The Department for Work and Pensions has urged state pensioners to “check” their accounts immediately – or risk their payments being lower than expected. DWP state pensioners can check National Insurance contributions to top-up their payments.
You’ll need 10 qualifying years on your National Insurance record to get any new State Pension. A qualifying year is one in which you were working and made National Insurance contributions, were getting National Insurance credits for example if you were unemployed, ill or a parent or carer or were paying voluntary National Insurance contributions.
“Want to know how much #StatePension you’ll get? You may be able to get more by making Voluntary National Insurance Contributions. Check if this applies to you via the free @HMRCgovuk app,” the DWP said on Twitter, now X.
READ MORE UK faces ‘six inches’ of snow with England hit on ‘five more dates’ in January
The HMRC app is a quick and easy way to get information about your tax, National Insurance, tax credits and benefits. You can use it to check your tax code and National Insurance number and income and benefits and employment and income history from the previous 5 years.
You can also use the app to check your tax credits, when they will be paid and how much you will receive, Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) for Self Assessment, your Self Assessment tax and how much you owe and Child Benefit.
You can also check your State Pension forecast and gaps in National Insurance contributions. You can also use it to get an estimate of the tax you need to pay, make a Self Assessment payment, make a Simple Assessment payment and set a reminder to make a Self Assessment payment.
You can also report tax credits changes and complete your renewal, access your Help to Save account, use our tax calculator to work out your take home pay after Income Tax and National Insurance deductions, track forms and letters you have sent to us and claim a refund if you have paid too much tax.
You can ask HMRC’s digital assistant for help and information, update your name, update your address, save your National Insurance number to your digital wallet, check for gaps in your National Insurance contributions and the benefits of paying them, check if you can make a payment for gaps in your National Insurance contributions and choose to be contacted by HMRC electronically, instead of by letter.
Open the app and enter your Government Gateway user ID and password to sign in for the first time. If you do not have a user ID, you can create one via the app. You’ll then be able to access the app quickly and easily by signing in using either a 6-digit PIN or your fingerprint or facial recognition.