BPiA webinar - Big Changes to Voluntary Contributions

[Paul Swain]

Hi Everyone!

The rules around voluntary contributions to increase your UK State
Pension are changing.

If you're still below UK State Pension age, and so able to make
voluntary contributions, BPiA is running a webinar on 28th January 2026
at 6pm AEDT (Sydney time) to explain the changes.

There's no need to sign up, just go to
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6302311842?omn=87267777485 5 minutes before
the webinar starts and you'll be able to join the meeting.

I'll try to remember to send out a reminder, but if you're interested,
it would be a good idea to put the webinar and the link in your diary.

Thanks


Paul

[JO ODDIE]

Thanks Paul, but sadly I am too long in the tooth to give voluntary contributions.

The happy bit, we get a part Australian pension since last September, which we probably wouldn’t get if we had an unfrozen UK pension.

Good luck, happy New Year, & thank you for your hard work.

Yours
Jo


Sent from my iPhone

> On 19 Jan 2026, at 15:42, Paul Swain <ata...@zaparaxy.net> wrote:
>
> Hi Everyone!

> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "BAPA" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to bapanews+u...@googlegroups.com.
> To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/bapanews/0b4d9e91-b200-48c2-85fe-1a014bef680b%40zaparaxy.net.

[Steve Symmons]

You can pay missed contributions, retrospectively for up to six years (from now)

But

Only up to the date you reach/ed pension age.

So

If you are, say, 70 you can only make contributions towards the last years before you reached pension age. Not for the years when you were 67-70

And to be worth anything, you must fill complete UK financial years (April 6 through April 5 the following year) Part years do not count towards your pension entitlement.

In my case I reached pension age a count of days prior to the end of a Financial Year with 53 weeks rather than 52; so I was prohibited from contributing to the 53rd week. Therefore there was no point paying any contributions for the entire year as it would still have been incomplete.

In short: 

you can retrospectively fill gaps in your contributions record up to six years ago.

Only complete years count towards your pension entitlement

No contributions can be made for periods after you reach/ed pension age (which depends on your gender and birth date). This is now 67 for everyone.

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/bapanews/13B99D9C-1CCC-47E9-BFF1-6A02544115D6%40aol.com.

[Paul Swain]

Steve Symmons wrote on 19/01/2026 4:52 pm:
> In short:
> you can retrospectively fill gaps in your contributions record up to
> six years ago.
> Only complete years count towards your pension entitlement
> No contributions can be made for periods after you reach/ed pension
> age (which depends on your gender and birth date). This is now 67 for
> everyone.

Hi Steve!

That's the situation now for voluntary contributions, but there are
changes coming that will start on 6 April 2026.  I'm not 100% on the
details, but I think that there are going to be restrictions on people
outside the UK making contributions.

So if you are one of our younger members, and you've been thinking about
buying a few more years, it would be well worth attending the webinar to
see what is going to happen.


Paul

[Steve Symmons]

I understand The changes from April 2026 are:

-No more voluntary Class 2 contributions (which I paid) if you are not a UK resident - only the much more expensive Class 3 contributions (class 2 were about A$100-150 depending on the year; class 3 are 10 times as much - and more!)

Voluntary Class 2 may still be used to fill missing contributions for six FY years up to, and including, 2025-2026 

-Voluntary contributions will only be accepted from people who have made a minimum of 10 years NI contributions (currently you only need to have three years contributions to be eligible to make additional voluntary NI contributions)

Or,

Have been resident for at least 10 consecutive years in UK.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "BAPA" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to bapanews+u...@googlegroups.com.

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/bapanews/e826b9e1-8e1f-48b8-a4c9-3d19ba6861aa%40zaparaxy.net.

[Neil Hillman]

Hi Jo -

Forgive me intruding, but I suspect my wife and I may be in a position similar to the one I think you are describing.

We are both Australian citizens, for longer than 10 years, and are just about to receive a UK pension (we are the same age: a full pension for me, but my wife only 30 years of contributions thanks to the UK adding an extra 5 years of required contributions in the recent past).

Am I right in thinking that when we receive our pension (this month), and it is frozen at the January 2026 level forever, eventually, it will fall below the level of an Australian pension (for someone aged over 67).

At some point, will the shortfall between what our British pensions deliver and the Australian pension pays be met by applying to the Australian government?

Have I understood that right, and what steps did you have to take? I assume it was means tested, too? Was it an arduous process?

Kindest regards to all,

Neil Hillman

On 19/01/2026, 15:36 'JO ODDIE' via BAPA <bapanews@googlegroups.com> wrote:

Thanks Paul, but sadly I am too long in the tooth to give voluntary contributions.

The happy bit, we get a part Australian pension since last September, which we probably wouldn’t get if we had an unfrozen UK pension.

Good luck, happy New Year, & thank you for your hard work.

Yours
Jo


Sent from my iPhone

> On 19 Jan 2026, at 15:42, Paul Swain <ataraxy@zaparaxy.net> wrote:
>
> Hi Everyone!
>
> The rules around voluntary contributions to increase your UK State Pension are changing.
>
> If you're still below UK State Pension age, and so able to make voluntary contributions, BPiA is running a webinar on 28th January 2026 at 6pm AEDT (Sydney time) to explain the changes.
>
> There's no need to sign up, just go to https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6302311842?omn=87267777485 5 minutes before the webinar starts and you'll be able to join the meeting.
>
> I'll try to remember to send out a reminder, but if you're interested, it would be a good idea to put the webinar and the link in your diary.
>
> Thanks
>
>
> Paul
>
>
>
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "BAPA" group.

> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to bapanews+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.

> To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/bapanews/0b4d9e91-b200-48c2-85fe-1a014bef680b%40zaparaxy.net.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "BAPA" group.

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to bapanews+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/bapanews/13B99D9C-1CCC-47E9-BFF1-6A02544115D6%40aol.com.

[JO ODDIE]

Hallo Neil

I am sure you have looked here

for all the info on claiming an Australian aged pension, but perhaps I can add a bit. 

My husband has several UK pensions plus the State Pension, frozen as of 2019 when we arrived here. I also have a UK private pension & SP

Qualification for an  Australian aged pension is considered on your income & assets. Assets exclude your main home & we think the allowance is quite generous. If you think you won’t be granted an Australian pension because you are just over the income limit, still apply because it is a balance between income & assets. 

 My friends told me the paperwork to apply is a nightmare, & one particular friend (a retired school principal), said she took her paperwork to Centrelink & applied in person. We decided to do the same but you can apply online. 

You will need to make sure you take all your paperwork, which I believe is listed on the website. 

We applied in person last August & I took

* Photo ID & proof of age

* Our latest tax return to June 2025. I printed updated versions of the accounts accruing interest as well. This included bank & savings account details & our Australian tax file numbers, all pensions each of us received. Take paperwork for anything income producing.  I believe we also supplied contact details for each pension company. 

* Proof of marriage. I also took birth certificates but they didn’t ask for them. 

*Our Aussie passports (or proof of residency if you don’t have passports)

* A year of our Barclays Bank UK  statements. 

* Proof of address, ie property tax bill, water rates. 

* Details of any & all investments you may both have. 

Please check with Services website to get the exact list of docs required. I erred on the side of too much info as I didn’t want to have to go back. 

We were asked the value of our house contents & car. 

We went to Centrelink to make an appoint to make our application but were seen almost immediately on the day by a very nice lady. (Mornings I believe are the worst so we went after lunch)

We had taken everything we were asked for & I think it was a plus that we had a tax return done by a professional. (But not a necessity). They say it can take a couple of months to get a decision but we were informed within 3 days that we were granted a pension. It is divided between Ivor & me (we both get exactly the same amount) as we are assessed jointly. It is paid 2 weekly. 

I let Ivor apply on my behalf as the customer services person said it would be quicker than going all through the application process a second time. Other ladies may not find that acceptable. 

I was very pleased we applied in person as I got the impression that applying online would be a complicated, lengthy & confusing process. I’m not a stranger to IT, but even so, would far prefer dealing with a person. 

If I think of anything else I’ll let you know, but the web will provide you with the exact documentation you will need. Just remember, it’s Income & Assets, so it’s well worth applying even if you think you are slightly over the limit on one or the other. Also if you are refused you can reapply in a few months. Pension increases are March & September so each increase may just squeeze you into the pension zone. It is well worth trying. 

I hope this may help in some way, although you sound as if you have a good knowledge of the basic qualifications. 

Good luck, & don’t hesitate to ask if I haven’t make myself clear on anything. 

Kind regards

Jo

Sent from my iPhone

On 19 Jan 2026, at 18:46, Neil Hillman <neil.h...@theaudiosuite.com> wrote:

Hi Jo -

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to bapanews+u...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/bapanews/trinity-d75e48ae-d862-46af-bfbd-b59048d1a4e0-1768802568133%40msvc-mesg-eue008.

[Neil Hillman]

Thank you, Jo -

That's incredibly helpful.

I really appreciate you going into such detail.

Kindest regards,

Neil.

Neil Hillman

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/bapanews/2C00FDE4-BF25-44A8-AD86-2285F8FECD5D%40aol.com.

[JO ODDIE]

Neil, you are very welcome. Us FPs (frozen pensioners) have got to stick together 😊. Good luck with your application. I wish you every success. J

Sent from my iPhone

On 19 Jan 2026, at 21:38, Neil Hillman <neil.h...@theaudiosuite.com> wrote:

Thank you, Jo -

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/bapanews/trinity-514ff71e-634f-4e6e-b725-98482f19f272-1768815407195%40msvc-mesg-eue010.