MARTIN Lewis’s Money Saving Expert team is urging anyone between the ages of 40 and 73 to act in order to turn £800 into £5,500.

The Money Saving Expert team have highlighted the deadline to top up your voluntary National Insurance contributions in April 2025.

You can buy missing years of National Insurance contributions from 2006 to 2016 in order to boost your pension.

To qualify for the maximum state pension, you must have 35 years of National Insurance contributions.

If you have contributions of less than 35 years you will receive reduced amounts.

The Money Saving Expert team explained in their weekly newsletter: "AGED 40 TO 73 AND NOT DUE A FULL STATE PENSION? Boost it by turning £800 into £5,500+ (free for some). To get the full state pension, you'll need 35ish (only 'ish', as it can be more for some) complete NI years - most get these through working or claiming benefits."

"If you've gaps in your NI record, check if you can fill them for free. If not, you can buy missing years from 2006 to 2016, which can be incredibly lucrative, though you'll need to do it before 5 April 2025. Don't leave it till then though, as it's not quick. We've full help on who should do this in boost NI years."

Explaining the process previously on the Martin Lewis podcast, the Money Saving Expert said: “We need to spread the word on this. On April 6 2016 that was the day they introduced the new state pension.

"For those who hit pension age since then, you have been put on the new state pension.

“As part of that, transitional arrangements were put in place. Those transitional arrangements are set to end.

"This is all about your National Insurance years. The amount that you get in your state pension is about the number of qualifying years that you have.

"You can acquire years by working. Minimum wage, and you will get National Insurance credits, or if you're not working there are other ways you can get NI credits for example if you are raising children or have a disability.

"Now to get the full state pension when you retire, on the new state pension, you will need 35 years ish.

“Some of you when you get to retirement will be missing years - it might be you were on a low income or working abroad.

"Anybody listening right now, do this. If you are not yet at state retirement age, go to gov.uk and look up your state pension summary.

"That will tell you when you will get your pension and it will give you a forecast of how much you are likely to get."