Martin Lewis fan hails 'no brainer' and gets 'over £60k' boost

A Martin Lewis fan has written to Money Saving Expert to share that a "no brainer" trick has helped his wife earn a boost that could be worth more than £60,000. MSE shared the feedback on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday and said: "This is possibly the single most lucrative thing you can do with your money, if it's right for you".

The post continued: "To get the full state pension, you need a full national insurance record – but if yours has gaps, you can usually buy extra years to fill 'em." [sic] It also included a graphic that contained the message they had received from "MoneySaver David".

He wrote: "Dear Martin and team, a big thanks for reminding me to top up NI. My wife had 10+ years missing. Her pension forecast was £69 a week but a (large £8,200) contribution to fill the gaps increased it to £132 a week".

David went on to explain that this is an additional £3,280 per year, and more than £60,000 if she gets it for 20 years. He then called it a "no brainer!"

An MSE article, updated last week, says that this scheme is a "potentially unbeatable opportunity everyone aged 40 to 73(ish) needs to consider". People have until April 5, 2025, to buy back missing years from 2006 to 2016, it adds.

The state pension age is currently 66 but this will be increasing to 67 and then to 68 over the coming years. If you have missing NI year but are on track to get the full state pension, there is no need to top up.

Topping up a full NI year usually costs £824, although this varies depending on the tax year and on your work situation.