National Insurance is paid in order to qualify for some benefits and also the State Pension.
Everyone over the age of 16 is given a National Insurance number and contributions are recorded against this, your National Insurance number never changes
If you are over 16 and earning over a certain amount, known as the threshold, National Insurance contributions will be deducted from your earnings and recorded against your National Insurance record
In some circumstances, if you are unable to work due to illness or are caring for someone, you can get credits to your National Insurance record if you are unable to pay National Insurance Contributions
There are different classes of National Insurance which depend on your employment status and how much you earn
If you are not earning above the National Insurance threshold and do not qualify for National Insurance credits, you can pay voluntary National Insurance contributions to make sure that you have enough years of National Insurance Contributions to get the full State Pension
If you are a man born after 6th April 1951 or a woman born after 6th April 1953 you will be able to claim the new State Pension when you reach state pension age. You will need at least 10 qualifying years on your National Insurance record, and will need 35 qualifying years to get the full State Pension
You can log into your HMRC Personal Tax Account to check your National Insurance record online and see:
- what you’ve paid, up to the start of the current tax year
- any National Insurance credits you’ve received
- if you have gaps in contributions
- if you can pay voluntary contributions to fill any gaps and how much this will cost
Benefits and Pension that National Insurance contributions count towards
https://www.gov.uk/national-insurance/what-national-insurance-is-for
National Insurance Classes
https://www.gov.uk/national-insurance/national-insurance-classes
Rates of National Insurance
Paying Voluntary Contributions
Information on the new State Pension
Check your State Pension age