Who to contact about National Insurance and State Pension questions
Short answer
HMRC deals with your National Insurance record, voluntary contribution prices and payment references. Below State Pension age, the Future Pension Centre (0800 731 0175) says whether a payment would raise your forecast. At State Pension age, use the Pension Service (0800 731 0469); abroad, the International Pension Centre; in Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland Pension Centre.
Match the question to the office
Most delays come from asking the right question in the wrong place. HMRC keeps the contribution record; DWP (and, in Northern Ireland, the Department for Communities) works out what that record is worth as a pension. Use this table first.
| Your question | Who answers it | Route listed on GOV.UK |
|---|---|---|
| Is a year missing? What does it cost to fill? What is my payment reference? | HMRC | Check your NI record online, or ask HMRC online / National Insurance helpline |
| Will paying for a gap increase my State Pension? (below State Pension age) | Future Pension Centre (DWP) | 0800 731 0175; from outside the UK +44 (0)191 218 3600; Mon–Fri 8am–6pm |
| Will paying help now that I have reached State Pension age? Claims, payments, changes of circumstances | Pension Service (DWP) | 0800 731 0469 (enquiries); 0800 731 7898 (claim line) |
| I live abroad and am at, or within 6 months of, State Pension age | International Pension Centre | +44 (0)191 218 7777 (State Pension), Mon–Fri 8am–6pm |
| I live in Northern Ireland | Northern Ireland Pension Centre | Contact details on nidirect / Department for Communities |
| Carer's Credit claim or a break in caring of more than 12 weeks | Carer's Allowance Unit | 0800 731 0297, Mon–Fri 8am–6pm |
Numbers change. Click through to the official page before you call, and check the call charges shown there.
HMRC: the contribution record and the price
HMRC holds your National Insurance record. It decides whether you are allowed to pay voluntary contributions for a year, which class you may pay, how much it costs and which reference to use. GOV.UK tells people to contact HMRC if they think their record is wrong, and to check credits before paying, because credits can fill a year for free.
- Start with your online National Insurance record. It lists full years, gaps and, for many gaps, the cost of filling them.
- If you live or have lived abroad, you must apply first. GOV.UK says not to pay until HMRC writes with the amount and a payment reference (voluntary National Insurance guide).
- HMRC cannot tell you whether a gap is worth paying for. That is a DWP question.
Future Pension Centre: will a payment raise my forecast?
If you are below State Pension age, GOV.UK points you to your online State Pension forecast or to the Future Pension Centre to find out whether you will benefit from voluntary contributions. This matters most where your record started before April 2016, because contracted-out years can mean that extra years add less than you expect, or nothing.
The Future Pension Centre lists 0800 731 0175, +44 (0)191 218 3600 from outside the UK, and a Freepost address (Freepost DWP Pensions Service 3). If you used the call-back request form to pay voluntary contributions, the page says DWP Retirement Services will contact you and you do not need to call the helpline.
Pension Service: at or after State Pension age
The Pension Service handles State Pension claims and payments, Pension Credit and the over 80 pension. It also advises on voluntary contributions once you have reached State Pension age. You must tell it about changes such as moving house, changing bank details, marriage, divorce, bereavement, moving into a care home or moving abroad permanently.
- General enquiries and changes: 0800 731 0469 (Welsh 0800 731 0453).
- Claim line, if you reach State Pension age within 4 months: 0800 731 7898 (Welsh 0800 731 7936).
- Post: The Pension Service, Post Handling Site A, Wolverhampton WV98 1AF.
Abroad, or in Northern Ireland
Living abroad changes both the contribution rules and the contact. GOV.UK says that if you live or work abroad and are over, or within 6 months of, State Pension age, the International Pension Centre will check gaps and tell you how much to pay. It also takes State Pension claims from abroad and changes of address or bank details, which must be reported by phone or letter, not email. A call-back can be requested to reduce the cost of calling from abroad.
In Northern Ireland the State Pension rules are the same, but claims and questions go to the Northern Ireland Pension Centre. Our guide to State Pension in Northern Ireland explains the claim steps published on nidirect.
What to have ready before you call
- Your National Insurance number and date of birth.
- The tax years you are asking about, written as 2019/20, 2020/21 and so on.
- A screenshot or printout of your NI record and forecast.
- Dates abroad, with countries, if relevant.
- For a payment question: the amount HMRC quoted, and the date of the letter.
Write down the date, the name the adviser gives and what was confirmed. If you later pay for a year on the strength of a call, that note is your evidence.
Scams and safe channels
nidirect warns that you will never be asked for bank details by text, social media, email or a link in a message. Use the numbers on GOV.UK or nidirect, not numbers in an email. NI Pension Check is an independent site: we cannot see your record and you should not send us your National Insurance number, bank details or log-in details.
Frequently asked questions
Who tells me whether paying voluntary NI will increase my State Pension?
Below State Pension age, check your online forecast or contact the Future Pension Centre. At State Pension age, contact the Pension Service. If you live abroad and are within 6 months of State Pension age, contact the International Pension Centre.
Who do I pay voluntary National Insurance to?
HMRC. It confirms the amount and payment reference. If you live or have lived abroad, apply first and wait for HMRC’s letter before paying.
What is the Future Pension Centre phone number?
GOV.UK lists 0800 731 0175, or +44 (0)191 218 3600 from outside the UK, Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm. Check the official page before calling.
Who do I contact in Northern Ireland?
The Northern Ireland Pension Centre, run by the Department for Communities. Contact details are on nidirect.
Sources
Official pages checked on 14 November 2026. Figures are for the 2026/27 tax year (6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027) unless stated.