Deadline to boost state pension entitlement is less than six months away

People have less than six months left to fill any gaps in their national insurance (NI) records going back as far as 2006 to maximise their state pension.

More than 10,000 payments worth £12.5 million have already been made through the new digital service to boost people’s state pensions since it launched in April, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has revealed.

People have until April 5 2025 to maximise their state pension by making voluntary contributions to fill any gaps in their NI record between April 6 2006 and April 5 2018.

Usually people can only pay voluntary contributions for the past six tax years, and after the April 5 deadline next year the normal six-tax year time limit will apply.

In 2023, the previous government extended the deadline to pay voluntary NI contributions to April 5 2025 for those affected by new state pension transitional arrangements, covering the tax years running from April 6 2006 to April 5 2018.

The extended deadline has allowed people more time to consider what is right for them and make their contributions.

Men born after April 6 1951 and women born after April 6 1953 are eligible to make voluntary NI contributions to boost their new state pension.

Some people may be entitled to NI credits rather than needing to pay contributions, so they will need to check and consider what is right for them.

HMRC said further analysis of the use of the online service shows the majority (51%) of customers topped up one year of their NI record, with the average online payment being £1,193.

Pensions minister Emma Reynolds said: “We want pensioners of today and tomorrow to enjoy the dignity and support they deserve in retirement.

“That’s why I urge everyone to check if they could benefit by filling gaps before the deadline passes. Using our online tool means only a few clicks could make a huge difference to your future.”

People can find out more about making voluntary contributions at www.gov.uk/voluntary-national-insurance-contributions .

They can check their state pension forecast at www.gov.uk/check-state-pension .

Alice Haine, personal finance analyst at Bestinvest by Evelyn Partners, the online investment platform, said: “People typically need at least 10 qualifying years of NI (national insurance) contributions to receive any state pension at all and at least 35 years to receive the full new state pension – though they don’t need to be consecutive years.

“Plugging gaps can be quite an expensive process, so it is important to assess whether you actually need to buy back any missing years. This will depend on how many more years you plan to work, and whether you are eligible for NI tax credits, which fill the gaps, such as those who have been sick, were unemployed or took time out to raise a family or care for elderly relations.

“Plugging gaps in your record is relatively straightforward since the Government rolled out its new NI payments services in April this year – a state pension forecast tool that has been checked by 3.7 million since its launch.

“People simply need to log into their personal tax account or the HMRC app to not only view any payment gaps but also check if they can plug those gaps directly through the Government’s digital channels.

“A short survey assesses the person’s suitability to pay online with those eligible to pay directly given a series of options to plug any gaps depending on when someone wants to stop working.

“Calculating whether to top up can be confusing though and ultimately there is no point paying for more years than you need because you won’t get that money back.”

She added: “People who might need to top up include those that took a career break as well as low earners or expatriates living and working abroad.

“Remember, this deadline has been extended a couple of times in the past, which makes it more likely the Government will stick to the April cut-off point this time around. For this reason, those that think they might need to take action should start the process now.”