If you’ve worked in the UK and have at least 3 years of National Insurance (NI) contributions, you may be able to buy the additional 7 years required to qualify for the UK State Pension. You need 10 qualifying years to receive a UK State Pension, and purchasing years can significantly boost your entitlement.
What You Should Do:
- Check Your NI Record:
- Use the UK State Pension Forecast to see your contribution history.
- Identify Gaps:
- If you’re short on the 10 year requirement, you can buy up to 18 years through Class 3 Voluntary Contributions.
- Act Before April 5, 2025:
- A temporary deadline extension allows you to backdate contributions to 2006. After this, you’ll only be able to purchase gaps from the last 6 years.
Why It Matters:
With 3 qualifying years already, buying additional years could make the difference between receiving no pension and securing regular payments in retirement.
Check your record and contact HMRC today to explore your options!
Next step – having determined your contribution history is sufficient you will need to complete a 3 page form called the CF83.
To purchase a year under Class 3 will cost about stg£860 per year.