THE state pension often hinges on the National Insurance contributions a person makes in their working lifetime. If someone has a shortfall, it could mean they are not able to secure the full state pension entitlement once they reach state pension age.
The new State Pension introduced in 2016 is based on your National Insurance record when you reach the eligible age – you will need 35 qualifying years on this record to get the full amount, though you may be able to top this up with voluntary contributions if you fall short.
You can check how many years of NI payments you’ve made and see any missing years on the government website, www.gov.uk/check-national-insurance-record.
Until April 5, 2023, workers looking to top up their payments can go back as far as 16 years but after this date, you will only be able to go back six years.
A state Pension forecast of how much they are likely to get based on their National Insurance record will be shown as well as any outstanding contribution.
To check users will need to set up a gateway account to access their forecast, payment can be made over the phone or through bank transfer but you will need your reference code for this and this is given over the phone.
For more information you can call the Future Pension Centre helpline at 0800 731 0175 your State Pension or to ask for a forecast. Line has been busy due to a high number of calls as the deadline nears.