State pension with 32 qualifying years — just three years short.
What state pension do you get with 32 qualifying NI years? See the impact of missing 3 years and whether topping up your NI record makes sense.
Thirty-two qualifying years puts you at roughly 91% of the full new state pension — about £209 per week or £10,900 a year at 2025/26 rates. You are 3 years short of the full entitlement, which means you are missing approximately £987 per year for life. Three years of voluntary Class 3 contributions would cost £2,472 in total. At an extra £987 per year, the payback is just two and a half years — an effective annual return of roughly 40% if you live to average life expectancy. This is one of the highest-return, lowest-risk financial decisions available in the UK. The only caveat is to check the deadline for buying back specific years, as HMRC only allows you to fill gaps from the past six tax years in most cases. Do not leave it too late.