Are you selfemployed? You could plug your pension gap.

Under the new state pension system introduced in April 2016, a person ordinarily needs 35-years in national insurance contributions to qualify for the full state pension amount, this is currently £185.15 a week. 

 

You may not be aware that you could fill the past gaps in your record by paying voluntary national insurance (NI) contributions to enhance your state pension entitlement. Those who are eligible now have until 31st July 2023 to act, after the government opted to give people more time in response to the numbers of individuals wishing to participate in the scheme. 

 

Deductions are made for any missing years in your contributions, but if you have gaps in your record, you may be able to resolve this. Under normal rules it is only possible to plug gaps in your NI record up to six years after the missing period. For a limited period, you are able to go back further and fill gaps for any year from 2006 on-wards. This only applies to those who fall within the new state pension system, those who reached, or will reach, state pension age after 5 April 2016.