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UK NI Top-Up Calculator

Is buying back missed UK National Insurance years worth it? Usually spectacularly. Check your numbers.

Rates updated for 2026/27

Find this at gov.uk/check-state-pension

Gaps are usually fillable about 6 years back.

Or use the ONS average for a

How long will you draw it? UK average is around 85 at pension age.

Common with public-sector or older workplace pensions before 2016.

The special catch-up window to fill gaps back to April 2006 closed on 5 April 2025. The normal rolling 6-year window still applies: tax year 2020/21 becomes unpayable after 5 April 2027.
Rates current for 2026/27 · reviewed Jul 2026
Buying 3 years costs £2,870 and adds £1,075.50/year for life — you break even by age 70 (may be lower — see below)
break even · age 70age 67age 85

Assumptions & caveats

Results depend on your actual NI record — always check gov.uk/check-state-pension and confirm with HMRC / the Future Pension Centre before paying. Some years may cost less than the standard rate; transitional rules can change the 35-year maths for pre-2016 records. State Pension is taxable income (use the after-tax view above). Lifetime figures are shown in today's money — the uplift rises with inflation each year, so a real-terms view is the honest one.

Before you pay — the official sequence

Check your forecast and gaps on gov.uk before paying anything.

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This is one pension in isolation.

PensionChart shows all of yours together — how they interact and the deadlines you can't miss.

See how your UK pension fits with the rest

Estimates only, not financial advice.

🇬🇧 See the full United Kingdom pension guide

Frequently asked questions

Is buying back UK National Insurance years worth it?
For most people, yes — often spectacularly. A full voluntary (Class 3) year costs £956.80 in 2026/27 and typically adds about £358 of extra State Pension every year for life, so it usually pays for itself in roughly three years.
How many qualifying years do I need for the full UK State Pension?
You need 35 qualifying years for the full new State Pension, and at least 10 qualifying years to receive any State Pension at all. Years beyond 35 add nothing.
When is the deadline to top up missed National Insurance years?
The special catch-up window to fill gaps all the way back to April 2006 closed on 5 April 2025. Since then the normal rolling six-year window applies: each tax year becomes unpayable six years after it ends (for example 2020/21 can no longer be paid after 5 April 2027). Always confirm your own record at gov.uk/check-state-pension and with the Future Pension Centre before paying.
Should everyone buy back National Insurance years?
No. It usually pays off, but not always: if you already have 35 qualifying years, extra years add nothing; if you'll keep working or getting credits to reach 35 anyway, buying now may be unnecessary; contracted-out or pre-2016 years can add less than the standard amount; and top-ups can reduce means-tested Pension Credit. This tool flags these cases — always check your gov.uk forecast first.