Jo asks:

I have been working for 20 years (pretty much full time) am single and have no dependants.  I am going to work in The Netherlands and will be resident there and will be paying into the Dutch social security system.   I expect to return to the UK in 5 - 10 years.  I am 44 years old, so may not work for a further 10 years in the UK to make up the 30 years NI contributions I need to get a full basic state pension.  I believe I can still make NI contributions while I am abroad - is this correct or will my Dutch contributions count?

If a UK employee is sent by their employer to work in a country within the European Economic Area (EEA) they would normally continue to pay UK National Insurance if their stay was expected to be less than 24 months. 

For stays longer than this the employee would normally pay into the host country’s social security system.  However, special rules for countries within the EEA mean that social security contributions in each country will help towards the final calculation of your state pension. 

Editor's note: this answer was kindly provided by Tony Attubato of the Pensions Advisory Service

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