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When and how to top up your National Insurance contributions

If you've got gaps in your National Insurance contributions record you may be able to top up the shortfall by making one-off voluntary payments. If you're not working or getting National Insurance credits, you may also be able to make regular payments to protect your contributions record for the future.

Time limits for making up a National Insurance contributions shortfall

If you want to top up a National Insurance contributions shortfall, you normally have to do this within six years of the end of the tax year for which the contributions are being paid. You can do this even if you've already reached State Pension age.

If you pay more than two years after the end of the relevant tax year, the rate will normally go up.

However, there are exceptions (to time limits and/or the rates you have to pay) for certain tax years.

Normal six year time limits

Tax year with gap in National Insurance contributions Voluntary Class 3 contributions must be paid by:
2006-07 5 April 2013
2007-08 5 April 2014
2008-09 5 April 2015
2009-10 5 April 2016
2010-11 5 April 2017
2011-12 5 April 2018
2012-13 5 April 2019

Voluntary Class 2 or Class 3 National Insurance contributions for the tax year 2006-07

You may be able to pay voluntary Class 2 or Class 3 National Insurance contributions for the 2006-07 tax year at the original rates of £2.10 (Class 2) or £7.55 (Class 3) if you:

  • reach State Pension age on or after 6 April 2010
  • are entitled to credits for parents and carers - follow the links below to find out more about this
  • make the payment by 5 April 2013

Voluntary Class 3 National Insurance contributions for the tax years 1993-94 to 2007-08

You may be able to pay voluntary Class 3 National Insurance contributions for the 1993-94 to 2007-08 tax years at the original rates if you:

National Insurance shortfall - buying additional years of voluntary Class 3 contributions

From 6 April 2009, if you reach State Pension age between 6 April 2008 and 5 April 2015 you may be able to pay voluntary Class 3 contributions for up to an extra six years - going back to 1975-76 - to make up any gaps in your National Insurance contributions record.

You can do this on top of making voluntary Class 3 contributions for the last six tax years or for any of the tax years for which there are extended time limits in which to pay - see the section above. You pay at the current weekly rate - so if you pay by 5 April 2013 the rate is £13.25.

You've got six years from the date you reach State Pension age in which to pay the voluntary Class 3 National Insurance contributions. Find out more by following the link below.

How to pay a National Insurance contributions shortfall

You can make voluntary National Insurance contributions using any of these payment methods:

  • your bank or building society's internet or telephone banking service
  • Bank Giro, if your bank offers this service
  • cheque, cash or debit card at a Post Office
  • sending a cheque through the post

Find out more about payment options in the guide 'How to pay voluntary Class 3 National Insurance' by following the link below.

How to pay voluntary Class 3 contributions if you're not working or getting National Insurance credits

If you're not working or getting National Insurance credits you may be able to pay voluntary Class 3 contributions to:

  • make sure you get a better State Pension when you retire
  • keep up your entitlement to certain bereavement benefits

There are two main ways of paying your Class 3 voluntary contributions:

  • monthly by Direct Debit
  • quarterly - if you live in the UK you'll get a bill every 13 weeks

You pay in arrears with both payment methods.

How to pay voluntary Class 2 or Class 3 contributions for periods spent abroad

There are special rules if:

Decide if you need to pay voluntary Class 3 National Insurance contributions

If you're not sure whether to pay voluntary contributions, read the article 'Do you need to top up your National Insurance contributions?'.

More useful links