline +441912037010 to follow up on any correspondence I found them surprisingly helpful, and even more surprisingly I was not left on the phone waiting continuously. An improvement on most government and banking call centres.

Thanks! That's a really useful suggestion and I will do so.

[volatileresolve]

I have a few more things to do before I finally send off my application, as I hit a few roadblocks when it came to gathering some of the information and also some anxious questions from my better half.

I have tried to find some information about these and I hope I haven't missed anything blindingly obvious, but I would appreciate it if you have answers to them.

1.) How would I prove how long I have been in Japan? I am thinking of sending some scans of my passport to show the visa stamps as well as inside pages. One of the passports was itself issued by the British Embassy in Tokyo.

2.) Although I can give names of companies I worked for, I worry that it might seem a bit suspicious if a series of them have gone bankrupt (Geos, Nova, a recruitment agency that seems to have no presence online any more.... ) Do you think it would be sufficient to name the companies and say they are now gone?

3.) My wife would like to know what happens if I die before I am eligible for the pension. Can she still get anything?

4.) Or if she dies (she is Japanese, not British), do I get more? (I really doubt this, but I am just passing on the question...)

5.) Are there any circumstances in which I can claim the pension early?

6.) Do you know how the pension is paid in Japan? (Do you plan on getting it sent to your UK bank account? Or to Japanese bank account? Are the charges related to this transfers high?)

Thank you for reading the questions. I would appreciate any answers you can give.

[beanhead]

3.) My wife would like to know what happens if I die before I am eligible for the pension. Can she still get anything?

No. Zilch.

4.) Or if she dies (she is Japanese, not British), do I get more? (I really doubt this, but I am just passing on the question...)

Hahaha. Nice one...

5.) Are there any circumstances in which I can claim the pension early?

Refer to the answers to 3 and 4.

Depending on your age, it is a little different. I can start claiming at 67, I think. The gov.uk page clearly states that there is no option to get it earlier (unlike Japan).

6.) Do you know how the pension is paid in Japan? (Do you plan on getting it sent to your UK bank account? Or to Japanese bank account? Are the charges related to this transfers high?)

There are a couple of folks on here collecting. Maybe Stewart can help?

[volatileresolve]

3.) My wife would like to know what happens if I die before I am eligible for the pension. Can she still get anything?

No. Zilch.

4.) Or if she dies (she is Japanese, not British), do I get more? (I really doubt this, but I am just passing on the question...)

Hahaha. Nice one...

5.) Are there any circumstances in which I can claim the pension early?

Refer to the answers to 3 and 4.

Depending on your age, it is a little different. I can start claiming at 67, I think. The gov.uk page clearly states that there is no option to get it earlier (unlike Japan).

6.) Do you know how the pension is paid in Japan? (Do you plan on getting it sent to your UK bank account? Or to Japanese bank account? Are the charges related to this transfers high?)

There are a couple of folks on here collecting. Maybe Stewart can help?

Thanks for clearing those things up. That is pretty much what I expected, but wanted to make sure.

[Beaglehound]

I have a few more things to do before I finally send off my application, as I hit a few roadblocks when it came to gathering some of the information and also some anxious questions from my better half.

I have tried to find some information about these and I hope I haven't missed anything blindingly obvious, but I would appreciate it if you have answers to them.

1.) How would I prove how long I have been in Japan? I am thinking of sending some scans of my passport to show the visa stamps as well as inside pages. One of the passports was itself issued by the British Embassy in Tokyo.

2.) Although I can give names of companies I worked for, I worry that it might seem a bit suspicious if a series of them have gone bankrupt (Geos, Nova, a recruitment agency that seems to have no presence online any more.... ) Do you think it would be sufficient to name the companies and say they are now gone?

3.) My wife would like to know what happens if I die before I am eligible for the pension. Can she still get anything?

4.) Or if she dies (she is Japanese, not British), do I get more? (I really doubt this, but I am just passing on the question...)

5.) Are there any circumstances in which I can claim the pension early?

6.) Do you know how the pension is paid in Japan? (Do you plan on getting it sent to your UK bank account? Or to Japanese bank account? Are the charges related to this transfers high?)

Thank you for reading the questions. I would appreciate any answers you can give.

1.) Looking at the form, I don’t think that’s something you have to prove?

2.) Not much else you can do really. Just give them as much information as you have.

[tokyojoe]

I have a follow-up question.

This is not going to sound too bright, but I am having trouble remembering/tracking down who I worked for just before I came out to Japan.

I am pretty sure it was work that I had through an agency rather than a direct employment, but now I am not sure how to find their details or even to confirm which agency I worked through.

I tried going back through my bank records, but online they only seem to extend to 2002 (I need to go to 2000), and I cannot find anywhere on gov.uk site (or at least nothing that would go back that far).

Does anyone know a way to find out previous employers?

It is a couple of years since I did this, so apologies if I am misremembering something, but I seem to remember that you can set up an account with the HMRC to check your status (I am not sure if that is the same as the gov.uk account you are referring to). I would recommend doing this since from this account you can access your payment history, and in my case it listed the name of the company who were paying me prior to my departure to Japan. I believe I also included a cover letter with my application roughly detailing the details as far as I could remember them (you can use phrases such as 'so far as I remember,...').

As other people have commented, setting up this pension is really going to be the best investment money can buy, so I would definitely go for it. It does take some time to setup but is well worth it. They will send you an update every year by post once it is up and running so you can check payments are proceeding as planned. Remember that you can further increase the amount you receive by delaying taking the pension (as with the Japanese one). The only
downside is that the pension will not go up if you receive it in Japan, and since the UK pension does rise steadily each year due to the triple lock this could be an important point if it will form a large part of your income after retirement.

Good luck!