State Pension top-up calculator 2026/27
If your State Pension forecast is below the full rate, you may be able to buy missing National Insurance years. For most people it's one of the best returns available anywhere, but not every gap is worth filling. This shows what you'd pay, what you'd get, and how long it takes to come out ahead.
Is it worth buying missing years?
Each year you add is worth about £6.89 a week for life. This works out what you'd pay, what you'd get, and how long until you're ahead.
Use the figure based on your record so far, from the State Pension forecast on gov.uk. The full rate is £241.30 a week.
You can normally go back six tax years.
Class 3 is the standard rate. Class 2 is for years you were self-employed. Part-filled years cost less, and HMRC will tell you the exact price.
The State Pension is taxable. If it plus your other income will be over £12,570, choose 20%.
Extra pension received after tax, less what you paid, in today's money.
For guidance only. This is not financial advice. It uses 2026/27 State Pension and voluntary National Insurance rates and assumes each year bought adds one thirty-fifth of the full new State Pension. Older records under the pre-2016 rules can work differently, so confirm with the Future Pension Centre before paying.
If reading this raised a question about your own situation, get in touch.
Who this calculator is for
Anyone whose State Pension forecast is short of the full amount: people who took time out to raise children or care for someone, worked abroad, were self-employed on low profits, or retired early.
The 2026/27 rules it uses
- Full new State Pension of £241.30 a week in 2026/27, needing 35 qualifying years.
- Each extra qualifying year adds one thirty-fifth of the full rate, about £6.89 a week.
- Class 3 voluntary contributions of £18.40 a week, £956.80 for a full year.
- Class 2 voluntary contributions of £3.65 a week, £189.80 for a full year.
- Gaps can normally be filled for the previous six tax years.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a year of National Insurance add to my State Pension?
Under the new State Pension each qualifying year adds one thirty-fifth of the full rate. In 2026/27 that is about £6.89 a week, or roughly £359 a year, for life and rising each year.
How much does it cost to buy a year?
A full year of Class 3 contributions for 2026/27 costs £956.80. Years you've partly paid for cost less. If you were self-employed you may be able to pay Class 2 instead, which is £189.80.
How far back can I go?
Normally six tax years. The deadline is 5 April each year, so the oldest year drops off every spring.
Is it always worth doing?
No. If you'll reach the full rate anyway by working until State Pension age, buying years adds nothing. Some older gaps under the pre-2016 rules don't increase your pension either. Always confirm with the Future Pension Centre which years would help before you pay.
Educational estimate, not financial advice. Check your own forecast and National Insurance record on gov.uk, and confirm with the Future Pension Centre which years will increase your pension before paying anything.