A rule that allows people to fill historic gaps in their National Insurance contributions record to boost their state pension is set to change from 6 April 2023.
You need at least 10 qualifying years of contributions (NICs) in your National Insurance record to receive any state pension, and 35 years to get the full amount.
Former pensions minister Sir Steve Webb said some workers could miss out on thousands of pounds if they fail to pay for missing contributions before the deadline.
Here, we explain how voluntary NICs work, and whether you should consider buying extra years to top-up your state pension eligibility – as it’s not the right choice for everyone.
There’s a very comprehensive article covering this on the Which? website – Read Article
How to check your National Insurance record
You may have gaps or part-years in your National Insurance (NI) record for a number of reasons – you may have been employed on low earnings, or unemployed but not claiming benefits. Those who were self-employed or worked abroad may also have gaps in their record.
You can check your National Insurance record on the government website; you can also check your state pension forecast online, where you can see how much state pension you’ll get, when you can get it, and whether there are options to increase your payments.
If you think there are mistakes on your record, you should contact HMRC.
