Does price of buying 'missing' NI years change?

AlanF

Hi, 

Following advice from forumites last year, which was really appreciated, my wife has decided to buy back 2 of the 3 'payable gap' years (£261.80 and £824.20 for 2021/22 and 2022/23 respectively. (The 2023/4 year probably isn't worth it as it would only get her an extra £1.32 as she is close to the maximum).

Having looked at paying for these missing years, and answered all the questions on the gov.uk website about working abroad/self-employment etc, we reach the final stage, where there is a comment that "this option is available until 5 April 2028" (see below).

My question is, is this option available at the same price until 5 April 2028, or does the price go up year by year? My wife is presently (just!) 62 and so is 5 years off being able to claim her pension. We don't particularly want to fork out the money now if we can pay the same money 3 years later!

Thanks

Alan

p00hsticks

the price of those two years will go up, as per my reply on this previous thread 

Is the cost of filling Class 3 NI gaps voluntarily expected to rise on 6 April 2025? — MoneySavingExpert Forum

AlanF

Thanks very much for that! Bizarrely, the information on the gov.uk web site has changed, despite no changes to my wife's circumstances. We had planned on buying back as per option 2 above. I wanted to do this today, before the price may change. However, the web site has now removed this option for me, and tells her that she can't buy back the cheapest of the years above (2021-22) - "it's too late to pay for this year. You can usually only pay for the last 6 years". This makes so sense at all, as it was only 3-4 years ago! Four days ago it was quoting her £261.80 to buy that same year, and telling her that the option was available until 5 April 2028! I attach below the two screenshots from the site that appear totally incompatible with each other!

This was 4 days ago on 1 April:





This is today:




The 2021 to 2022 gap has now disappeared, but on clicking for that year, it is showing as too late:



It's difficult to make sense of this, any thoughts why they are now telling me that it's too late to buy the 2021 to 2022 year? I guess I'll need to ring them on Monday.

Thanks

Alan

QrizB

AlanF said:

Thanks very much for that! Bizarrely, the information on the gov.uk web site has changed, despite no changes to my wife's circumstances.

Yea, it's all messed up today.

Might be fixed before the end of the day if HMRC have paid for weekend support, otherwise you might be out of luck.

molerat

There are a few posts on here that the site has had a major glitch, maybe it will correct for the start of the new year but there is the possibility that the prices will be at the new 2025 rate so those 3 will be £907.40, £923 and £301.75.

AlanF

Thanks Molerat - yes, that is indeed the case - the prices have gone up. The increases seem out of proportion to inflation - pension has increased by approx 4%, but the cost of buying back has increased by 12%. Frustrating that the system was down on the last day of the year, serves us right for leaving it until the year-end!

molerat

It is the 2 year lag in increasing the price that causes the jump, the 22-23 £824 year has increased by 23's 10.1% then 25's 1.7% in one go.  The part 21-22 has increased by 3.1% + 10.1% + 1.7% in one go.  Luckily 24's 6.7% was cancelled.

AlanF

Thanks! She only needs 2 years, we think the 3rd year less beneficial her shortfall after buying back 2 years is only about £2. So can she choose which 2 years - i.e. 2021-22 and 2023-24 as they are the cheapest?

AlanF

Good news - I see on Martin's weekly email today that HMRC have said they will be contacting those who logged in on Apr 5th, and that those people should have the opportunity to buy back those years (presumably at last year's price!). https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2025/04/state-pension-boosting-national-insurance-hmrc-error/

AlanF

Does anyone know where HMRC are up to with the process of contacting all people who logged in on 5th April? We've heard nothing. 

Dazed_and_C0nfused

AlanF said:

Does anyone know where HMRC are up to with the process of contacting all people who logged in on 5th April? We've heard nothing. 

I don't think HMRC have any intention of contacting people.  That would be up to you to do.

After you have been contacted by DWP to ascertain which year(s) are worth paying for.