State Pensioners Born Before 1959 Urged to Spend £824 to Unlock £328 Annual Pension Boost Before April Deadline

Pensioners Face Crucial Deadline to Boost Their State Pension

Time’s ticking for state pensioners born before 1959 who want to top up their future income. With an April 6, 2025 cutoff looming, thousands could miss out on a surprisingly straightforward way to secure hundreds of extra pounds each year. It’s all about plugging gaps in your National Insurance (NI) record, but most people don’t realise how much it can add up—unless you’ve caught the advice from money expert Martin Lewis, who’s called this boost 'one of the best returns you’ll ever get.'

So, here’s how it works: For every year between 2006 and 2016 where your NI contribution record isn’t complete, you can effectively “buy” back a missing year for £824. That’s not pocket change, but look what you get: an extra £328 a year added to your state pension, every year, for the rest of your life. Over a typical 20-year retirement, that’s over £6,500 in your pocket for each year you buy. Not a bad return for a one-off spend—about an 40% annual gain if you’re counting.

The Department for Work and Pensions isn’t known for using flashy marketing, but even they’ve started sending out letters urging eligible pensioners not to wait. If you’ve received one of these, it’s not junk. Ignoring it could mean waving goodbye to money you could really use. Even if you haven’t had a letter, checking your NI record online only takes a few minutes, and it could show gaps even for people who worked steadily but had short breaks for things like family care or illness.

How to Buy Back Missing National Insurance Years

If you’re wondering how to get started, it’s actually simpler than most government processes. Log into the government’s NI portal and check your contribution history. Missing years can normally be bought for the period between 2006 and 2016—far more years than were available to refill until recently. For people with big gaps, it’s even possible to buy up to 13 years, bringing the total upfront cost to nearly £10,700, but also ramping up the long-term pension increase to more than £4,000 annually.

The DWP says this won’t last forever. From April 6, 2025, the window closes and only a much shorter recent period remains eligible for top-up. So there’s real pressure on everyone to check their records before it’s too late. Martin Lewis isn’t exaggerating when he describes this as a unique financial opportunity, not just for those scraping by, but anyone who missed more than a few NI payments in their lifetime.

• Check your NI record online or contact the DWP for help.
• See exactly how many missing years you have between 2006 and 2016.
• Decide how many years you want to buy back (up to 13 years).
• Make the payment—typically £824 per missing year.
• Wait for your state pension to increase, starting from your next payment cycle after processing.

This scheme isn’t just for those already receiving their pensions. Anyone born before 1959, getting close to retirement, should consider it. The returns are some of the best you'll see outside of the stock market or lucky scratchcards, and unlike private investments, these earnings are locked in by the government.