National Insurance top up - my NI record "Year is not full status" won't update!

molerat

Getting the "we are checking" sorted is down to HMRC so in the first instance you should really be speaking to them  https://www.gov.uk/find-hmrc-contacts/national-insurance-enquiries if you want to sort that particular aspect. There is nothing DWP can do about that, as you are beyond state pension age that will be the Pension Service https://www.gov.uk/contact-pension-service, as they act on information from your NI record ...... but ......... read on.

Anyway, with a weekly pension of £197.61 you are 5 full years short of the max pension.  You only have 1 year that is possible to fill, 21/22, which would add £6.58 to your pension and is still in time to pay until April 2028 and will currently cost £824.20 if you come under the pre April 5th dispensation or £923 at today's price.  Your only other chance is that those checking years could be found as filled and could add another £11.76. But that is a long shot based on the record being incorrect, you cannot now pay to fill them and have not been able to since 2012 / 2013.

This is assuming you have not deferred and started receiving the pension when due.

edit   It looks like the phone numbers are all in the air over who is dealing with different aspects, there is usually a strict demarcation for pre and post retirement queries.

You should really try calling dead on 8am.

Molteni

molerat said:

You should really try calling dead on 8am.

Thanks Molerat.  After wasting 2 hours on Monday, I got straight through to an advisor at 8am Tuesday!  He re-assured me that a letter would be sent within a couple of weeks detailing what I need to pay, what this would increase my State Pension by and how to make the payment