Voluntary National Insurance contributions and the State Pension

There are four classes of National Insurance contributions (NICs):

• Class 1 contributions are paid by employers and their employees.

• Class 2 and 4 contributions are paid by self-employed people.

• Class 3 contributions are voluntary NICs paid by people wanting to fill gaps in their contributions record. 

For anyone reaching State Pension age after 6 April 2016, you need at least ten years’ National Insurance contributions or credits to qualify for any State Pension. You need at least 35 years to receive the full State Pension amount.

The tax year in which you reach State Pension age can’t be used as a qualifying year for your State Pension. You don’t need to make National Insurance contributions once you reach State Pension age, but you might still be able to make voluntary contributions to top up any gaps in your record.  

If you pay voluntary National Insurance contributions, it can take a few weeks for your National Insurance record to update.

If you’re under State Pension age, check your State Pension forecast to see if it’s worth making voluntary National Insurance contributions. This shows an estimate of what you’re due to get at State Pension age, based on:

• your current National Insurance contribution record, and

• the maximum number of contributions or credits you could continue to make or get.

You can ask for a State Pension forecast in three ways:

1. Online: Check your State Pension forecastOpens in a new window You’ll need to create an account to prove your identity.

2. By phone: 0800 731 0175 or +44 191 218 3600 if calling from abroad. 

3. By post: by completing a BR19 form and sending it to ‘The Pension Service 9, Mail Handling Site A, Wolverhampton, WV98 1LU’. Get the BR19 form at GOV.UKOpens in a new window

You can use the phone or post options if you’re under State Pension age by at least 30 days. 

Voluntary contributions don’t always increase your State Pension, and there’s no automatic right to a refund. So always make sure you’ll benefit from making them first.

You need at least 35 qualifying years of National Insurance contributions or credits to receive the full State Pension, or 30 years if you reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016. So, a gap doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t get the full State Pension amount.

Here’s what to consider before you make voluntary contributions. 

1. If you already claim Pension Credit, any increase in the State Pension would normally reduce your Pension Credit award. This often means you might not be any better off paying voluntary contributions. 

2. If you die before reaching State Pension age, you won’t get any State Pension.

3. If you're in very poor health, or if you have a short life expectancy, you might not get the benefit of an increased State Pension. This is because it normally takes a number of years to get more back than you’ll pay in voluntary contributions. 

4. You might be able to use contributions from your spouse or civil partner instead of paying voluntary contributions. This includes if they’ve died or you’ve split up. 

5. A higher State Pension might mean you pay more tax.

6. If you’re not at State Pension age yet, instead of making voluntary contributions, you might be able to top up your record by working or receiving National Insurance credits.   

If you want to speak to a specialist about your options and the cost of making voluntary contributions, contact the Future Pension CentreOpens in a new window

The cost to fill in gaps in your National Insurance record for the 2024/25 tax year are:

Each additional qualifying year works out to be an extra £6.32 a week (or £328.64 a year) in State Pension.

If you lived 20 years, the amount you would get back would be over £6,500 for an initial cost of between £179 and £907.

Whether you pay Class 2 or 3 will depend on your employment status and if you ever lived and worked abroad.

If you’re paying contributions for previous tax years, the cost depends on the year involved. For example, the cost of Class 3 voluntary contributions for each of the following full years would be: 

• 2006/07– 2019/20: £824.20 

• 2020/21: £795.60

• 2021/22: £800.80

• 2022/23: £824.20 

• 2023/24: £907.40

Find out more about Voluntary National Insurance at GOV.UKOpens in a new window

If you decide to make a one-off payment of voluntary contributions, or you want to pay quarterly when you get a bill, you’ll need to contact HMRC’s National Insurance office on 0300 200 3500 and ask for an 18-digit reference number. 

The lines are very busy and you may not always be able to get through to an adviser. If you can't get through, you can also pay by cheque with your National Insurance number as a reference.

If you’re not making National Insurance contributions and want to make voluntary contributions to ensure you don’t continually build up a gap in your National Insurance record, you can set up a Direct Debit to pay the money monthly. 

For example, you might be employed but earning under £123 a week and not eligible for National Insurance credits. You don’t need to phone HMRC for a reference in this case.  

Until 5 April 2024, you made Class 2 contributions if you were self-employed, and most people made these contributions as part of their Self Assessment tax bill. However, if you don’t pay through Self Assessment, you can use the ‘Pay now’ link on the government’s Pay voluntary Class 2 National InsuranceOpens in a new window page. You’ll need: 

• your banking details (account number and sort code), and

• the 18-digit reference number on your HMRC payment request.

To pay Class 3 contributions, use the ‘Pay now’ link on the government’s Pay voluntary Class 3 National InsuranceOpens in a new window page. 

You can usually only pay voluntary contributions to fill gaps for the past six years. Check the GOV.UK page for payment deadlines for voluntary contributionsOpens in a new window   

However, until 5 April 2025, voluntary contributions can be paid to fill gaps for tax years back to April 2006.