Further Advice on Applying for E106

[Penny29]

Following on from the previous thread I've had a few thoughts which may help someone in the process of planning a move to France:

1. If possible, about 6 months before your proposed move pop into your local DSS and ask for a form BR19 (Pension Forecast Form), fill it in and send it off (to the Inland Revenue at Newcastle, naturally). When you get the Forecast back it should show you exactly what your NI position is to date i.e. The number of past tax years in which you have paid enough NI to qualify for a pension & how many more completed years you need to contribute to in order to get maximum Old Age Pension.

This information will help you in three ways:

A. Will provide you with peace of mind regarding your NI record and it's qualification for the E106.

B. Will give you time to sort out any discrepencies/deficiencies in your NI record over the past 6 years (It may amaze you to know that sometimes NI gets credited to the wrong person's account by mistake, and sometimes unscrupulous employers deduct NI from their workers but fail to pay it over to the IR).

C. It will give you the exact position you need to know if you are retiring early to France i.e. For how many future years do you need to pay Class 3 Voluntary Contributions to make sure your pension reaches 100% entitlement.

2. When you phone Newcastle to apply for your E106 be smart and ASK them specifically which tax years they will be verifying for NI purposes - the applicable tax years will vary according to when you apply.

3. As per my explanation in the thread below, to get the maximum E106 cover you should plan your move to be as soon as possible after the first Saturday in January of any year.

 

[Ex Forum Admin]

Thanks Penny, I have added this and your reply in the other post to our FAQ's

[Anna]

"C. It will give you the exact position you need to know if you are retiring early to France i.e. For how many future years do you need to pay Class 3 Voluntary Contributions to make sure your pension reaches 100% entitlement."

If one is a few years away from UK retirement age and resident in France (ie. paying French tax, etc), can one still pay Class 3 Voluntary Contributions to ensure 100% entitlement to one's UK state pension?