One customer said they had been told they would have to wait 28 weeks

HMRC has clarified the process for paying voluntary National Insurance (NI) contributions after an apparent discrepancy in what it told two different customers. One person reached out to the tax authority over social media on May 6, to ask how long it takes for voluntary NI payments to show on your NI record.

The tax department said in response that it usually takes a couple of weeks, although it can take longer if "manual intervention" is needed. However, another person contacted the group over social media the following day (May 7), to ask how long it would take for voluntary class 2 NI contributions made by bank transfer to appear on their online record.

HMRC told them the process can take up to three to five working days to "process the payment from the date you made or sent it". But this person replied to say that in their particular case, they were facing a much longer wait. They explained: "I made the payments in January and March, and nothing has been updated.

"I was told by one staff member it was an 8-week wait and another it was a 28-week wait, and now you're saying 3-5 days. Could you confirm please?" HMRC told the person that the social media team couldn't view their personal records, encouraging them to call the self assessment helpline on 0300 200 3310 or to try the webchat on the Government website.