If you don't have enough National Insurance contributions or credits for a particular tax year you may get a letter telling you that the year won't count towards your basic State Pension and bereavement benefits. The letter explains how voluntary contributions can make the year count, and what to do if you think the gap information is wrong.
On this page:
There might be a gap in your contributions record because you've been:
Self-employed tax and National Insurance
Gap letters are normally sent out between September and January. They tell you about:
For example, if you receive a letter between September 2010 and January 2011 (tax year 2010-11) it will be telling you about any gaps in the 2008-2009 tax year and how many qualifying years you have up to the 2007-08 tax year.
A qualifying year is a tax year where you have paid, or you're treated as having paid or you've been credited with, enough National Insurance contributions to count towards your basic State Pension and certain bereavement benefits.
You should check the information in your letter and then either:
Your letter isn't a bill or a demand for payment. So it's your decision whether or not to pay voluntary contributions to make the year count towards your State benefits. But if you decide not to make up the gap, the whole year won't count.
You can get more information to help you decide if you'd benefit from paying voluntary contributions by following the link below. You'll also find tables to help you work out the effect on your State Pension of paying or not paying voluntary contributions.
Help with deciding whether paying voluntary contributions is right for you
If you think the information in your letter is wrong you should either:
If you live abroad you should either:
Voluntary National Insurance contributions
When and how to top up your National Insurance contributions
