State pension: Deadline for National Insurance top-ups softened

To ensure citizens can receive the full state pension, the UK government had previously set a deadline for paying National Insurance gaps. However, fearing a surge in inquiries near the deadline, the government has taken steps to relax this timeframe.

Anyone who requests a call back from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) before the April 5th deadline will not be considered to have missed the deadline. Currently, people can voluntarily pay National Insurance gaps back to 2006. But after the April deadline, the payment period will be limited to the past six years.

Some people's National Insurance records may have gaps, for example, if they have lived abroad or taken time off work to care for family. Generally, people need to have paid 35 years of qualifying contributions to receive the full state pension. As part of the flat-rate state pension transition plan introduced in 2016, the government allows people to make voluntary contributions.

Pension experts say that additional contributions may not be suitable for all situations, so it is essential to confirm whether making additional contributions is beneficial to an individual's financial situation. Due to the complexity of the timing and necessity of additional contributions, many people call the DWP's Future Pension Centre or the Pensions Service for advice. The government has previously extended the deadline twice due to congested telephone lines.

Although the April deadline remains in effect, the government will provide a grace period for those who have difficulty contacting the DWP by telephone. Anyone who has not been able to contact the DWP before the deadline can use the online call-back request form. People who submit a call-back request before the April 5th deadline can still make voluntary National Insurance contributions back to April 2006, even after the deadline has passed. It is recommended that people submitting a call-back request save a screenshot of the call-back confirmation message. The DWP should call back within eight weeks.

A DWP spokesperson said the online tool will allow people to make additional payments after the April 5th deadline, provided they complete the call-back request form before the deadline. "This will enable us to ensure that no one misses out on the opportunity and to manage demand appropriately as we approach the deadline." LCP Consulting partner and former Pensions Minister Steve Webb said: "After the chaos before the previous deadline, it's good that the government has planned ahead to ensure people don't miss out simply because they can't discuss National Insurance top-ups through official phone lines."

People can view their National Insurance record and get a state pension forecast for free to decide whether voluntary contributions are beneficial to them. As the deadline approaches, people should also be wary of unsolicited information scams related to this issue.