Buying missing National Insurance years

Helom

After listening to Martin's podcast on the 30/11 I went and checked my NI contributions.  It looks like I am all good ,and paid in full apart from the years I was at university and then on Maternity leave.  However, when I did click on the years that it said I had not paid in full, the message said it was too late to make any additional payments and I could only go back 6 years.  Everything Martin said let me to believe this 6yr rule wasn't going to be in place until April 2023 so just wanted to flag.  

p00hsticks

Helom said:

After listening to Martin's podcast on the 30/11 I went and checked my NI contributions.  It looks like I am all good ,and paid in full apart from the years I was at university and then on Maternity leave.  However, when I did click on the years that it said I had not paid in full, the message said it was too late to make any additional payments and I could only go back 6 years.  Everything Martin said let me to believe this 6yr rule wasn't going to be in place until April 2023 so just wanted to flag.  

The six year rule isn't currently in place - at the moment you can go back to 2006-2007, but as Martin says this will revert to only six years from April 2023.  
I'm not sure whether the message you get is an error in their system (the extension beyond six years was only a temporary measure so they may have decided not to amend the system to reflect it) or the years in whcih you have gaps are earlier than that. 
I don't listen to Martin's podcasts, but hopefully rather than directling you straight to your NI record he first said that you should  check your State Pension forecast. 
Check your State Pension forecast - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
as that will then indicate if you have gaps and whether your pension forecast can be improved by filling them. 

Helom

Thanks for this.  Yes, listeners were direction to check your State Pension forecast (if not currently drawing a pension) and this really helped me understand it all, so well worth it.  
Maybe just a glitch.  There is one year where there is a shortfall but the message says that they are looking into the reason and I don't need to do anything.  

xylophone

What exactly does your state pension forecast say?

molerat

I have just checked a forecast and in this particular case gaps back to 2010-11 are available to buy until April 2023 so no 6 year rule being mentioned.

Possibly reading the text here ? https://www.gov.uk/voluntary-national-insurance-contributions/deadlines but not getting past the 6 year bit which is followed by

You can sometimes pay for gaps from more than 6 years ago, depending on your age.

You have until 5 April 2023 to pay voluntary contributions to make up for gaps between tax years April 2006 and April 2016 if you’re eligible.

Green_hopeful

I only have very old missing years but I managed to claim for a couple when I was looking after my kids but the child benefit went to my husband. It all helps and will give me an extra £10 per week when I retire.