The Government have confirmed that the deadline for voluntary National Insurance (NI) contributions has been extended until 5 April 2025. However, if you wish to top up your pension for missing years between April 2006 and April 2018, you must act before 5 April 2025.
State Pension and NI – Why does topping up your contributions matter?
• Maximise your Pension – If you have gaps in your NI record, you may be entitled to a higher State Pension by making voluntary contributions.
• Limited-Time Opportunity – Normally, you can only backdate contributions for six years, but a special extension allows you to fill gaps going back to 2006.
• Recent Government Funding – An additional £35 million has been allocated to ensure the system can manage top-up requests efficiently.
State Pension and NI – what you should do now?
• Check Your NI Record – Visit the government’s online service to see if you have gaps.
• Get a State Pension Forecast – Use the State Pension forecast tool to see how much you could receive at retirement.
• Consider Making Voluntary Contributions – If you have gaps, you may be able to buy extra years to increase your pension entitlement.
• Seek Advice If Unsure – Not everyone will benefit from voluntary contributions. Contact us or speak with the Future Pension Centre (if under State Pension age) or the Pension Service (if already at pension age).
For more information take a look at HMRC’s recent Press Release
Act before 5 April 2025
If you have gaps in your contributions record in the critical period (between April 2006 and April 2018), this may be a valuable opportunity to increase your retirement income.
If you think you may have missing NI years, we strongly recommend you review your position as soon as possible to avoid last-minute delays.
If you need assistance with your pension planning or wish to speak to a member of our Financial Planning team, please get in touch with us on 020 7870 9050 or contact us.
