New way to boost State Pension after April deadline as Government issues update
by Catherine Addison-Swan · ChronicleLivePeople looking to boost their State Pension by topping up their National Insurance contributions may still be able to do so after the April cut-off date - but they will still need to take action before the deadline.
If you have not paid National Insurance for enough years to qualify for the full State Pension amount, you can choose to pay voluntary contributions to plug any gaps in your record. In 2023, the deadline was extended for those affected by the transition to the new State Pension to pay these contributions - meaning that it's currently possible to pay for any missing years of National Insurance dating as far back as 2006.
However, time is running out, with both HMRC and DWP reminding customers that they only have until April 5 this year to check their National Insurance record and fill any gaps from April 6, 2006 onwards. After this deadline, you will only be able to make voluntary National Insurance contributions for the previous six tax years, in line with usual time limits.
But the Government has now confirmed that those who cannot get through to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) by phone to pay voluntary contributions ahead of the deadline can use an online call back request form. This form is available to fill out now on the GOV.UK website, and the DWP will then contact you on the phone number you provide to discuss payment.
A Government spokesperson told the PA news agency: "Our new online tool will mean that savers will be able to make top-up payments after the April 5 deadline, provided they complete the call back request form ahead of that date. This will enable us to ensure no one misses out, and to suitably manage demand as the deadline approaches."
They added: "We also encourage people under state pension age to check whether it is beneficial for them to pay voluntary national insurance contributions by using our online checker."
Last month, HMRC revealed that people making payments to fill in missing National Insurance years have contributed to a total of 68,673 years, worth £35 million, since April 2024 alone. Depending on your age, you will need between 30 and 44 qualifying years of National Insurance contributions on your record in order to receive the full State Pension.
A qualifying year is any tax year in which you paid National Insurance contributions or received National Insurance credits. Citizens' Advice explains how many years you will need to get your State Pension, which depends on when you were born - if you are a woman born after April 5, 1953 or a man born after April 5, 1951, you will need 35 years of contributions in order to receive the full amount, and at least 10 qualifying years to receive any State Pension at all.
More than 37,000 online payments have been made through the voluntary contribution service so far, with the average online top-up payment made standing at £1,835 and the largest weekly State Pension increase being £113.76. Money expert Martin Lewis previously described it as "one of the single most lucrative things you can do", saying that many of his fans had been in touch informing him that they were set to gain tens of thousands of pounds from topping up their National Insurance years.
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