The government has launched a new web tool that allows people to check if there are gaps in their national insurance record, and ‘buy back’ missing years, to ensure they qualify for the full State pension.
The Check your State Pension tool is available via gov.uk or on HMRC’s app. Normally people can only make voluntary payments for the previous six years, but until April next year there is the opportunity to buy back years as far back as April 2006. Under the new flat-rate State pension, introduced in 2016, people need to have paid NI payments for at least 35 years to get the full amount, currently worth £221.20 a week. The exact number of years depends on age, but this new tool shows people how many years they’ve paid to date, how many years they have missed, and what effect buying back additional years will have on their future pension entitlement.