How many years NI needed for full payment

jamesd

Here's how a forecast where additional contributions are needed can be expected to look:

"You can get your State Pension on [some date]. Your forecast is

£179.60 a week

£780.94 a month, £9,371.27 a year
[these numbers are the full single tier state pension level, so it is possible to reach it in this case]

Your forecast

is not a guarantee and is based on the current law

does not include any increase due to inflation

You need to continue to contribute National Insurance to reach your forecast

Estimate based on your National Insurance record up to 5 April 2020

£[some amount under 179.60] a week

Forecast if you contribute another [some number of years] years before [some date]

£179.60 a week

£179.60 is the most you can get

You cannot improve your forecast any further, unless you choose to put off claiming."

If you see this it's explicitly telling you that you need to continue to contribute NI to get to the forecasted amount, either by working or by purchasing years.

The actual state pension will be increased by triple lock or triple lock and the excess above single tier level at CPI inflation until your state pension age or a change in the law.

Putting off claiming is called deferring and results in an increase in your state pension of 5.8% per year deferred, pro-rated for parts of a year.