Don’t miss out on the full State Pension – taxpayers given more time for Voluntary National Insurance contributions
Why you could miss out
When the new State Pension was introduced in 2016, it was decided that to receive the full amount, people need 35 qualifying years on their National Insurance (NI) record. It’s easy to miss NI years, especially if you have taken a career break, worked outside the UK, had low earnings, or needed to take time off work due to health or personal issues.
If you think you’re unlikely to reach the 35-year contribution requirement for the full State Pension, you can buy back qualifying years by purchasing additional credits. You may also be eligible to claim free NI credits.
Your deadline to buy back qualifying years on your National Insurance (NI) record
If you’d like to buy back NI years between 2006 and 2016, the deadline has recently been updated to 5 April 2025. You may have seen in the media that the deadline for buy back was 31 July 2023 but this has now been extended.
This will give you time to fill in any gaps going back to April 2016. By taking action, you could significantly increase the amount you receive from your State Pension.
To check if you’re missing any NI years, go to your NI record on the Government website. If you have missing years, you can use the State Pension forecast calculator.
What happens after 5 April 2025?
From 6 April 2025, the number of NI years you can purchase will reduce to the last six tax years. The purchase price is also likely to increase from £824.
You can find out more on the Government's website.
Please note that the State Pension is in addition to your pension from the Fund. You can find out more about your retirement options in the Pension Retirement Guide.