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Big update on deadline to boost State Pension by £330 a year
We explain how to check your NI years
THE government has issued a major update on an upcoming deadline to boost your State Pension.
Anyone who does not have enough years of National Insurance (NI) contributions to qualify for the full new State Pension can "top up" their amount by paying to fill in missing years on their record.
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To get the full new State Pension, you need 35 years' worth of qualifying years of NI contributions, while you need 10 years to get anything at all.
This means that filling any gaps in your NI record can significantly impact the amount you get paid in retirement.
Normally, you can pay to retrospectively top up your contributions for the past six years.
But currently, the rules have been relaxed so that you can buy missing NI years dating back to 2006/7.
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This opportunity is due to end in April this year, having been extended twice.
From April 6, the usual rules will apply so you will only be able to top up your contributions dating back six years.
However, in a huge update, the government has confirmed that this deadline will now be flexible.
As long as those hoping to make top up payments have logged an inquiry with the Future Pension Centre, which manages NI top-ups, by April 5, they will be able to make payments after this deadline.
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It follows a rush of last-minute enquiries from people trying to beat the deadline and boost their pensions, which has led to long call wait times and people being unable to get through.
So, if you are unable to get through in time for the deadline, you can now fill in an "online call back request form".
The update means more people will be able to log requests to top up their NI records, and buying just one extra year could add around £330 a year to your State Pension.
The government said: “This will enable people to request a call back about paying voluntary National Insurance contributions to fill gaps in State Pension entitlement between 2006 and 2018.
"The form will be available on the Contact the Future Pension Centre page on
"People who submit a request to DWP by 5 April 2025 deadline will still be able to pay voluntary National Insurance contributions back to 6 April 2006, after the deadline has passed."
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It added that once you have submitted a request, a message will appear on your screen confirming the request has been sent and it is a good idea to take a screenshot of this message.
You won't then need to contact the DWP or HMRC again.
Steve Webb, former pensions minister, now partner at LCP, said of the news: “After the chaos in the run-up to previous deadlines, it is good that the government has planned ahead to make sure that people do not miss out simply because they cannot get through on official phone lines to discuss State Pension top-ups.
"While it would be better if people could simply call ahead of the deadline and get through, at least there is now the reassurance that those who try to make contact before the deadline will still be able to make payments after it has passed."
Why might I need to top up my NI contributions?
Life events such as career breaks, time spent abroad, or periods of self-employment with low earnings can often result in gaps in your NI record.
This can impact the amount you will be paid in State Pension once you reach retirement age.
Voluntary contributions can be a cost-effective way to make up for these shortfalls.
If you think you might be missing NI years, check your State Pension forecast by using the government's 'Check your State Pension' tool online at gov.uk/check-state-pension.
As well as showing your record, it shows you how much your State Pension could increase by with voluntary top-ups and which NI years you will need to buy to achieve this.
Helen Morrissey, head of retirement analysis at Hargreaves Lansdown, explained: "Filling gaps in your record for this period will cost you approximately £824 per year.
" For each year you fill you will get an extra 1/35th of State Pension which works out at around £328. This means that as long as you live more than three years post-State Pension age, you have made your money back."
You'll need to log in using your Personal Tax Account login details. If you don't already have an online HMRC account, you can register at gov.uk.
You can then pay for the missing years securely online.
However, before purchasing any missing years, it's crucial to first check whether you might be eligible for free NI credits to fill the gaps.
Thousands are thought to be missing out on these NI Credits, leaving them worse off in retirement.
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For example, those on certain benefits should qualify for Class 1 credits, as well as parents claiming Child Benefit.
You can check the full list of people eligible to claim credits by visiting gov.uk/national-insurance-credits/eligibility.
What is National Insurance?
NATIONAL Insurance is a tax on your earnings, or profits if you're self-employed.
These contributions make you eligible for things like the state pension and certain benefits.
You'll usually pay National Insurance Contributions (NICs) when you're over the age of 16 and earning a certain amount.
For example, if you earn £1,000 a week, you pay nothing on the first £242.
Earn over that and you pay 10% on the next £725 - so £72.50. Then you pay 2%o on the rest, so £33, which works out as 66p.
For the self-employed rates are slightly different.
You can also get something known as National Insurance in some circumstances when you're not working, for example when you have kids and claim certain benefits.
NICs are usually taken automatically by your employer and paid to HMRC, so you don't need to do anything.
You can see how much NICs you pay on your wage slip.
Anyone working for themselves usually has to pay NICs themselves when completing a self-assessment tax return.
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