I havnt been paying national insurance contributions?

Question

I am a british citizen, but I have been living in Greece for the last 7 years as my partner is Greek. I haven't been paying my national insurance contributions to the UK government, and now I would like to return to the UK. I'm worried what will happen when I get old, I wont be able to have a pension? I have contacted the tax office and they will send me a document stating how much I owe in contributions, but I am worried as the website states that everyone in the UK pays 87 pounds a week in national insurance contributions. If this is true; times that by 12 then by seven years and it would cost me an absolute fortune to pay them back. What should I do?

Answer 1

You could just arrive at Heathrow, claim you don't have any papers and you will get full benefits and a free house. That is one solution.

Answer 2

Great Answer  'Cookie' !!!

Answer 3

Yes if you want your full retirement pension you will have to make up the 7 years. No you don't pay £87 a week no way on £919 a month you will pay £33.66 National insurance

Yes £33.66 a month..

Answer 4

Depends on all of your circumstances when you retire.  Is it possible to live on just the state pension, even if it is the full amount?  If not then you would be having it made up with benefits anyway so it doesn't matter how little the state pension is.

Answer 5

Balance it against the pension you will get (almost nothing these days) and that if you move back abroad to retire, you wont get any pension. You should look to make alternate pension arrangements.

Answer 6

To maintain your pension rights you should be paying class 3 contributions during your time abroad. That is currently £8.10 per week, was £7.10 a week during the last tax year. I don't know if there is any provision to pay retrospectively. you would have to ask the National Insurance Office at Newcastle.

Did you pay any contributions before you went? And what will you do when you return here? If you are employed or self-employed, you will pay the relevant contributions, providing your earnings are high enough. To get a pension, you will have to have made so many years contributions, but it may be possible to get a reduced pension if you have made less than the minimum required for a full pension.

Answer 7

forget it .. paying NI doesn't guarantee you a pension 'the Gov. said if you're 35 or below then the chances of getting a state pension are slim'

if you've been living abroad for the past 7 yrs then you should consider staying there, the UK is a mess at the moment  

Answer 8

either way the state can pay your national insurance credits! if push came to shove

I was working with a guy who had no credits and he was recieving benefits to top up his NI....

dont worry you will be fine! just make sure you are paying them with your next job and that your tax code is correct!

Answer 9

since you haven`t been working over here you will probably pay a self employed stamp (nat ins) which is only a few pounds a month until you get a job, you may have paid enough nat ins before you left to compensate for the 7 years you missed out on, no one can really work it out for you only the tax office will be able to, it won`t be that much so don`t worry.

Answer 10

You can make voluntary contributions to make up the shortfall, (£8.10 pw) which will cost you £2800. Do the maths to see whether it's worthwhile.

Answer 11

£87 per week is not correct. Wait until you get the genuine figures from the Pension Service. You will probably have some alternatives as you can decide how much to pay which will be linked to your final pension.