NI contribution gap

[PotteryLottery]

I have 2 years missing when I was a full-time student at uni in the 1990s...is there any point in me telling HMRC?

You can get access to your online statement. See if the missing years will make any difference to your final pension (it will tell you) and if it will decide if you want to pay a specified sum.

I am 65, I had 3 missing years. Each year made a difference of approximately £5 per week to my pension payment (£15 per week or nearly £800 per year). I was able to purchase credits for those years for around £700 per year. So I will have recouped what i paid in around 3 years. As my life expectancy is to live into my mid 80s it made sense for me to do so.

As I understand it it would be cheaper to buy those years now (if it does make a difference) than when you are close to retirement age.

You need to register with Gov.Uk for your own specific information and to work out what is best for you. There is no need to tell them - they know.

If the missing years are from the 1990s then you are too late. You can only go back 6 years with voluntary NI payments.

They know! But if you access to your contribution record you should find that you have been credited with 2 or 3 (depending when your birthday is) extra years when you stayed at school after 16.

It will be correct. You don't accrue NI contributions when you're a uni student.

This is from the Which website

Look at www.gov.uk

Under National Insurance and state pension

You can log in & see your NI statement

Exactly how much NI you have paid per year

When your eligible for your state pension & how much you may receive & approx date

I believe that you need 35 years of contributions to receive a full state pension

You used to as students were able to sign on during the summer holidays in the 1980s but that ended early 90s?

If you have 2 years missing it's unlikely to matter for your state pension.

You need 35 years contributions and have over 50 years as working age to pay them, so as long as you will have worked for that amount of time, or being in receipt of qualifying benefits including CB for a child under 12, you'll get a full state pension.

A PP has posted how you can check your record online.