HMRC took £1,456 but didn’t boost my state pension

HM REVENUE & Customs wrote to me in November 2016 saying I had a National Insurance contributions shortfall of £1,456 — £722.80 from the 2014/15 tax year and £733.20 from 2015/16.

This was due to me taking a great deal of time off work to care for my daughter, who had cancer and needed surgery and chemotherapy.

I phoned and was told that paying this amount would increase my state pension to £155.65 per week.

I paid, but a few months later, realised it would make no difference to my pension — so, in March, I wrote to HMRC for a refund. I heard nothing, so wrote again in May.

I then received a letter saying Class 3 National Insurance contributions are voluntary and refunds are only made in very specific circumstances. THIS seems like an open-and-shut case, so I was surprised you’d received such a dismissive response.

The letter sent by HMrC on december 1, 2016, confirms: ‘We previously wrote to tell you that there was a shortfall in your National Insurance contributions record. It appeared you hadn’t paid or been credited with enough NI contributions for the tax years 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 to count towards your state pension. Thank you for your payment of £1,456.’

So that proves you only made the payment because HMrC highlighted a shortfall.

Then the department for Work and Pensions wrote on March 13, telling you: ‘The £1,456 you paid to buy back the two years’ shortfall as laid out by HMrC has not had any effect on your state pension.’

HMrC now admits it got it wrong. In fact, your circumstances are unusual because they relate to state pension rights you derived from your ex-husband. you paid the married woman’s reduced rate of National Insurance, commonly known as the ‘small stamp’, which ceased for new applicants in 1977.

your National Insurance record was not completely up-to-date, but HMrC has made sure it is now accurate. The upshot is that HMrC will refund your £1,456. There are two other points worth making. First, yours is a completely different kettle of fish to the other National Insurance refund cases Money Mail featured last year.

Second, it’s always worth taking impartial advice before making voluntary Class 3 payments, because there is no general right to ask for them to be refunded. I TOOK out a £ 20- a- month contract with Vodafone in December 2015. Unfortunately, rather than replacing it, this was added to the old one, which cost £35.73 per month.

I made a 50-minute phone call to Vodafone, during which I was assured the situation would be remedied and a refund paid.

I’ve now been presented with a final demand for an amount plucked from the sky, with the threat of debt collection. Could you get it off my back? D. F., East Lothian. No oNe could say you haven’t tried to sort this out for yourself. you included several letters that you had sent to vodafone, along with its responses, some of which were only semi-literate.

Try this: ‘As per the contract terms and conditions, when the contract commitment will get over, the contract will start rolling over on every month.’

vodafone executives should be ashamed it is sending this kind of gibberish to customers.

The result is that, nearly two years after you changed contracts, you received a debt collection letter demanding £44.61.

vodafone has apologised and sorted out your contract. It says the appropriate refunds have been made and has also offered a goodwill payment of £100 as a more substantial apology. I INHERITED two Barclays Isas from my late wife. On August 8, I sent a completed additional permitted subscription form, an expression of wish form and grant of probate to Barclays to transfer these Isas to me. I’d sent the death certificate earlier.

As I did not get a reply, I sent a reminder on September 24 and a further one on October 17. I’ve still not had a response. M. S., Hampshire. MoNey Mail takes a particularly dim view of firms that create problems for bereaved people. So we gave your letter the priority barclays clearly had not.

A spokesman has apologised that your initial documents were not dealt with more swiftly.

However, they say they did not receive the reminders you sent.

I pointed out this was another way of saying they’d been lost internally, as I find it unlikely the Post office would have failed to deliver two letters.

barclays has now transferred your Isas and sent you a luxury hamper and a £ 200 goodwill payment. A spokesman says: ‘While we always strive to deliver the highest quality of service, it is clear our standards fell short on this occasion. We are very sorry for the inconvenience, particularly during this difficult time.’