I returned to Ireland in 2010 having worked in the UK for almost 17 years. I wish to seek assistance with securing my UK pension entitlement but, unfortunately, I can’t seem to find my national insurance number.
I appreciate my time is limited with the closing date pending. Could you please advise how I could get it as I have exhausted all avenues so far.
Ms E.A.
[ Am I too old to buy back UK pension years?Opens in new window ]
Judging by the email inbox over the past couple of weeks, this is probably the biggest single factor hindering people looking to take advantage of the current offer from the British department of work and pensions allowing people to buy back up to 18 years of national insurance to secure or boost their UK state pension.
And it is a significant problem because without the national insurance number, you cannot apply to make these contributions to fill any gaps in your national insurance record going back to 2006.
The first thing I would advise is to fill out and submit the “call back” form put out by the UK department of work and pensions, which has been overwhelmed by the sheer weight of applications in the past few weeks. You can find it here. Take a screenshot of the completed form before you hit the “send request” button if only to prove it was sent and when.
That’s not a get-out-of-jail-free card but it does buy you time. The UK authorities are guiding that it could be weeks or even months before that callback comes but they have accepted that anyone submitting that form before the April 5th deadline will be considered to be “in the door” in terms of consideration for eligibility under the scheme.
It simply gives you some time to track down this missing number and any other information you would need for your application.
And please do not leave it until Saturday, not least as that is not a working day. Do it now.
In your case, depending on your age, the deadline that is looming at the end of the week may not be catastrophic.
First, you were working in the UK up to 2010, so you cannot buy voluntary contributions between 2006 and that date as you will already be covered by your paid national insurance contributions.
Second, after this weekend, the system reverts to normal but that still permits you to purchase voluntary contributions going back six years. With national insurance cover from the 17 years you worked there, that brings your total cover up to 23 years, which is just shy of two-thirds of the full pension rate.
Then, depending on your age, you can continue to acquire voluntary national insurance until you reach the State retirement age. In Britain, this is currently 66, though that is rising to 67 in the coming years.
You can buy voluntary national insurance after this point but it will be at the more expensive Class 3 rate (currently £17.45 a week / £907 per year) rather than the Class 2 rate applying to those still working – £3.45 a week or £179 a year.
But if you are determined to try to fill the gap between 2010 and 2019, what are your options?
[ Will paying voluntary UK national insurance cancel out my PRSI payments?Opens in new window ]
First, even if you cannot find the card or have not kept a note of the number, have you kept any old payslips for tax or other purposes? The number would be on those if so.
If not, another option is to head north of the Border to one of the Jobs and Benefits offices where they may be able to help you.
The Newry office, in particular, has been busy with forlorn Republic residents who have lost track of their numbers.
It is open between 9am and noon and then 2pm-5pm on Monday through Wednesday and also Friday. On Thursday, it opens later – at 10am – but the hours are otherwise the same.
You’ll need two separate forms of ID, at least one of which has to be photographic ID. I am told they accept UK or Irish passports and driving licences or an Irish public service card. There is no appointment system. You simply turn up and, if necessary, wait.
Bring as much detail as you can of employers, dates of employment, employer addresses and your own addresses in the UK. Clearly there will be gaps in that information but I have been told that the staff there have performed near miracles in digging up details of long-forgotten cards – some dating back to the mid-1970s – in a half-hour or less.
The Newry office is at Phoenix House, 40 Bridge Street, Newry BT35 8AJ. Other offices are in Kilkeel, Armagh, Enniskillen, Omagh, Derry and Belfast.
I have to be honest here. With the best will in the world, I’m simply not sure that you or the Newry office will have the time to unearth your details to complete the process before the deadline. The same is true for the many others who are in a similar position.
That’s why it is so important to fill in and submit that callback form.
If the Jobs and Benefits Office staff cannot find your number, then you are back dealing with UK tax officials at HMRC, who will be looking for details of when you were in the UK, especially when you first applied for a national insurance card. They will also seek details of when you worked for all UK employers with their addresses and your own addresses at those times.
Given the inevitable gaps in information at this remove, that can be a time-consuming process on both sides.
