People have less than six months left to fill gaps in their national insurance (NI) record from 2006 to maximise their state pension. More than 10,000 payments worth £12.5 million have already been made through a new digital service to boost people’s state pensions since it launched in April, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has revealed.

The service lets people check for gaps in their NI record, calculate if making a payment would increase their state pension, and then make a payment if they wish to do so. People now have until April 5, 2025 to maximise their state pension by making voluntary NI contributions to fill any gaps in their record between April 6, 2006 and April 5, 2018.

According to the DWP, further analysis of the use of the online service shows:

• the majority of customers (51%) topped up one year of their NI record
• the average online payment is £1,193
• the largest weekly State Pension increase is £107.44

After the deadline, people will only be able to make voluntary contributions for the previous six tax years, in line with normal time limits. Since its launch in April, 3.7 million people have used the online checking tool on GOV.UK to view their State Pension forecast. For money-saving tips, sign up to our Money newsletter here

Customers can use the Check your State Pension forecast tool by logging into their online account or via the free and secure HMRC app. Those without an online HMRC account can register on GOV.UK.

HMRC app users can see their pension details at their fingertips including their current potential retirement date as well as annual, monthly and weekly forecasts as well as checking their NI record.

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