# National Insurance



## mancinusa (Mar 12, 2010)

Hi,
Does anybody know what the "rules" are regarding paying NI? I have been out of the Old country for 10 years now and haven't paid anything back into it. If I was to return would I have to "back-pay?
Thanks


----------



## goodman (Oct 3, 2009)

My husband and I decided not to continue paying NI. As far as I know, this will reduce our State pension when we become eligible but no, you will not have to pay anything back. The choice is yours whether or not you wish to continue paying it whilst oversees. You can get a pension forecast so you can work out how much your state pension will be reduced.


----------



## Sommer (Mar 22, 2010)

mancinusa said:


> Hi,
> Does anybody know what the "rules" are regarding paying NI? I have been out of the Old country for 10 years now and haven't paid anything back into it. If I was to return would I have to "back-pay?
> Thanks


As the poster above has advised, http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/BritonsLivingAbroad/Moneyabroad/DG_4000013get a pension forecast. 

Here is the web address. 

When I moved from the UK, I wrote to my tax office and they sent me a form to complete. 

My pension forecast has arrived and I was advised of how much NI contributions I need to pay to qualify for the full state pension, however, it does advise me that it is voluntary. 

So you can back pay, but it is not mandatory. 

I pay my NI contributions, as an expat, a choice I wanted to make. I pay quarterly via bank transfer. I opted out of SERPS when I was 21, and I will return back in when I am 50. 

For any person who leaves the UK, it is important that you inform the Inland Revenue of your departure, this will then ensure that any pension will be paid to you even if it is not the full state pension. 

Unless of course one is on the run from the tax office...


----------



## Busybee (Aug 7, 2008)

When we left the uk we also asked for a pension forecast, when it arrived it told us that because we had already made the 30 years contributions required for a full pension, no other contributions were required.


----------

