National Insurance Credits after Children hit 12 years old, what’s have you done about this ?

[Sortingstuffout]

I’m thinking the best think to do is top up voluntary
already got 32 years in the bag, this year will be almost another year but youngest turned 12 in Sept

so will be 3 months short of a year

So I’m thinkng I’ll top up this year
making it 33 years
so 2 more to get
but I’m not sure if I’m gonna go back to paid work or not yet
i know you need 35 years for the state pension

somkm
jot sure if I want too pay the voluntary extra for the next two years or wait and see if I get a job in the future

Just in case you didn’t know, it’s 35 years for the full state pension, you start accruing some state pension after 10 years.

So with 32 years’ contributions you won’t be far off the full amount already.

Check it on gov.gateway.

35 years is a common misconception, only for those who start paying in 2016. I think.

Yes that’s right after 30 years you get basic
which I think is around 170 atm

after 35 years you get full which is around 230 a week atm

I’ve checked how many qualifying years I have in government gateway so I know I have 32 years already in the bag
I’m certain of that

what I’m figuring out is what to do next
I’m thinking perhaps too this year off for sure as this year I’m only 3 months short

but I’m not too sure about the next two years

Oh i think I see what you mean

actually yes that did confuse me, as it predicts that my state pension will be 230 a week on there

but I thought that was perhaps it’s assuming that my contributions will stay they same and nothing will change

bit I actually started paying nationals insurance in the early 90s

I think it depends on how old you are. Possibly worth topping up the current year if a few months short but wouldn't do a full year if you are a long way from retirement. You could top those up nearer the time. The number of qualifying years could easily change several times in the next 20 years.

Are you really never going to work again? The cheapest way to get credits is to work part time self employed and pay class 2. Is that an option? If you look after grandchildren in the future then you can also get credits for that.

If you can afford it you could also pay into a private pension. You can get tax relief up to gross £3600 (£2880 net) a year.

Yes that’s the thing atm I just don’t know
I would like to start my own business in 2026
but don’t expect it will make loads

I do, do voluntary work atm so I do work it’s just not paid

I don’t have a morgage and have other savings and investments so I’m fairly covered
but I’m trying to be mindful of how long people can live these days

yes if I set up my own business, but didn’t make much money
I’d be happy to pay voluntary contributions
but perhaps I don’t need to as I started before 2016

and I don’t know that about grandchildren
tbh I don’t think maybe know that
I’ve never heard of that before

35 years only applies to people who started work after 2016. Before that we all have our own personalised calculation. Some well over 40 years. You can only know yours by checking on gov.uk.

Anyway, working and paying NI is the most common method 🤣

actually yes that did confuse me, as it predicts that my state pension will be 230 a week on there

You need to look at both sections. One will tell you what you would get if you continued to pay NI to your retirement age.

The other tells you how much you would have if you paid no more.

@Sortingstuffout On the gateway where it told you you'd get £230.25 per week, it would also tell you how many years you still needed to qualify for it. Just double check so you only top up what you actually need.

PS I started NI contributions in 1997 and I need 35 years to get full state pension....8 years to go! :)

If you work as self-employed and earn less than the threshold, currently £6845 profit a year, then there is an option to pay voluntary class 2 contributions at £3.50 a week (2025-26). Class 3 is £17.75 a week so definitely worth doing it this way if you are considering self-employment anyway.

Consider a personal pension for the tax credit boost although, unlike an ISA, it will be taxable when you take the pension.

I topped up a couple of years and went back to work in a minimum wage, part-time job which paid just enough to qualify. Be prepared when you attempt to top up any years, it is quite a rigmarole. They make you speak to someone who tries to convince you you have plenty of years left to work and qualify. I just wanted to get my 35 years in and know that it was all sorted. One of my part years only needed me to pay £70 for it to be topped up but I still had to argue with the advisor that this was better for me than working a full year!

I can’t see two options

You've got enough. You don't need to pay any more NI. You will get the full new state pension and you can't increase it.

The website is so confusing. Mine says I have gaps and need to pay extra for 3 years as only have 32 full years but when finally managed to speak to someone they said all was fine as I was a high earner for a good few years and have enough to get the full state pension.

Don’t top up until you are much closer to retirement age. If you are working you still have to pay until your state retirement age so it’s would be a waste to top up now just incase

You’re seriously don’t think you’ll work for the next 20 years?! You think the state pension will be enough

*but youngest turned 12 in Sept

so will be 3 months short of a year*

National insurance credits/ payments go by the tax year, which ends in April, so unless you're now working/ will be working by then you'll be seven months short.

You’ve got enough, so as it stands at the moment you don’t need to pay more. Of course at some point in the future the goalposts could be moved.

Not everyone needs 35 years. I needed 32.

You’ve already clocked up enough. That’s why it isn’t showing you how many more years you need.

Recently checked into mine as I'm 59. I'm six years short, so in today's value they reckon I'll get £195. I think it's about £6k to top up which they say would give me £10 extra a week, ie £500ish a year. This means I'll have to live to over 79 to get the benefit of paying extra. Will review how my health is in five years before deciding

Yes that forecast is saying you’ve got enough.
the key bit is - you cannot improve this forecast

I got advice from Pensionwise about mine a few years ago as I was in a similar position (but for different reasons). Their advice was to definitely pay up the year that you are only a few months short on straight away. That then left me 3 years short. I was told that I should pay for 2 more years but that the 3rd year would be worth less than £1 a week pension to me so probably not worth paying for. Regarding the 2 missing years, I was told that if there was any chance that I might work in the future (earning enough to pay NI) then not to pay for those years now. You can buy those years at any point up until 6 months before you reach retirement age. Obviously you'll pay the going rate at the time, which might be more expensive as you can now only go back 6 years.

OP is fully paid up and cant improve her forecast anymore so it wouldn't be sensible for her to pay as she will get tbe full New State pension.

That’s what I find confusing why some people need more years than others

I guess I did earn quite a lot back then, sometimes working more than full time

im quite disciplined financially but even I find all this a bit confusing