State Pension Voluntary NIC Top Up 2025 Onwards
Published / Last Updated on 02/04/2025
Do you have a gap in your National Insurance Contributions and therefore your entitlement to UK State Pension?
- Less than 10 years NI credits = No entitlement to state pension – consider making voluntary NIC to get credits over 10 years.
- 35 years NIC credits = Full entitlement to UK state pension.
- Shortfall – will not make 35 years – consider making voluntary NIC to get credits to increase your state pension entitlement.
State Pension Top Ups – You can go back up to 17 years until 5th April 2025
If the gap in your National Insurance record was between 6 April 2016 and 5 April 2023, you’ll pay the rates that applied in the 2022 to 2023 tax year: Class 2 £3.15 per week and Class 3 = £15.85 per week
If you are watching this after 5th April 2025
- You can only go back 6 years, and you must pay then pay Class 2 and Class 3 rates at the higher levels rather than the reduced 2022/23 level.
Full state pension 2025/26 is £230.25 per week = £11,973.00 pa.
Each 1 year of NI credit currently buys you:
- £342.08 pa of State Pension and the costs are only £179.40 for each year for Class 2 OR even £907.40 for each year for Class 3 (so 3 years break even).
- £6.57 per week of State Pension and the cost is just £3.50 per week for Class 2 OR even £17.75 per week Class 3 (so 3 years break even).
BUT EVEN LESS TIME TO BREAK EVEN WHEN YOU ALLOW FOR inflationary increases to State Pension.
If you live in UK or even if you live or work abroad (or have previously):
To pay Class 2 or Class 3 voluntary contributions you must have either: Class 2 = £3.50 per week.or Class 3 = £17.75 per week.
- previously lived in the UK for 3 years in a row.
- paid contributions or had Class 2 contributions treated as having been paid for at least 3 years.
To pay Class 2 voluntary contributions both of the following must also apply: Class 2 = £3.50 per week.
- you worked in the UK immediately before leaving.
- you’re currently working abroad (or you worked while you were abroad).
Rates
The rates for the 2025 to 2026 tax year are:
- £3.50 a week for Class 2.
- £17.75 a week for Class 3.
You usually pay the current rate when you make a voluntary contribution.
Worth a Look: UK NIC Overseas
You can get advice from the DWP on whether you’ll benefit from paying voluntary National Insurance contributions. If you’re below State Pension age, contact the Future Pension Centre.
Future Pension Centre helpline
Complete the call back request form to ask DWP to call you back to discuss paying voluntary National Insurance contributions.
Telephone: 0800 731 0175
Telephone from outside the UK: +44 (0)191 218 3600
Welsh language telephone: 0800 731 0175
Textphone: 0800 731 0176
Textphone from outside the UK: +44 (0)191 218 2051
Welsh language textphone: 0800 731 0456
