Check Your National Insurance Record Before 5 April 2023

Update: On Monday 12 June 2023, the UK Government once again extended the deadline for making voluntary National Insurance contributions. Taxpayers now have until 5 April 2025 – nearly two years from the original date – to properly consider whether paying voluntary contributions is right for them.

Update: On Thursday 9 March 2023, the UK Government has extended the deadline for making voluntary National Insurance contributions to 31 July 2023 to give taxpayers more time to fill gaps in their National Insurance record. This is in response to HMRC and DWP having experienced a recent surge in customer contact.

Where a person is unlikely to meet the full National Insurance (NI) contributions needed to obtain a full State Pension, making voluntary contributions is likely to be beneficial.

The current extended window for a man born after 5 April 1951 or a woman born after 5 April 1953, which allows them to fill in any gaps in their NI history, is up to 16 years but this is coming to an end on 5 April 2023. After this date voluntary NI payments can only be made for the past 6 years.

We would encourage eligible people to check their NI contribution status to identify any gaps of missed ‘qualifying years’ in their record. This information is easy to access via Government Gateway.

You should contact HMRC if you identify:

• Any discrepancies between NI contributions paid and those showing on HMRC’s system
• Any NI credits that are missing from periods in which they should have been received (e.g. on receipt of universal credit or child benefit)
• Any shortfalls in contributions

It is up to the individual to assess if they want to make a voluntary NI contribution as they do not always increase your State Pension.

If you would like to discuss your circumstances, please get in touch with our EQ Taxperts by calling one of our offices or emailing [email protected].