Industry News - 23rd September 2026
Your National Insurance record plays an important role in determining how much State Pension you may receive in the future.
However, many people don’t realise that gaps in their record can affect their entitlement, and that there may be options available to improve their position.
🔍 Why do gaps happen?
Gaps in your National Insurance record can occur for several reasons, including:
✅ Being employed but earning below the relevant threshold
✅ Being unemployed and not claiming benefits
✅ Spending time living or working overseas
✅ Being self-employed with low profits
✅ Receiving National Insurance credits for only part of a tax year
Gaps could mean you do not have enough qualifying years to receive the State Pension or qualify for certain benefits. You will usually need at least ten qualifying years to receive any new State Pension, although the amount you receive will depend on your individual record.
📈 Can you fill the gaps?
In some circumstances, you may be able to make voluntary National Insurance contributions to fill gaps in your record and increase your future State Pension entitlement.
This may be worth considering if you:
📌 Are approaching State Pension age and are short of qualifying years
📌 Know you are unlikely to build up enough qualifying years during the remainder of your working life
📌 Have spent time living or working outside the UK
📌 Are self-employed with low profits
📌Are not eligible to receive National Insurance credits
However, paying voluntary contributions isn’t always the right option. In some cases, making a payment may provide little or no additional benefit.
Before paying anything, you should:
- Check your National Insurance record for gaps.
- Check whether you are eligible for National Insurance credits.
- Obtain a State Pension forecast.
- Confirm whether paying voluntary contributions would improve your entitlement.
You should also check the deadline for filling the relevant gaps, as you can only pay contributions for certain previous tax years.
💡 Perrigo Perspective
Your State Pension can form an important part of your retirement planning, but it’s easy to overlook your National Insurance record until retirement is approaching.
Reviewing your record sooner gives you more time to understand where you stand and decide whether you need to take action.
Don’t assume that paying voluntary contributions is automatically the answer. Whether it is worthwhile depends on your existing record, your circumstances, and the benefit an additional qualifying year would provide.
A little planning now could help you make better informed decisions about your future.
📞 Need some guidance?
If you’re unsure how your National Insurance record could affect your future plans, or you’d like help understanding your wider financial position, the Perrigo team is here to help.
Give us a call on 01229 488860 or book a FREE discovery call below.
Internet link: You can also check the latest guidance on voluntary National Insurance contributions on GOV.UK
