The government has extended the voluntary National Insurance
deadline to 31 July 2023 to give taxpayers more time to fill gaps
in their National Insurance record and help increase the amount
they receive in State Pension.
This comes after members of the public voiced concern over the
previous deadline of 5 April 2023.
The deadline extension was announced via a Written
Ministerial Statementearlier today (7 March 2023) and HM
Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is urging taxpayers to
ensure they do not miss out.
Anyone with gaps in their National Insurance record from April
2006 onwards now has more time to decide whether to fill the gaps
to boost their new State Pension. Any payments made will be at
the lower 2022 to 2023 tax year rates.
As part of transitional arrangements to the new State Pension,
taxpayers have been able to make voluntary contributions to any
incomplete years in their National Insurance record between April
2006 and April 2016, to help increase the amount they receive
when they retire. And after an increase in customer contact, the
government has extended the deadline to ensure people have time
to make their contributions.
, The Financial Secretary
to the Treasury, said:
We’ve listened to concerned members of the public and have acted.
We recognise how important State Pensions are for retired
individuals, which is why we are giving people more time to fill
any gaps in their National Insurance record to help bolster their
entitlement.
Thousands of taxpayers with incomplete years in their National
Insurance record could be financially better off in their
retirement if they make voluntary payments to top up any
incomplete or missing years.
Eligible taxpayers can find out how to check their National
Insurance record, obtain a State Pension forecast,
decide if making a voluntary National
Insurance contribution is worthwhile for them and their
pension, and how to make a payment on GOV.UK.
Taxpayers can check their National Insurance
record, via the HMRC app or their Personal Tax
Account.
Further information
More information on how a taxpayer’s National Insurance record
affects their State Pension.
The original deadline for voluntary National Insurance
contributions from April 2006 up to April 2017 was 5 April 2023.
Where the rates of voluntary National Insurance contributions
were due to go to up from 6 April 2023, payments made by 31 July
2023 will be paid at the lower rate.
