State pension Gaps - only realised AFTER state pension has started! 8 March at 4:14PM in Pensions, annuities & retirement planning 1 reply 158 views

Deckingbuilder

Can I still make up some shortfall in my state pension, even after I have started getting my state pension or am I too late. I turned 66 at the end of September 2022. After all the information over the last couple of months I now realise I have gaps in my contributions!! 

p00hsticks

Deckingbuilder said:

Can I still make up some shortfall in my state pension, even after I have started getting my state pension or am I too late. I turned 66 at the end of September 2022. After all the information over the last couple of months I now realise I have gaps in my contributions!! 

Yes you can, but it's a bit trickier once you've started claiming. 

As you are over State Pension age, you can't get a Pension forecast any more. However, if you didn't get one before you reached SPA, if you can post up from your NI record how many full years you had prior to 2016, how many full years after, where the gaps are and how much a week you are currently getting people here should still be able to give some help as to whcih years it is worth buying.  

Unfortunately , the Future Pension Centre will no longer be able to help you with advice over the phone - instead you'll need to contact the Pension Service on 0800 731 0469
Contact the Pension Service - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The bad news is that apparently they have  no dedicated resource able to directly help you over the phone with such queries and so you will probably find that your details just get taken and passed to a back-room office who will then (eventually) write to you. If and when yo udo make voluntary contributions, then HMRC let DWP know and your pension is recalculated, but as I understand it any increase is only backdated to when you made the payments.