Enter the qualifying years you have so far. The page shows the gap to 10, the gap to 35, and the published Class 3 cost of one year. It does not say a gap is worth buying.
These are the records where a standard calculator can miss what you will actually be paid. Ask before you decide whether to buy a year.
Estimated weekly amount
£172.36
15 June 2037 · 2026/27 rates
Share of full rate
71.4%
Every four weeks
£689.44
A calendar month
£746.89
A year
£8,962.72
| Band | Share | Years | Weekly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–9 years | Nil | 0 | £0.00 |
| 10–35 years | 1/35 each year | 25 | £172.36 |
| Over 35 years | No extra | 0 | £0.00 |
| Total | £172.36 | ||
Years toward the full rate
Share of the full rate
Qualifying years used: 25 of 35, including 5 future years.
Gap to the full amount: 10 years. One extra year is worth about £6.89 a week. Class 3 for one year costs £956.80.
Twenty years is already past the 10-year minimum, and 15 years short of the full 35. Each of those years, once you are between the two thresholds, is worth £6.89 a week on the flat rule.
Years so far
20
Gap to 10: 0
Still short of 35
15 years
£6.89 a week for each, on the flat rule
One Class 3 year
£956.80
£18.40 a week in 2026/27
Filling all 15 years at the Class 3 rate would cost £14,352.00 at 2026/27 prices. That is the published price of the contributions, not a reason to pay them. Deadlines, credits and a starting amount can change whether a gap can be filled, and whether it is worth filling.
A qualifying year is a tax year with enough National Insurance, or with credits that stand in for it. The new State Pension uses two thresholds:
How a year is earned, including credits, is on the qualifying years guide. This calculator cannot see your National Insurance record.
The minimum and the full rate are different cuts. A year that takes you from 9 to 10 is the year any pension starts. A year between 10 and 35 adds about £6.89 a week. Class 3 is the voluntary rate published for 2026/27. Some people can pay Class 2 instead, at £3.65 a week. This page prices Class 3 only.
| Before anything is payable | 10 years |
| Full new State Pension | 35 years |
| Each year from 10 to 35 | £6.89 a week |
| Class 3, one week | £18.40 |
| Class 3, one year | £956.80 |
| Class 2, one week | £3.65 |
The last column is the 2026/27 Class 3 price of every year still short of 35. It is a price list, not a recommendation.
| Years so far | To get any pension | To reach 35 | Class 3 cost of that gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 10 | 35 | £33,488.00 |
| 8 | 2 | 27 | £25,833.60 |
| 10 | 0 | 25 | £23,920.00 |
| 20 | 0 | 15 | £14,352.00 |
| 30 | 0 | 5 | £4,784.00 |
| 35 * | 0 | 0 | £0.00 |
* At 35 years the gap is closed. Class 3 is £956.80 a year in 2026/27. Many gaps cannot be paid, and some people pay Class 2 instead.
Credits can fill a year without a payment. Time abroad can leave a gap, and in some cases voluntary contributions are still open. Neither shows up when you type a number into this calculator.
Years before 6 April 2016 can also sit inside a starting amount. A year that looks missing on the flat 1/35 line may already be reflected there, or a contracted-out deduction may already have reduced it. The record on your GOV.UK forecast is the check. This page does not tell you to buy a year.
The new State Pension needs 10 qualifying years before anything is payable, and 35 for the full rate. Years above 35 do not increase it.
Class 3 voluntary National Insurance is £18.40 a week in 2026/27, which is £956.80 for a full year. Whether that year is worth buying depends on your record and the deadline for that tax year.
Yes. Credits from certain benefits, caring, and some other circumstances can fill a year without a payment. This calculator cannot see credits. They appear on your National Insurance record.
No. It shows the gap to 10 and to 35, and the published Class 3 cost. It does not look up your record, and it does not say a gap year is worth buying.
Reviewed by
Chartered Financial Planner
FCA, CFP® and FCII. Director of Mason Beaufort Financial Planning Co Ltd, specialising in UK pensions since 2001.
