UK State Pension Contributions Required

[Blackford Biz]

Maybe this can be useful to others too?

I'm 66 in December 2025. I want to know how much I am entitled to. My 65-18= 47 years of adult life has been spent as follows:

3 yrs - FTE University (no NIC?)

17 yrs - working in Middle East (paid for 3yrs NIC)

26 yrs - working in UK

1 yr - two half years working in UK

I have checked my government forecast and it says Forecast if I contribute to 5 April 2025 is £180.35 and the best I can get is £221.20 per week.

Am I correct in thinking that I need 35 years contributions to reach the £221.20, so have to pay something like £824 for each year to achieve 35 years i.e. 5yrs @ £824 = £4k?

If that's the case, I'd recover that extra £40 per week after 2 years? So, it's worth doing?

 

[Scalloway]

Check your State Pension forecast

Check your State Pension forecast

Find out how much State Pension you could get (your forecast), when you could get it and how you could increase it

www.gov.uk

 

[UK Contractor Accountant]

If that's the case, I'd recover that extra £40 per week after 2 years? So, it's worth doing?

Depends if you plan to live more than 2 years!

 

[Jeff FV]

Without double checking your sums, you are pretty much correct.

However, you may need to act swiftly. Normally you can only “buy back” missed years up to six years ago, but there is currently an opportunity buy back missing years up to 2006, but this window closes on 5th April, after which you will only be able to buy back missing years in the
last six years, so if you’ve been working and paying NI in those years you will not be able to buy them back.

Have a look on the Martin Lewis website: https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/savings/voluntary-national-insurance-contributions/