NI Gap Checker
A gap year is simply a tax year that doesn't count towards your State Pension — one where you didn't pay enough National Insurance, and didn't receive NI credits in place of paying. Common causes include periods of unemployment without claiming Jobseeker's Allowance, self-employed profits below the small profits threshold without paying voluntary Class 2, time spent living or working abroad, or a career break where no credits were claimed.
Having some gap years doesn't necessarily mean you'll miss out — you only need 35 qualifying years for the full new State Pension, and many people have a few gap years scattered through their working life without it affecting their final amount, provided they still reach 35 qualifying years overall by State Pension age.
This tool adds your current qualifying years to a simple projection of your future years — the years remaining until State Pension age, minus any gap years you expect — to estimate your total qualifying years at retirement. If that projected total is below 35, you're shown a shortfall and an estimate of what it would cost to fill it using voluntary Class 3 contributions at the current 2026/27 rate of £18.40/week (£956.80/year).
This is a planning estimate only. Your actual record may include past gaps you're not aware of, or credits you're already entitled to but haven't claimed, so always cross-check against your real gov.uk forecast before making any decisions or payments.
Before considering a voluntary payment, it's worth checking whether any of your apparent gap years are actually covered by free NI credits you haven't claimed. Common sources include Child Benefit claimed in your own name for a child under 12, Carer's Allowance or caring for a disabled person for at least 20 hours a week, Jobseeker's Allowance or Universal Credit during unemployment, and certain periods of statutory sick pay or disability-related benefits.
These credits are free and can retroactively fill what looks like a gap year, so it's worth checking and backdating any missed claims — particularly Child Benefit, which is one of the most commonly missed sources of qualifying years for parents who stayed home with young children — before paying for a Class 3 year that credits might cover for free.