Making voluntary National Insurance contributions for gaps back to 2006

If you think you have gaps in your National Insurance (NI) record to qualify for a full State Pension, you can make voluntary contributions to cover missing years all the way back to 2006. However, after 5th April 2025, this window closes. You will then only be able to make contributions for the previous six years.

Who does this apply to?

People generally need 35 years of qualifying NI contributions to receive the full State Pension.

People may have gaps in their NI record for reasons including:

• Unemployment or low earnings – not earning enough to contribute.
• Self-employment – irregular income, payment delays, exemptions, and lack of employment benefits can create gaps.
• Life events – Travelling, career changes, starting a business, or raising a family can unintentionally create contribution gaps.
• Missing NI number – not having or providing your NI number can prevent proper contribution tracking.
• Living or working abroad – exemptions and lack of contribution credits may affect eligibility for benefits.
• Relying on state benefits – long-term reliance on benefits like Jobseeker’s Allowance can cause gaps.

If I want to make contributions, what next?

We've provided a summary below of information from the GOV.UK website to help you determine your next steps.

If you are below State Pension age, check your State Pension forecast to find out if you’ll benefit from paying voluntary contributions. You can also contact the Future Pension Centre.

If you have gaps in your National Insurance record, check if you’re eligible for National Insurance credits before deciding to pay voluntary contributions.

If you’ve reached State Pension age, contact the Pension Service to find out if you’ll benefit from voluntary contributions.

If you’re living or working abroad and you’re over, or within 6 months of reaching State Pension age, contact the International Pension Centre for advice.

What can I do about the deadline?

The phone lines for the Future Pension Centre can be busy. Provided that you log an inquiry with the Future Pension Centre before 5th April 2025, you will still be able to make top-up payments after the deadline.

Click here to request a call back from the Future Pension Centre

HM Government has said in this regard:

"This will enable people to request a call back about paying voluntary National Insurance contributions to fill gaps in State Pension entitlement between 2006 and 2018. The form will be available on the 'Contact the Future Pension Centre' page on GOV.UK.

DWP will call back to discuss payment of voluntary National Insurance contributions. This will normally be within 8 weeks of submitting a request, there is no need to make further contact with DWP or HMRC.

People who submit a request to DWP by 5 April 2025 deadline will still be able to pay voluntary National Insurance contributions back to 6 April 2006, after the deadline has passed.

When a person submits a request, a message will appear on their screen to confirm that their request has been sent to the DWP Pension Centre. We'd recommend saving a screenshot of the confirmation message.

There will be no further need for people to contact DWP or HMRC."

Source: HMRC Stakeholder Digest

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