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Most Saffas didn’t realise how important that April 2025 window was.

Many missed it.
And honestly? That’s normal — life happens.

The good news?
You can still fix your pension gaps, still boost your payout, and still claw back thousands of pounds of future income.

This guide walks you through it, step by step.

If you’ve worked in the UK for 3+ years, you’re already earning UK State Pension years.

And this pension is worth real money over your lifetime.

One full qualifying year is roughly:

Ten missing years?

That’s £66,000 left on the table.

So even though the big 2025 window is gone,
your next-best window is still wide open.

Before 5 April 2025
You could buy missing National Insurance (NI) years all the way back to 2006/07.

After 5 April 2025
You can now only buy back six tax years.

Yes, the mega backfill opportunity has ended.

But six years is still serious money.
And topping them up is still one of the best, safest, guaranteed investments you can make.

Short answer?
Almost every Saffa in the UK.

You should definitely check if you:

If you’re here legally and have a National Insurance number,
you qualify to check.

1️⃣ Go to gov.uk and sign in with your HMRC / Government Gateway login.

2️⃣ Search: “Check your National Insurance record”
Or go directly to:
gov.uk/check-national-insurance-record

3️⃣ Once you’re in, look for phrases like:

Your record will show:

💡 If it says “Year is full” — you’re sorted for that year.
No extra payment needed.

Voluntary NI contributions (Class 3) are currently about:

What you get back for that one year:

That’s roughly:

Example:

Do this for six years?

That’s £39,600+ in extra income.
From a one-off set of payments.

You will not find a safer, higher, long-term “investment” anywhere.

If you’ve ever claimed Child Benefit, this is important.

You may have received free NI credits for some years,
even if you weren’t working at the time.

Those credits count towards your State Pension.

This is one of the most commonly missed “hidden wins” in the system.
Double-check your record and your Child Benefit history — it could save you hundreds of pounds per missing year.

Once you’ve checked your record and found gaps,
you’ve got two main ways to top them up:

✔ Online

✔ By phone

If the website throws an error (it happens),
phoning is often the fastest way to sort it out.

💡 Best time to call?
Early mornings on weekdays — the lines are usually quieter.

Here’s a simple four-step plan:

🟢 Step 1 — Check your NI record
Log into gov.uk and see which years are full and which are not.

🟢 Step 2 — List your missing or partial years
Write them down with the cost to fix each one.

🟢 Step 3 — Prioritise the best ROI years
If money is tight, start with the years that give you the biggest gain for the smallest cost.

🟢 Step 4 — Make the payment and keep the proof
Save any confirmation emails or screenshots for your records.

Once that’s done?

You’ve quietly given Future You a raise for life.

❌ Doing nothing means losing guaranteed income, year after year.

⭐ Doing one small thing now can add thousands of pounds to your retirement.

Most of us didn’t move across the world
to end up as poor retirees.

A strong pension isn’t luck.
It’s one smart decision, made early enough.

Checking your NI record and topping up a few missing years
is one of the most powerful money moves a Saffa in the UK can make.

Know another South African in the UK?

Send them this guide.
It might be the nudge that saves them tens of thousands of pounds in retirement.

We look out for each other here.

The information in this newsletter is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or professional advice. Consult a qualified expert before making decisions based on this content.