State Pension /Class 3 NI Top-up after retirement...Quietly changed?

Orroroo

Anyone know why this should be the case - is the MSE article I reference below now out of date?

The MSE article on this shows the cost of buying the 2021/22 year as £800.80 but the DWP / HMRC (NIC) wanted £923.00 for that year when I approached them. Perversely they only wanted £907.40 for the 2024/25 year, which is what i've done.

The relevant part of the GOV.UK website now says that only the last two tax years can be paid at the original rate otherwise its charged at the latest rate.

I tried to include this as a link but i'm too new apparently

Its not the end of the world but if its a change to what they did before then I missed it

pinnks

The price of £923 is correct. The way it works is that the original price remains in place for 2 years, so currently 2023/24 and 2024/25 have their original price while all other payable years 2019/20 to 2022/23 cost the amount for the current tax year (2025/26), which is £923.

From 6 April, 2019/20 goes out of date, 2024/25 and 2025/26 remain at their original prices and 2020/21 to 2024/25 cost the rate for 2026/27.

Orroroo

Yes, that's how I read the Gov.uk rules but I was working to this which is still on the MSE main website and in a section that says it was last updated as at March 2026 - this has led to me telling someone else the wrong thing

molerat

I believe the fact it is out of date, and now 2 years out of date in 4 days time, was pointed out to the MSE powers at the start of the year. The clue though is in the dates in the article and table.

MSE_JC

Hi all,

One of our Ambassadors brought this thread to our attention, and we've made the relevant MSE editorial team aware so they can look into it.

Thanks!

SnowMan

The class 3 rates and timescales work as shown below. For payments in the 2026/2027 tax year it's the second column from the left amounts (not counting the qualifying year column) that are relevant. The first column is what applied for class 3 contributions made last tax year.