State Pensioners – Claim Your Free £1,835 and Only Two Months Left to Apply!

Published On: March 24, 2025

If you’re a UK State Pensioner or approaching pension age, you might be missing out on extra retirement income without even knowing it. The government is offering a chance to claim up to £1,835 by covering gaps in your National Insurance (NI) record. But there’s a catch—you have to act before April 5, 2025.

This article walks you through who qualifies, how to check your record, and how to apply for this valuable opportunity.

Opportunity

The offer is simple: by paying voluntary NI contributions for missed years between 2006 and 2018, you can boost your State Pension for life. Think of it like topping up a leaky tank—you patch the holes (gaps in your NI record), and suddenly your pension tank holds more money.

A single year’s contribution costs around £824 and could give you about £275 more in pension every year. Over a 20-year retirement, that’s £5,500—pretty solid returns.

Here’s a quick look at the figures:

Item	Amount
Cost per missed NI year	£824
Annual pension boost per year	£275
Potential total claim	Up to £1,835
Deadline to apply	April 5, 2025

Importance

Your State Pension is based on how many qualifying years of NI contributions you’ve got. To get the full new State Pension (currently £21,201 per year), you need 35 qualifying years. If you’ve got fewer, your pension will be smaller.

Now, if you’ve got under 10 qualifying years, you might not get any State Pension at all. That’s where this opportunity comes in—filling in the gaps could make all the difference.

Let’s say you’ve got 30 qualifying years. By paying for five more years, you could reach the full pension. Yes, you’d have to pay upfront, but the long-term reward? More income for life.

Eligibility

Not sure if this applies to you? Here’s a simple breakdown. You may qualify to make voluntary contributions if:

You’re below pension age and have missing NI years from 2006–2018
You already receive the State Pension but it’s less than the full amount
You lived or worked abroad and didn’t contribute to UK NI
You were self-employed and didn’t pay Class 2 or 3 contributions
You had caregiving, illness, or childcare responsibilities that left you short

Age-wise, it applies if you’re:

A man born after April 6, 1951
A woman born after April 6, 1953

Gaps

A National Insurance gap happens when you didn’t pay or get credited enough NI in a tax year. This can happen for all sorts of reasons:

Low income or part-time work
Time spent living abroad
Unemployment without benefits
Time off for caregiving or health issues

These years don’t count toward your pension, which means less money in retirement—unless you fill the gaps.

Claiming

Here’s the three-step process to make your claim:

Step 1
Go to GOV.UK and use the “Check your National Insurance record” service. You’ll need a Government Gateway login. You can also call 0300 200 3500 to request a statement.

Step 2
Before paying, call one of these numbers to make sure it’s worth it for your situation:

Future Pension Centre: 0800 731 0175
Pension Service (if retired): 0800 731 0469

They’ll tell you whether filling the gaps will actually boost your pension. In some cases, you might already be on track or qualify for Pension Credit instead.

Step 3
If advised, you can pay online, by phone, cheque, or direct debit. Visit “Pay voluntary National Insurance” on GOV.UK for full instructions.

Deadline

You’ve got until April 5, 2025, to take action. After that, the chance to fill gaps from 2006 to 2018 disappears. If you delay, you might lose out on thousands of pounds in lifetime income. It’s a limited-time offer with lifelong value—don’t sleep on it.

With retirement costs rising and every pound counting more than ever, this is one of the smartest financial moves many pensioners can make. Think of it as an investment in your future comfort and peace of mind.