Amidst the multitude of recent government announcements, you may well have overlooked the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) & HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) launch of the Check your State Pension forecast tool.

The new online service allows you to see how much State Pension you would be entitled to, when you would be able to get it, and fill any National Insurance (NI) contribution gaps.

The decision to make a NI contribution is entirely voluntary and you can select which (if any) years you would like to fill.

To access the service you can go through the link Check your State Pension forecast or the HMRC app. The second stage of access requirement is that you need to prove your identity using the Government gateway. Another alternative route is by using your personal tax login details.

Whilst living abroad does not restrict your access to the service, it is not accessible to those already receiving their state pension, the self-employed, or taxpayers currently living outside the UK with gaps incurred while working abroad.

There is obviously a cost to filling the gaps and you may want to take financial advice to balance the cost with the returns.

As always, do get in touch if you have any questions.