RetireJapan

smalldog wrote: ↑Mon Feb 26, 2024 9:41 pm I paid some 10+ years worth of voluntary class 2 contributions a few months back. Of course no update in my government gateway account despite the 8 week deadline for the account to be updated having long since passed.

Oops! Sorry. i should have previewed before posting.

After four months of my account not being updated after paying back the 10 years I rang them up. I was told that for the dates from 2006-2016 it had to be updated manually year by year by someone and could end up being forgotten about, whereas years after that would be automatically updated.They then updated them for me then and there -it took about 20 minutes.

deezy wrote: ↑Tue Feb 27, 2024 4:58 am [quote=smalldog post_id=36717 time=<a href="tel:1708983699">1708983699</a> user_id=2726]
I paid some 10+ years worth of voluntary class 2 contributions a few months back. Of course no update in my government gateway account despite the 8 week deadline for the account to be updated having long since passed.

Oops! Sorry. i should have previewed before posting.

After four months of my account not being updated after paying back the 10 years I rang them up. I was told that for the dates from 2006-2016 it had to be updated manually year by year by someone and could end up being forgotten about, whereas years after that would be automatically updated.They then updated them for me then and there -it took about 20 minutes.
[/quote]

Thanks - very interesting. I don’t suppose you have the phone number do you? Sounds like I have an evening on hold ahead of me.

There's a number that looks promising in this thread https://www.retirejapan.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2878

smalldog wrote: ↑Tue Feb 27, 2024 5:17 am Thanks - very interesting. I don’t suppose you have the phone number do you? Sounds like I have an evening on hold ahead of me.

The number was the +44 191 203 7010 one.

I was actually talking to a real live person within 5 minutes that time! I was so shocked I went completely blank and started gabbling about something or other before my brain reconnected.
i have called a number of times and the usual waiting time is around 40 minutes or so.

Good news! My Government Gateway showed "In Progress" two days ago, but changed to "Completed" yesterday. But knowing I had my communication settings set to "online" but had received no email, nor any messages on my GG page, I thought it prudent to call just to check status.

After going through 3-4 minutes of the automated phone call (NI#, dob, etc) as soon as I answered I didn't want to use the online chatbot/app I was put through to a human within seconds!

Apparently notification of results only ever get posted, never emailed regarding making extra contributions. But I was assured I've been approved to make class 2 payments from 2014/2015 onwards. Happy days!

As others have mentioned, I have been incredibly impressed (and perhaps ashamedly, surprised...) with the level of conduct and information given over the phone by HMRC staff every time I've needed to call.

And finally thanks to this forum and RetireWiki.jp, for flagging up the possibility to make these contributions. My road to future financial comfort post-divorce, post-Covid is opening up in front of me. Thanks all.

deezy wrote: ↑Tue Feb 27, 2024 5:45 am The number was the +44 191 203 7010 one.

I was actually talking to a real live person within 5 minutes that time! I was so shocked I went completely blank and started gabbling about something or other before my brain reconnected.
i have called a number of times and the usual waiting time is around 40 minutes or so.

Thanks for this number! I got through to a person in about three minutes!

And she was lovely.

My Direct Debits stopped about a year ago and asked them to change the method of payment from Direct Debit to bank transfer. It seems we'll be able to pay through Government Gateway soon but for now they said they would send me a bill for the backpayments and next year.

RetireJapan wrote: ↑Fri Mar 01, 2024 1:35 pm

deezy wrote: ↑Tue Feb 27, 2024 5:45 am The number was the +44 191 203 7010 one.

I was actually talking to a real live person within 5 minutes that time! I was so shocked I went completely blank and started gabbling about something or other before my brain reconnected.
i have called a number of times and the usual waiting time is around 40 minutes or so.

Thanks for this number! I got through to a person in about three minutes!

And she was lovely.

My Direct Debits stopped about a year ago and asked them to change the method of payment from Direct Debit to bank transfer. It seems we'll be able to pay through Government Gateway soon but for now they said they would send me a bill for the backpayments and next year.

If you are paying income tax to HMRC when doing you doing a tax return through the Gateway account, they don't allow you to complete the tax return until a direct debit has been set up. Cheques no longer acceptable. I think this has been the case since last year.

Wales4rugbyWC23 wrote: ↑Fri Mar 01, 2024 10:53 pm If you are paying income tax to HMRC when doing you doing a tax return through the Gateway account, they don't allow you to complete the tax return until a direct debit has been set up. Cheques no longer acceptable. I think this has been the case since last year.

Well I hope they've improved their systems! This is the second time my Direct Debit has been cancelled for no reason

I've never done a UK tax return so hopefully that won't matter.

Quick update - the money was logged into my account last week. I can’t quite believe it…. Even more so as I never even got around to calling them. Rule Britannia and all hail HMRC!

smalldog wrote: ↑Mon Mar 25, 2024 7:17 pm Quick update - the money was logged into my account last week. I can’t quite believe it…. Even more so as I never even got around to calling them. Rule Britannia and all hail HMRC!

Did you make a one-off bank transfer, or a direct debit? And how long in total did it take for the funds to be allocated to your account? (3-4months?)

I made a one-off payment on March 7th, followed up by a letter, and just wondering when I should put a reminder in my calendar to chase this up?