Find the real gaps
Open your official NI record and note the exact years, prices and payment deadlines.
Updated for 2026/27
Voluntary NI calculator: should you fill your NI gaps?
Enter the figures from your official record. We will show the possible cost, extra pension and how long it may take to recover your payment.
Quick answer: in 2026/27 a full year of voluntary Class 3 National Insurance costs £956.80 (£18.40 a week). If that year raises your new State Pension by 1/35 of the £241.30 full rate (about £6.89 a week, or £358.50 a year), you recover the cost in roughly 2.7 years before tax. Only pay once your official forecast confirms the year will increase your pension.
Clear assumptions
Your figures stay private
35
years is only a general guide. Your own State Pension forecast is more important.
01
Your pension picture
UK new State Pension only. Use figures from your official State Pension forecast where possible.
02
Gaps you could fill
Calculation assumptions
UK new State Pension model only. Future years are added to the earned-to-date estimate first; purchased years fill the remaining headroom. Each year is modelled at £241.30/35 per week, capped at the full rate. There is no universal 35-year cutoff. This cannot confirm eligibility or the value of a particular gap; pre-2016 and overseas records require individual checks.
A safer way to decide
Three checks before you pay
Confirm they add value
A missing year does not always increase your pension, particularly with contracted-out history.
Compare cost and return
Model the after-tax uplift, break-even time and value over your expected retirement.
Practical guides
View all guides
Understand the decision, not just the number
Complete 2026/27 guide
14 min
Voluntary NI contributions: costs, deadlines and checks before paying
Read guide
Explainer
6 min
Why 35 qualifying years may not give you the full State Pension
Read guide
2026/27 rates
5 min
Class 3 NI contributions: cost, deadlines and break-even
Read guide
Break-Even Age Analysis
6 min
State Pension Break-Even Age: When Do Voluntary Contributions Pay Off?
Read guide
Before paying HMRC
Ask the Future Pension Centre whether the specific year will increase your pension. Contributions are not normally refundable just because they did not improve your entitlement.
Common questions about NI top-ups
Can I stop paying National Insurance early if I reach 35 years?
Do not use 35 years as a universal stopping rule. If your NI record started after April 2016, 35 qualifying years are needed for the full new State Pension. Earlier records use transitional rules; contracted-out records can need more than 35 years. Check your official forecast and whether a specific gap would increase it before paying voluntary contributions. Reaching 35 years does not itself remove compulsory National Insurance on earnings.
What is Contracted Out (COPE) and why might 35 years not be enough?
If you worked before 6 April 2016 and were contracted out of the Additional State Pension (SERPS or State Second Pension), your starting pension record reflects a deduction known as the Contracted Out Pension Equivalent (COPE). Under transitional rules, having 35 years may not automatically grant the full £241.30/week rate if your starting amount had a COPE reduction, meaning additional post-2016 years can often build your entitlement back up to the maximum.
Does everyone need 35 qualifying years?
The 35-year rule applies when your NI record started after April 2016. Earlier records use transitional rules; contracted-out history can mean more than 35 years are needed. Check your official forecast.
What is the break-even age for voluntary National Insurance contributions?
If the relevant government pension service confirms that a £956.80 contribution adds approximately £358.50 a year, simple payback is about 2.7 years after the extra pension starts, before tax. A smaller increase takes longer; no increase means no payback. Eligible Class 2 contributions costing £189.80 with the same confirmed increase have an illustrative payback of about 6.4 months.
What does a Class 3 year cost in 2026/27?
The current Class 3 rate is £18.40 a week: £956.80 for 52 weeks. The actual price for a gap can differ, including partially completed years and earlier-year rates. Use the amount HMRC gives for that specific year.
Does paying for a gap always increase my pension?
No. A gap may not improve entitlement. Future contributions may already bring you to the full amount. This calculator provides an illustration, not confirmation that a year is payable or beneficial.
Is this an official pension forecast?
No. This independent UK planning tool estimates possible top-up value. Check your official State Pension forecast and confirm your individual position before paying.
Sources: DWP pension rules and HMRC contribution rates.
Three examples that explain why the answer can change
These are fictional scenarios using the published 2026/27 model rate. They do not establish whether any real gap is payable or useful. The calculator uses the estimate earned to date, then adds expected future years before considering purchased years.
A useful year with a full increase
With sufficient headroom, one modelled year adds £241.30 ÷ 35 a week, or about £358.50 a year before tax. A £956.80 purchase price takes about 2.67 years of pension payments to recover before tax, or about 3.34 years if the entire increase faces an assumed 20% marginal tax rate.
Only part of a year’s increase fits
If your baseline after future contributions is £238.30 a week, only £3 a week fits below the model’s £241.30 full rate. That is £156 a year before tax. Paying the same £956.80 takes about 6.13 years to recover before tax, rather than 2.67. The calculator charges the entered price for that modelled year even when the uplift is partial.
Future years already fill the headroom
If expected contributions already bring the model baseline to the full rate, purchasing another gap adds no pension in this illustration. This does not mean that every gap on your record is worthless: only an official assessment can identify the effect of the specific year.
Use the comparison as a worksheet
Write down the exact tax year and quoted price beside the scenario. If gaps have different prices, do not multiply all gaps by one average price and treat it as an official quote. Compare separate scenarios and confirm each year’s actual effect. Consider available NI credits before paying.
Cost recovery is measured from pension receipt, not from today. This simple model omits inflation, investment returns, benefit interactions and future rule changes. A positive number is not a guaranteed investment return or a recommendation to pay.
Check the formula and limitations · Follow the full decision guide.
Compare individual gap years
Enter only prices quoted by HMRC and pension increases confirmed by the relevant pension service. This worksheet uses your entered annual increase rather than assuming every gap adds one thirty-fifth. Rows are independent: do not add increases unless the official assessment confirms the combined effect.
Use a tax-year label only, not your name or NI number. Entries stay in this page’s memory; reloading clears them. Printing may save private figures on your device.
| Tax year | Quoted cost (£) | Confirmed annual increase (£) | Assumed tax (%) | Simple payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Payback = quoted cost ÷ [confirmed annual increase × (1 − assumed tax rate)]. Recovery starts when the extra pension is received. This ignores uprating, inflation, investment returns and benefit interactions. It does not confirm that a payment is beneficial.
How the calculator works, with worked examples
The calculator compares what a voluntary National Insurance year costs with the extra State Pension it may produce. It uses three inputs from official sources: the price HMRC quotes for the year, the weekly increase confirmed by the Future Pension Centre (or the default 1/35 estimate), and your marginal tax rate in retirement. Everything runs in your browser; nothing you type is sent to us.
The formula in plain English
- Annual increase = weekly increase × 52.
- After-tax increase = annual increase × (1 − your tax rate).
- Break-even = price paid ÷ after-tax increase, counted from State Pension age, not from the date you pay.
For 2026/27 the full new State Pension is £241.30 a week, so 1/35 of it is about £6.89 a week or £358.50 a year. A full Class 3 year costs £18.40 × 52 = £956.80 (Class 2, where you qualify, costs £3.65 a week or £189.80). These are the 2026/27 rates published on GOV.UK; a quote for a past or part year can differ.
Three worked examples (fictional)
| Situation | Price | Confirmed increase | Break-even |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Class 3 year, basic-rate taxpayer (20%) | £956.80 | £6.89 a week | about 3.3 years |
| Same year, no tax payable | £956.80 | £6.89 a week | about 2.7 years |
| Part year quoted at £400, uplift £3 a week, no tax | £400 | £3 a week | about 2.6 years |
| Forecast already at the full rate | £956.80 | £0 | never |
The last row is the important one: a year shown as "not full" is only worth buying if it increases the pension you will actually receive. If you will reach the full rate through future work or NI credits, the payment can add nothing.
Common mistakes we see
- Buying every gap year. Start with your forecast, not the list of gaps.
- Stopping at 35 years. If you were contracted out before 2016, you may need more. See how the starting amount works.
- Ignoring Pension Credit. Extra State Pension can reduce means-tested support. See Pension Credit eligibility.
- Using the wrong start date. Break-even counts from your State Pension age.
- Missing the deadline. Voluntary contributions can normally be paid for the previous six tax years, with a 5 April deadline.
- Comparing with deferral. Deferring your State Pension takes much longer to pay back than a confirmed voluntary year.
How to check whether a voluntary NI year is worth paying
- Check your State Pension forecast on GOV.UK and note whether you can improve it
- Open your National Insurance record and list each year that is not full, with its price and deadline
- Rule out years that NI credits could fill for free
- Ask the Future Pension Centre how much a specific year would add to your pension
- Enter the official price and confirmed weekly increase in the calculator to see the break-even time
- Pay HMRC using the official payment reference before the deadline, and keep the confirmation
Official sources used
- GOV.UK – The new State Pension: what you'll get (£241.30 a week, 2026/27)
- GOV.UK – Voluntary National Insurance: rates (Class 3 £18.40, Class 2 £3.65, 2026/27)
- GOV.UK – Check your State Pension forecast
- GOV.UK – Future Pension Centre
More questions
How much does one extra qualifying year add to the State Pension?
Under the new State Pension, one extra qualifying year normally adds 1/35 of the full rate, about £6.89 a week or £358.50 a year in 2026/27, until you reach the full £241.30 a week or your maximum.
How far back can I pay voluntary National Insurance?
Normally for the previous six tax years, with a 5 April deadline. For example, gaps in the 2025/26 tax year can normally be paid until 5 April 2032.
Should I pay voluntary NI if I will get Pension Credit?
Check first. Pension Credit tops up income to a minimum level, so extra State Pension can reduce your Pension Credit by the same amount and leave you no better off.
Section added . Rates are for the 2026/27 tax year (6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027).
Ask an adviser
The calculator can show the arithmetic, but it cannot tell you whether paying is right for you. Free, impartial help is available first:
- Future Pension Centre (free): confirms whether a specific year will increase your State Pension. Contact the Future Pension Centre.
- Pension Wise from MoneyHelper (free, government-backed): guidance on your defined contribution pension options if you are 50 or over. Book a Pension Wise appointment.
- Regulated financial advice (paid): for a personal recommendation that combines your State Pension, workplace pensions and tax, use an adviser authorised by the FCA. Check any firm on the FCA Register. Directories such as Unbiased and VouchedFor list regulated advisers.
We are not paid for these links today. If we join a referral programme, the link will be marked "affiliate" and carry rel="sponsored", as explained in our affiliate disclosure. NI Pension Check does not give financial advice.
For employers: a separate NI planning tool
Hiring someone? The UK employer NI and employment-cost calculator separates salary, employer NI, pension and hiring overheads. It does not calculate voluntary contributions or State Pension entitlement.
Which official service should you contact?
Contribution eligibility, payment and pension benefit are separate questions. Use the official route appropriate to your situation.
- HMRC: ask which contributions you may pay, the exact price, application or transitional conditions, payment reference and allocation. Check overseas eligibility and application guidance.
- Below State Pension age: use the Future Pension Centre to check whether a particular payment increases your pension, subject to its service scope.
- At State Pension age: use the Pension Service. If you have lived or worked abroad and are at, or within six months of, State Pension age, follow the International Pension Centre route.
Do not send us your NI number, login details, bank details or private pension records.