Your State Pension — and how to boost it

The State Pension is the foundation of most people's retirement. A few missing National Insurance years can quietly cost you thousands — and they're often cheap to fix.

What a top-up is worth

See the rough payback from filling missing NI years with voluntary Class 3 contributions.

Missing years to fill 3

£2,769

Roughly costs

+£1,050

Extra each year

2.6 yrs

Pays for itself in

Across a 20-year retirement:

paid back

then it's pure gain — and it rises with inflation

Figures are approximate (about £923 per year to buy at the 2025/26 Class 3 rate; each full year adds roughly £350 a year, capped at the full pension). Always check your forecast first — you may already be on track.

What you'll actually get (2026/27)

There are two systems. If you reached State Pension age from April 2016, you're on the new State Pension — currently £241.30 a week, about £12,547 a year. The older basic State Pension is £184.90 a week. Both rise each April under the "triple lock" — by the highest of average earnings, inflation, or 2.5%.

It's built on your NI record

Your State Pension depends on your qualifying years of National Insurance — years you paid in, or were credited (for example while caring or claiming Child Benefit).

35 yearsUsually needed for the full new State Pension.
10 yearsThe minimum to get anything at all. Between 10 and 35, it's roughly pro-rata.
Check it freeYour full record and a forecast are at gov.uk/check-state-pension — the single most useful thing to look at.

Mind the gaps

Gaps are common for anyone who's been self-employed with low profits, taken career breaks, worked abroad, or had years of part-time or irregular work. The good news: you can usually buy missing years back.

Class 3Voluntary contributions to fill gaps — around £923 for a full year (2025/26 rate). Available to most people.
Class 2Much cheaper (a few pounds a week) and counts equally — for self-employed people with low profits.
Last 6 yearsYou can normally only fill the previous six tax years, so don't leave it. The special extended window back to 2006 closed in April 2025.

One full qualifying year typically costs about £923 and adds roughly £350 a year to your pension for life — so it usually pays for itself in under three years. Few savings come close.

Don't forget it's taxable

The State Pension counts as income, but it's paid gross — no tax is taken off at source. The full new amount now sits just under the personal allowance of £12,570, which is frozen until April 2031. So if you have any other income — a private pension, a bit of self-employment, savings interest — some tax may be due, and it's reported through Self Assessment. That's the part we handle.

When can you claim?

State Pension age is currently rising from 66 to 67 in stages between April 2026 and April 2028, with a further rise to 68 due in the 2040s. Your exact date is on the gov.uk State Pension age calculator.

Before you pay — a quick checklist

Check your forecast first — if you're already on track for the full amount, topping up adds nothing.
See if free NI credits could fill the gap instead (carers, Child Benefit, certain benefits).
If you'll claim Pension Credit, a higher State Pension may reduce it — worth weighing up.
For tailored numbers, the Future Pension Centre helpline can confirm which years are worth buying.

Please note

This guide is general information about the State Pension and National Insurance for the 2026/27 tax year. It isn't personalised financial advice, and whether to make voluntary contributions depends on your own record, age and circumstances.

PTL Bookkeeping & Accounting can help you read your NI record and forecast, and we handle the tax side on your return. Always check your forecast on gov.uk — or speak to the Future Pension Centre — before paying for voluntary contributions. Figures and rules can change.

Not sure if you've got gaps?

Bring us your State Pension forecast and we'll help you work out whether topping up is worth it — and keep the tax side tidy.

Get in touch