Brits have just under five months left to boost their state pension payments, with some having already added over £100 a week to their retirement income.
The opportunity for potentially significant state pension increases will end on April 5, 2025.
Until then, HMRC is encouraging Brits to utilise their online tools to top up their earnings before it’s too late.
Currently, Brits can use the HMRC tools to check their National Insurance records and pay voluntary contributions to fill any gaps that would’ve prevented them from receiving the full new state pension amount.
These contributions can cover periods where you may not have qualified for National Insurance payments or credits between April 6, 2006 and April 5, 2018.
After the April deadline, it will revert back to the usual rules allowing people only to top-up the last six tax years.
This means if you have a gap in your record prior to 2018 you have barely five months to fill it with voluntary contributions before you lose the chance to do so.
This could result in you receiving lower state pension rates as if you have between 10 and 35 qualifying years on your record you’ll only get a partial sum of the new state pension rate and 35 or more to get the full new state pension sum.
In a worst-case scenario, if you only have three qualifying years of National Insurance payments you won’t be able to meet the 10 year requirement and could be left receiving no state pension.
HMRC is calling on individuals to review their state pension forecast and National Insurance record, revealing over 10,000 payments totalling £12.5 million have been processed via their online service since April.
Most people tend to top up a single year of National Insurance credits, averaging a payment of £1,193.
This move has enabled many to boost their weekly state pension amounts – with one beneficiary receiving an additional £107.44 per week.
Pensions Minister Emma Reynolds stated: “We want pensioners of today and tomorrow to enjoy the dignity and support they deserve in retirement. ” She also encouraged people to use the digital service, adding: “That’s why I urge everyone to check if they could benefit by filling gaps before the deadline passes. Using our online tool means only a few clicks could make a huge difference to your future.”
