Martin Lewis advises on UK state pension contribution gaps

Financial expert Martin Lewis explained the UK state pension "exception" rule regarding voluntary National Insurance (NI) contributions. To receive any new State Pension, a person needs at least 10 qualifying years on their NI record, and around 35 years for the full amount. Gaps in a record can be filled by paying voluntary contributions, but Lewis cautioned that this is usually unnecessary if the individual's pension projection already shows they will qualify for the full pension.

He added that an exception may be worthwhile only when the cost of buying back a year is very low – for example, a part‑year can sometimes be purchased for as little as £15, compared with roughly £900 for a full year. In such cases, especially for younger people with limited years left to buy back, a small investment might be sensible.