The Department of Work and Pensions has been overwhelmed with demand as workers scramble to plug gaps in their pensions before the original deadline of April 5.
Experts have been urging the public to pay voluntary National Insurance (NI) contributions in the months running up to the deadline in order to receive a better state pension when they retire, but with the deadline just weeks away, many could not get through on the phone lines. The DWP has now moved to reassure the public, saying "If customers are unable to pay voluntary contributions by April 5 2023 for reasons beyond their control, it will consider payments made after the cut-off."
To receive the full new state pension of £203.85 per week from April, you need to have at least 35 years of contributions on your record, and according to Martin Lewis, paying voluntary contributions reasons could turn out to be "incredibly lucrative" for 45-70 year olds. "Many can spend £800 or less (on contributions) and get £5,500 back," he said.
