Got gaps in your National Insurance record? Buying back missing qualifying years can boost your State Pension for life. Enter how many years you want to fill to see the cost, the extra pension and how quickly it pays for itself.
Voluntary NICs · breakeven
Your new State Pension is based on your National Insurance record — you usually need about 35 qualifying years for the full amount (£230.25 a week, around £11,973 a year, in 2026/27) and at least 10 years to get anything. If you have gaps — from time abroad, low earnings, gaps in work or caring — you can often fill them by paying voluntary National Insurance contributions, which permanently increases your pension.
| Voluntary class | Who pays it | Cost per year (2026/27) |
|---|---|---|
| Class 3 | Most people (employed / not working) | £923.40 |
| Class 2 | Some self-employed with low profits | £179.40 |
Look at your State Pension forecast and NI record on GOV.UK first — if you're still years from pension age and will keep working, you may reach the full amount anyway without buying years. The extended deadline to fill gaps back to 2006 closed in April 2025; normally you can fill the last six tax years. See your overall position with the State Pension calculator and plan retirement income with the drawdown calculator.
A full voluntary Class 3 year costs £923.40 in 2026/27; some self-employed people pay the cheaper Class 2 rate of £179.40. Each full year added boosts your pension by roughly £342 a year for life.
Each year is worth about 1/35th of the full new State Pension — roughly £342 a year (~£6.58/week) in 2026/27. A Class 3 year typically pays for itself in under three years of retirement.
Often, but not always — if you'll reach 35 years anyway, extra years add nothing, and some gaps fill free with NI credits. Always check your forecast and the gap with the GOV.UK Future Pension Centre first.
Normally you can fill gaps in the last six tax years. The special extension to fill back to April 2006 closed in April 2025. Check your NI record on GOV.UK for the years you can still fill.
