freebie

I have skype programme for calling UK. Unlimited calls for P700 a month. Good value Id say as call waiting times can be long for all Pensions/NI issues. And Ive had quite a few calls mske in past few months to get pension activated, pay in additional Class 3 contributions, have them allocated etc

mikemike

thank you

mikemike

https://uk.yahoo.com/style/time-runn...155633540.html

mikemike

another, this time a meaningful extension unless they change their minds again

https://au.sports.yahoo.com/boost-st...142911911.html

freebie

Trying to make another voluntary national insurance contribution for 2 extra years, via a cheque paid in by my dear helpful sis....but seems the form I used last year is now totally different and now a 16 digit reference number is needed with no form, just a note with details of which years NI number and the all important cheque. Anyone gone down this route recently, or am I looking in the wrong place

Feidlimid

Checking my old notes, I see that about 5/ 6 years ago, when I was in the process of paying missed NIC Class 3 payments, I rang HMRC and they gave me an 18-figure reference number (not 16) that I was to quote on any electronic bank payments to them. They would then automatically allocate those funds to my ‘account’, which they did. The only unfortunate aspect of this method was that you have no way of ensuring that the payments go to the years that you want, even though you specify that your instruction goes into your file. In my case, they allocated the money to more recent years when I obviously wanted the funds to go toward earlier years, before they ‘expired’ and I could no longer top them up. Like I say, that was about 5 or 6 years ago but I doubt that the principle has changed. Apart from that hiccup, the process worked well.

freebie

"To make a NI Class 3 payment to fill a gap in my pension contribution I need an 18 digit reference number. The HMRC website says to call 0300 200350 to get this,

Thanks for the reply Feidlimid.. seems it is indeed an 18 digit number. Now all I have to do is get one of these.

Feidlimid

… and that 18-digit number they give you won’t change; it’s to be used not just for the next, but all future payments.

sunnydays

we have just had my Barclays bank account closed ofter 6o years with them. Apparently a post brexit ruling for people with non UK addresses. Before this I could .move sterling form there to my hsbc sterling account here in rhe Philippines at no cost. All UK gov pensions for customers with non UK addresses will have their pensions sent to local banks in that currency....NOT STERLING! HSBC IS GOOD Because they give you a sterling account to save your savings and also a peso account. Each account has an ATM card and credit card. Hsbc give u a pin sentry equivalent to Barclays but it much smaller and easier to use. We are about an hour from hsbc Alabang but there "chat" works well on their website. Hsbc are also convenient to obtain foreign currency when abroad. We have bpi also and my other pension goes into our passbook a count with them in pesos.

freebie

barclays the bank that keeps on closing accounts.. reports everyday about long term customers, charities, doctors surgeries.. they dont give a hoot for any of them. The real money is in investment banking , not fiddly retail stuff. Sadly taking a trip to the bank ( in the UK ) at least has gone.. wheras here, banks on every street corner.
My pension has always been sent to HSBC HK and its paid in HK dollars....easy enough to covert into whatever currency I need from there.

Raffin

Lloyds don't seem to have followed Barclays. My account had a UK address but they knew some years ago that I don't live there now and live here. Had a letter basically saying it was OK. If you search a result comes up saying that they only removed some European accounts in 2020.

Philosophical 11

Ditto.

They know I am living in the Philippines because they refuse to send new credit/ debit cards here. As a consequence I had to provide them with a UK forwarding address.

sunnydays

Barclays were good at sending out atm cards because they are part of their pin sentry and also the separate pins for internet banking but their telephone banking was dreadful and thank goodness for Skype.

freebie

Thank goodness hsbc have no problem sending credit /debit cards to Philippines.. whether from HSBC Hong Kong or HSBC Jersey . They mail twice.. once for card, once for pin which makes a lot of sense.

sunnydays

We closed our sterling account with bpi expecting pounds to deposit in hsbc Alabang but they gave us a UK cheque from a bank in the UK?
HSBC bless them got me to write a note to our other sterling account with bpi in the UK asking them to credit our account with rhe enclosed cheque
. HSBC paid for rhe courier service double enveloping the letter and cheque also lots of sellotape and 3 days later I received an email from rhe London bpi that our account was credited. Quite like bpi.