HUNDREDS of thousands of Brits who asked about boosting their state pension before April’s deadline are being urged to note down a number while waiting for a call back.
The deadline allowed people to fill gaps in their national insurance (NI) record dating back to 2006, offering a chance to increase their retirement income.
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This could significantly boost future state pension payments by up to £113.76 per week, which amounts to an annual increase of £5,915.92.
Before April, individuals could purchase missing NI years from as far back as 2006/07, thanks to relaxed rules introduced alongside the new state pension in 2016.
This opportunity was originally set to end in April 2023 but was extended until April 2025.
However, since April, standard rules have resumed, meaning people can now only make backdated contributions for the last six tax years.
Those unable to meet the April 5 deadline due to difficulties reaching the DWP helpline were allowed to request a call back to complete their top-up after the deadline.
If you’re waiting for a call back, it’s essential to have your national insurance number ready, as the DWP will require it for an initial security check.
The DWP is reportedly attempting to contact people twice.
If they can’t reach you, they’ll send a text message advising you to call them back within a month.
After this preliminary call, staff will schedule a more in-depth conversation about buying top-ups.
One called was informed that there are approximately 400,000 people waiting for a call back, according to ThisisMoney.
The DWP launched the callback service to manage the high volume of enquiries.
Although the service is now closed to new requests, those who signed up should be contacted to discuss their situation and potentially still buy top-ups for earlier years.
The DWP says they are sending text messages a day in advance to alert people about the upcoming call.
A DWP spokesperson says: “We introduced an online service for individuals to register their interest and request a callback to ensure that everyone had the opportunity to boost their state pension.
“We have doubled the number of staff to process callback requests alongside sending SMS messages to alert individuals the day before we are due to call them to boost numbers answering the phone and processing rates.”
If you didn’t apply to top up your state pension before April 5, it’s still worth checking for any missing contributions from the last six years.
To qualify for the full new state pension, currently worth £230.25 per week, you need 35 years of national insurance contributions.
However, you also need at least 10 qualifying years to receive any state pension at all.
How can I find my national insurance number?
NEED Your National Insurance Number? Here’s How to Find It:
- Check Payslips: Your national insurance number is usually printed on your payslips from your employer.
- P60 Form: It’s also included on your annual P60 form, which you receive from your employer at the end of each tax year.
- National Insurance Card, Letter or Statement: You may have received a National Insurance card, letter, or statement when you were first assigned your number.
- Online via HMRC: If you have a Government Gateway account, you can find your national insurance number online through the HMRC website.
- Ask HMRC: If you can’t find it using the above methods, you can contact HMRC directly. Be prepared to answer security questions to confirm your identity.
CHECK YOUR YEARS
If you think you’re missing National Insurance years, the first thing to do is check you State Pension forecast.
You can check this as well as the State Pension age through the government’s new ‘Check your State Pension’ tool online at www.gov.uk/check-state-pension.
The tool is also available through the HMRC app, which you can download free on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
You’ll need to log in using your Personal Tax Account login details. If you don’t already have an online HMRC account, you can register at gov.uk.
It shows you how much your state pension could increase by and what NI years you’ll need to buy to achieve this.
You’ll then be able to pay for these missing years securely online, without having to call up separately.
You’ll need to pay for these in full – you can’t pay in instalments.
You can’t use the online service if you’re already getting your State Pension.
Instead, you’ll need to call the Pension Service on 0800 731 0469.
However, before you commit to buying new National Insurance years it’s vital you check whether you were entitled to free credits at any point.
CHECK FOR NATIONAL INSURANCE CREDITS
Before making a voluntary contribution, it is important to check if the gaps in your contributions can be filled with free NI credits.
Thousands are thought to be missing out on these NI Credits, leaving them worse off in retirement.
For example, those on certain benefits should qualify for Class 1 credits.
This includes parents with active claims for child benefit.
You can check the full list of people eligible to claim credits by visiting www.gov.uk/national-insurance-credits/eligibility.
It explains the circumstances where you’ll need to claim and when you’ll get it automatically.
TOP UP YOUR NATIONAL INSURANCE YEARS
In some cases, buying back missing years can be really valuable.
But earning back the years isn’t free, so your voluntary contributions come at a price.
For recent years, it’s around £17.45 per week, but it was less in previous years. If you were self-employed, the cost is lower.
Anyone under 73 can make voluntary pension contributions, as it’s assumed everyone under this age will claim the new state pension.
If you’re below the state pension age, you can check your state pension forecast by visiting www.gov.uk/check-state-pension to determine if you’ll benefit from paying voluntary contributions.
You can also contact the Future Pension Centre by calling 0800 731 0175.
If you’ve reached state pension age, contact the Pension Service to find out if you’ll benefit from voluntary contributions.
You can contact this service in several different ways by visiting www.gov.uk/contact-pension-service.
The deadline is April 5 each year.
Find out how to pay for your contributions by visiting gov.uk/pay-voluntary-class-3-national-insurance.
How does the state pension work?
AT the moment the current state pension is paid to both men and women from age 66 – but it’s due to rise to 67 by 2028 and 68 by 2046.
The state pension is a recurring payment from the government most Brits start getting when they reach state pension age.
But not everyone gets the same amount, and you are awarded depending on your National Insurance record.
For most pensioners, it forms only part of their retirement income, as they could have other pots from a workplace pension, earning and savings.
The new state pension is based on people’s National Insurance records.
Workers must have 35 qualifying years of National Insurance to get the maximum amount of the new state pension.
You earn National Insurance qualifying years through work, or by getting credits, for instance when you are looking after children and claiming child benefit.
If you have gaps, you can top up your record by paying in voluntary National Insurance contributions.
To get the old, full basic state pension, you will need 30 years of contributions or credits.
You will need at least 10 years on your NI record to get any state pension.