State Pension is available to those who have paid sufficient National Insurance contributions. In general, to qualify for the maximum ‘new State Pension’ requires 35 years’ contributions.
Currently, voluntary contributions can be made to fill gaps going back to April 2006, but as from 1 August 2023 this will be curtailed to go back only 6 years.
Action to take
If you have missing years and your gaps are in the years 2006 to 2017 then you need to take urgent action to fill these by 31 July 2023.
You may be eligible to claim free credits, so check this first. The criteria and how to claim can be found here.
For further information on this matter and contact details for the Government’s free advice service, the Future Pension Centre, please download our factsheet below.
Check Your State Pension