If you are a mother who has taken time off work to have children in the past, and did not receive any benefits… this is worth reading!
You may get gaps in your National Insurance (NI) record if you do not pay National Insurance. This could be because you were:
- employed but had low earnings
- unemployed and were not claiming benefits
- self employed, but did not pay contributions because of small profits
- living or working outside of the UK
Gaps in your National Insurance record can mean that you have not paid enough NI contributions to either:
- Get the full state pension
- qualify for some benefits
You may be able to fill those gaps if you’re eligible.
HMRC and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) have announced that the window to top up voluntary National Insurance (NI) contributions has been extended to April 2025.
It is worth reviewing your National Insurance record to see if making voluntary contributions would be beneficial to you.
Please note that filling gaps will not always increase an individuals state pension amount.
