There are just six months left to boost your state pension with historical top-ups
There are just six months left to fill any gaps in your national insurance records (going back as far as 2006) if you want to boost your state pension entitlement.
New data from HMRC this week shows more than 10,000 payments (worth £12.5m) have already been made through the new digital service since it launched in April this year.
Usually, people can pay voluntary top-ups for the past six years, but the last government opened this up so contributions can be filled in all the way back to 6 April 2006.
The deadline, though, is 5 April next year.
Who can top up?
Men born after 6 April 1951 and women born after 6 April 1953 are eligible to make these voluntary NI contributions to boost their new state pension. You can find out more about making contributions online.
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.
Why does it matter?
If you reached pension age after 6 April 2016 you need 10 years of NI contributions to get a state pension – and 35 years to get the full £221.20 a week. Before that 2016 date, it’s 30 years.
People may have gaps in their record for numerous reasons including being unemployed, on a low income, self-employed, having worked abroad, or…
