HMRC has issued an update about some important paperwork going out to certain National Insurance taxpayers. You may want to checking your National Insurance (NI) details are up to date and your contributions are properly recorded, as these build up your entitlement to the state pension.

The full new state pension is currently £230.25 a week, and you typically need 35 years of NI contributions to get this. You need 10 years of contributions to get any amount of state pension. Labour MP Juliet Campbell asked Chancellor Rachel Reeves in a written question in Parliament if she had looked at the service teams working on processing A1 certification applications.

She also asked when processing times are expected to “return to the standard service level”. In October 2025, it was reported that there were seven-month delays for these applications to be processed.

These vital certificates show that you will pay UK NI contributions while you are self employed and working in either an EU country, in the European Economic Area, or in Switzerland.

You may need to fill in the form if you are working in either:

• An EU country
• Gibraltar
• Iceland
• Liechtenstein
• Norway
• Switzerland.

Treasury minister’s response

Treasury minister Dan Tomlinson provided a response from the Government. He said: “HMRC recognises how important it is for customers to receive their A1 certificates promptly and is strengthening the service to support this.

“Additional National Insurance advisers are being trained to further increase capacity.” He went on to confirm an April date as the tax department steps up its efforts.

Mr Tomlinson said: “The service‑level agreement (SLA) for A1 certificates is to process 80 percent of online applications within 15 working days, and 80 percent of postal applications within 40 working days. HMRC has implemented a plan to stabilise performance and expects to meet its SLAs by the end of the tax year.”

He also added a word of practical advice for how to get your application dealt with speedily. The minister said: “Customers are encouraged to apply online for A1 certificates, as online applications are quicker to deal with.”

You can file your application through the Government website. You cannot apply for a certificate more than 12 months in advance of when you will be working abroad.

When you sign in to use the service and file your application, you may need to prove your identity. This normally involves providing a form of photo ID, such as a passport or driving licence.