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Topping up your state pension

Got questions about boosting your state pension by checking your record with the Future Pension Centre and making voluntary National Insurance contributions?

If You Have Registered For A Call Back Look Here
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Guide discussion: Voluntary national insurance contributions
This is the place to discuss our new guide on voluntary national insurance contributions. We'd love to hear your thoughts, personal experiences, and general feedback. If you haven’t already, join the forum to reply. If you aren’t sure how it all works, read our New to Forum? Intro Guide.'
MSE guide: How much state pension will I get?
Some common questions about your state pension forecast are covered in our guide, such as: * What are qualifying NI years and how many do you have? * Why you might get less state pension than you thought * How much state pension will I get? * How can I boost my state pension?
HMRC letter says I tried to pay Class 3 (voluntary) contributions - I DIDN'T!
Received a letter from HMRC dated 04/07/25 saying "Our records show you recently tried to pay Class 3 (voluntary) NI contributions for the tax years 2006-2021. You couldn't make these payments because of a service problem we had on 5 April 2025." Whilst I may well have been looking at my NI/Tax accounts online at some…
Wrong Amount Credited
I topped up my NI contributions with just under £6k to purchase 7 years. When I checked my account after 5th April, only 4 and a bit years and £3.5k had been credited. I have requested a callback and received this text message, "DWP have received your request to call you to discuss paying voluntary National Insurance…
Is it worth topping up NI contributions for my wife?
I checked my wife's SP forecast and it says her forecast is £230.25 a week, £1,001.18 a month and £12,014.12 a year. However, it further goes on to say that she needs to continue to contribute NI to reach her forecast: "Estimate based on your NI record up to 5 April 2024 : £229.13 a week" "Forecast if you contribute…
Current payment processing backlog
We paid several years contributions a week before the April deadline. We have checked with HMRC and they have definitely received the money. All we need now is for them to process the payment and allocate it to the appropriate years. There is a backlog however. I saw a HMRC forum post from a couple of months ago that…
Pension top up
Can anyone advise a pension dinosaur on the following. I no longer work and have just reached retirement age. Am not taking my private pension as yet but If I invest £2880 into my private pension now is the top up tax free if I want to withdraw it later
Full state pension in July 2037
So looking at my state pension forecast, I have a one year gap between 2022-23 where I did not claim any benefits, was not in employment and despite being eligible at the time for carers allowance did not claim it. I went to DWP about this after the fact but basically got told tough luck for that year. They want £923 for…
State pension in 2 countries
Hello, I have worked 28 years in the UK and paid NIC voluntarily to have the full state pension. I have worked and am still working and paying into the Spanish state system (currently for 20 years) and am eligible for the Spanish state pension. My question is can I receive the full state pension from the UK plus the years…
Missing the Callback from The Future Pension Centre regarding NI gaps?
I am worried that I may miss my callback from the Future Pension Centre to discuss gaps in my NI. I cannot have my phone with me at work. Does anyone know or had experience of them phoning back if they can't get hold of hold of you?
Past State Pension age but still hoping to top-up? What do the delays cost you that you didn't plan?
If you are past State Pension age (SPa) and still planning to pay VC's, these questions may be for you, and indeed for case-handlers who might well be confused about how to calculate the right numbers for your case. When you finally get to pay VC's what will be the effective dates of increases to your main pension and if…
News: State Pension boosting top-ups blocked for thousands in HMRC error ahead of crucial deadline
Thousands of people making requests to check and top up State Pensions were wrongly denied ahead of a crucial deadline to do so on Saturday 5 April, HMRC has confirmed to MoneySavingExpert.com (MSE). But if you were hit by the error, you should be contacted directly and given another chance to fill any gaps in your…
Means Testing State Pension
In a bit of a quandary reference buying missed NI contributions. I’m due my pension in January and I was going to buy six years worth of missed contributions as I retired in 2015, at 55yr. I have a public pension of approximately 24k (army) and now with all the talk of means testing the state pension, I’m worried about…
Voluntary NI Contributions – What to Expect After Requesting a Callback
This is just a quick update for anyone who registered for a callback from HMRC regarding voluntary National Insurance contributions after the deadline. I spoke to Inland Revenue, and they confirmed the process: * They will attempt to call you three times. So don’t panic if you miss the first call. * Once they reach you,…
Voluntary National Insurance contributions
Following MSE advice, I have checked that a couple of years are "not full" according to DWP and I decided to make extra payment. Since I worked abroad during this time, I couldn't do it online, so I requested a call back. They called me in May to confirm and said that my details will be passed to a third party(?) and they…
CF83 reply letter - is call to Pension Service required or optional
The letter says: "Due to changes in the law, you need to call the Pension Service to confirm whether your State Pension will increase if you pay any shortfall". Is this call absolutely required? (e.g. do I get some sort of reference number if I make the call etc. that I need for payment). I left the UK in 1986 and have no…
Topping up NI contributions if the Government are going to means test State Pensions
Given the rumours around the Government possibly moving to means testing for the UK State Pension, is it still advisable to pay for missing years of NI contributions to boost my State Pension?
18 digit reference number
Hello all, still waiting to get my call back to get my 18 digit reference number to pay my missing years. Been through all the steps, phone calls, written reply last December giving phone number to call for the ref number (called several times, put on hold for an hour and cut off) etc. Found the link to request a call back…
Class 2 overseas contributions letter April 25
Has anyone who pays class 2 contributions from abroad received their letter for the April payment this year? Mine usually arrives until mid April but I haven't received it yet. So I'm wondering - did it get lost in the post? Or has the deadline for paying old years caused so much havoc that the class 2 letters are sent out…
I'm calling the Future Pensions Centre and the call keeps getting dropped.
After a few mins of recorded info, I am asked to 'choose from the following options' but then no options are given; just dead air. Call drops after a few more minutes. I called again and tried some random number as option choices but it still is dropped. There is no other way to discuss my buy back options. I know they are…
NICs shortfall rates - paying years 2019-2020 to 2024-2025 later on
Hi everyone, I got the letter from HMRC (after sending in CF83). This gives me 31 days to pay the years 2006-2007 to 2018-2019 (inclusive). For the years 2019-2020 to 2024-2025 I can pay later but the sum to pay (rate) would be subject to a penalty (e.g. the rate for 2020-2021 would be 795.60 if I pay in the next 31 days…
CF83 - when the reply comes, how much time is given to pay?
It would good for me to have an idea of the time allowed... for getting my funds together. Thanks :)

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Topping up your state pension

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