National Insurance credits can plug gaps to get full state pension

In order to receive the full state pension, Britons must have a certain amount of qualifying National Insurance years. These are generally acquired through working, but those who can’t due to certain circumstances, such as caring for a person or having a disability, can earn credits instead. While many will get these credits automatically, some may need to claim, which makes it important to know what credits are available.

In order for a retiree to get the full state pension, on the new state pension, people typically need around 35 years of NI contributions.

People who are not at state pension age can check how many credits they already have to find out if any years are missing by visiting the Government website and searching state pension summary.

Those who are already at state pension age can look up their National Insurance record, which will outline how many years of full contributions they have and whether they have any gaps.

The NI record will also break down year by year when and where the person may be missing out.

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Class one credits count towards a person’s state pension and may help them qualify for some other benefits, such as the New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance, while class three credits just count towards the state pension.

There are a number of scenarios a person may qualify to claim class one or three credits, such as foster carers; those who receive Working Tax Credit or Universal Credit; people on maternity leave; or family members caring for a child.

The full list, including eligibility and whether a person will have to apply or will receive them automatically, can be found on the Government website.