Voluntary National Insurance Contributions: Should You Fill the Gaps?

Voluntary National Insurance contributions are optional payments you can make to fill gaps in your National Insurance record so more years count towards your State Pension.

A gap in your record doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve lost out. You may have enough qualifying years, earn the year through future contributions, or qualify for National Insurance credits instead.

But if filling a gap would increase your State Pension, paying now could be a worthwhile investment. The tricky part is knowing which gaps are worth paying for and which aren’t.

Here’s how to check your record, what voluntary contributions cost, and when filling the gaps could make financial sense.

Key points

• Check for National Insurance credits before paying 💷
  You may be able to fill a gap through National Insurance credits, so voluntary payment might not be necessary. This can apply if you have caring responsibilities, receive certain benefits, or claim Child Benefit for a child under 12.
• Class 2 can be much cheaper than Class 3 💰
  If you’re self employed and eligible to pay voluntary Class 2 contributions, the cost is considerably lower than Class 3. Check which class applies to you before you pay.
• The payback can be short, but your forecast matters most 📈
  A voluntary contribution can pay for itself quickly through higher State Pension payments, but the exact benefit depends on your individual National Insurance record. Don’t rely on a simple cost-versus-pension calculation alone.
• Keep your tax records organised with ANNA 🚀
  If you’re self employed, ANNA can help you keep track of income and expenses, estimate your tax and National Insurance, set money aside with Smart Pots, and stay on top of deadlines.

What are voluntary National Insurance contributions?

National Insurance contributions and credits help build your entitlement to the State Pension. You usually earn a qualifying year automatically through employment or self employment. But a year may not count if you earned too little, didn’t work, or didn’t receive enough National Insurance credits.

Voluntary contributions let you pay to fill these gaps.

There are two main types of voluntary contribution: Class 2 and Class 3. Class 2 is significantly cheaper, but only certain people can pay it, while Class 3 is available to more people.

Class 2 voluntary contributions

Class 2 contributions cost £3.65 a week in 2026/27. They are available if you’re self employed and your gross income is:

• £1,000 or less
• Over £1,000, but your profits are below the Small Profits Threshold of £7,105

Some specific roles qualify regardless of profits, such as examiners, unsalaried ministers of religion, and some landlords.

From the 2026/27 tax year onwards, you can no longer pay voluntary Class 2 for periods spent abroad.

Class 3 voluntary contributions

Class 3 contributions are the standard option if you want to fill gaps in your National Insurance record but aren’t eligible to pay Class 2.

They cost £18.40 a week in 2026/27 and are available to a wider range of people, including some employees and people who have stopped working.

There are limits on how far back you’re allowed to make payments, so check your National Insurance record first to see which years are missing and whether paying to fill them would increase your State Pension.

Why do National Insurance gaps happen?

Common reasons for gaps in a National Insurance record include:

• Low self employed profits: If your profits fall below the Small Profits Threshold, you won’t automatically build up a qualifying year
• Low earnings from employment: If your earnings are below the relevant threshold, that year may not count towards your National Insurance record automatically
• Time spent abroad: If you live or work outside the UK, that can affect your National Insurance record, although special rules may allow some periods abroad to count
• Periods of unemployment: If you weren’t working and didn’t claim benefits that provide National Insurance credits, you may have gaps in your record
• Caring responsibilities: Time spent caring for children or someone who is ill or disabled may be covered by National Insurance credits instead

Filling the gaps without paying

Before paying voluntary contributions, check whether you qualify for National Insurance credits. Credits can fill gaps without you having to make a voluntary payment.

For example, you may receive credits if you:

• Claim Child Benefit for a child under 12
• Receive certain benefits, such as Universal Credit
• Receive Carer’s Allowance
• Qualify for Carer’s Credit
• Receive certain maternity, adoption, or parental payments

Did you know?

If you claim Child Benefit for a child under 12, you normally get National Insurance credits automatically, even if you don’t receive the Child Benefit payment itself.

Is it worth filling a National Insurance gap?

It can be, but there’s no benefit in paying for a gap unless the payment increases your State Pension.

Your first step should be to check your National Insurance record and State Pension forecast. The online service shows which years are incomplete, whether you can pay to fill them, how much it will cost, and whether paying would increase your forecast.

As a general guide, filling a gap is worth considering if:

• You’re approaching State Pension age and are short of the qualifying years you need
• You know you won’t build enough qualifying years through future work
• Your forecast specifically shows that paying for a particular year would increase your State Pension
• You’re self employed with low profits and can pay the cheaper voluntary Class 2 rate
• You aren’t eligible for National Insurance credits

However, you shouldn’t assume that every gap is worth filling. You may not benefit from paying if:

• You already have enough qualifying years to reach the maximum State Pension available to you
• Your forecast shows that paying for the particular year won’t increase your pension
• You expect to build up the qualifying year through future work or credits
• You can get National Insurance credits instead

How much can one extra year add to your State Pension?

If your National Insurance record started after 6 April 2016, you generally need 35 qualifying years for the full new State Pension, and at least 10 qualifying years to receive any new State Pension.

But people with earlier National Insurance records can have different outcomes, particularly if they were contracted out of the additional State Pension.

The full new State Pension is £241.30 a week in 2026/27. Under the current rules, each qualifying year is worth about £6.89 a week, or roughly £358 a year.

For example, a full year of Class 3 contributions costs £956.80 in 2026/27 (£18.40 × 52 weeks). If paying for a particular year increased your State Pension by around £358 a year, you would recover the cost in roughly two years and eight months.

How to decide whether you should fill a gap

Before paying anything, work through these steps:

• Check your National Insurance record: Look at which tax years are incomplete and whether you have any credits recorded
• Check your State Pension forecast: This shows how much State Pension you’re currently on track to receive and whether filling particular gaps could increase it
• Check for National Insurance credits: You may be able to fill a gap without paying anything
• Check which voluntary class applies: If you’re eligible for voluntary Class 2, choose this option since it’s cheaper than Class 3
• Check the cost and potential benefit for each year: Don’t assume that filling every gap will improve your pension
• Get confirmation before paying if you’re unsure: If you’re below State Pension age, the Future Pension Centre can tell you whether paying voluntary contributions is likely to benefit you

How to pay voluntary National Insurance contributions

Once you’ve checked your National Insurance record and confirmed that filling a gap will increase your State Pension, it’s time to pay. The method depends on which class of contribution you’re making.

Paying voluntary Class 3 contributions

If you’re paying Class 3, you can usually make the payment through the Check your State Pension forecast service. You can also pay by other methods offered by HMRC, including online or telephone banking and cheque

Paying voluntary Class 2 contributions

If you’re self employed and eligible to pay voluntary Class 2, you generally pay these through HMRC’s payment process for self employed National Insurance.

If you’re paying Class 2 because you’re working abroad, different arrangements can apply. HMRC will tell you how to pay based on your circumstances.

How far back can you pay voluntary National Insurance?

You can normally pay voluntary National Insurance contributions for gaps in the previous six tax years. The deadline for paying for a particular tax year is 5 April.

For example, you have until 5 April 2032 to pay voluntary contributions for a gap in the 2025/26 tax year. The window shifts each year, so it’s best to check your National Insurance record regularly.

What if you lived or worked abroad?

Different rules apply if you’re paying voluntary National Insurance for periods when you lived or worked outside the UK. These rules changed on 6 April 2026.

For tax years 2026/27 onwards, you can generally no longer pay voluntary Class 2 contributions for time abroad.

New applicants who want to pay Class 3 contributions for time abroad generally need to have either lived in the UK for at least 10 continuous years or built up 10 qualifying years on their National Insurance record. Some exceptions and transitional rules apply, so if you’ve lived or worked abroad, check the current HMRC rules before making a payment.

The six-year payment window still applies to periods abroad, but being within it doesn’t automatically mean you’re eligible to pay. You must also meet the rules for the particular tax year and your circumstances.

How ANNA takes care of your tax admin

Staying on top of your National Insurance record is only one part of managing your tax affairs. If you’re self employed, it can be easy to lose track of your income, expenses, tax estimates, and important deadlines alongside everything else you have to manage.

ANNA brings your business finances and tax admin together, helping you keep your records organised and understand what you need to pay.

ANNA can help with:

• Automatic bookkeeping: Keep your business income and expenses organised as transactions happen
• Real-time tax estimates: See an up-to-date estimate of what you may owe for Income Tax and National Insurance
• Smart Pots: Automatically set money aside for upcoming tax bills
• Receipt capture: Store receipts digitally and keep your records organised for tax purposes
• Self Assessment filing: Prepare and file your Self Assessment tax return with support from ANNA (for free in your first year)
• Invoicing: Create and send professional invoices, track payments, and keep your sales records organised
• Expense tracking: Record and categorise business expenses so you have a clear picture of where your money is going
• VAT support: Track VAT and submit returns digitally
• Business account: Manage your business finances from a dedicated UK business account
• Payroll: Manage payroll and keep track of your employees’ pay and deductions
• 24/7 support: Get help from ANNA’s UK-based support team whenever you need it

Get started with ANNA today so you know what to set aside for tax and National Insurance.