Martin Lewis fan saves himself from £7,500 bill after simple 'phone call'

Martin Lewis says the "clock is ticking" after a fan managed to get a £1,800 boost. The BBC Sounds podcast presenter and ITV regular, who was on Good Morning Britain today, says people can get extra National Insurance years added to theirr record.

The money saving expert has issued an 'important' National Insurance warning to people under 73. Mr Lewis explained: "While many have told me it can be a pain in the bum to get to speak to someone on these lines, once they do, most say it's brilliantly helpful." One reader wrote into MSE in the wake of their success in getting the boost.

Tom wrote "A huge THANK YOU about the NI advice and phoning the pensions people. I was missing 9yrs. I phoned to be told all I needed to buy was 7yrs to qualify me for an extra £40/wk [so £2,000/yr]. If I hadn't phoned, I'd probably have paid the full £7,500 and lost about £1,800.

READ MORE UK tourists in Spain risk £5,000 fines over little-known '200 litre' water rule

"I'm now looking forward to receiving the full pension." Mr Lewis explained his five steps to work out if one should, and how to buy NI years. and says people should check their National Insurance record to see if they’re missing years since 2006.

You should also check if you can plug NI gaps for free - it could save £1,000s. For example, is there Child Benefit that has not been claimed or have grandparents (or other family members) provided childcare? Is it worth buying the extra years missing from 2006 to 2018?

This often depends on their age. The younger individuals are, the more time they have to earn enough qualifying years before they reach state pension age. The most people will pay for the old years is £824. This can typically net someone an 'inflation-proofed' £5,000+.

To avoid paying for unnecessary years, Britons are encouraged to speak to someone before they buy.