Thousands Miss State Pension Top-Up Deadline After HMRC Error

Thousands of individuals were unable to top up their state pensions due to an HMRC error that mistakenly took the online service offline a day before the April 5 deadline. Martin Lewis' MoneySavingExpert.com (MSE) reported that approximately 21,000 people were affected when they attempted to log in to make necessary National Insurance contributions from 2006 to 2018. HMRC has apologized for the mishap and stated that they will contact those impacted to ensure they have another chance to fill any gaps in their National Insurance records. MSE advised those affected to keep proof of their attempts, such as screenshots, and to reach out to HMRC directly if they do not receive communication. The incident emphasizes the importance of maintaining a complete National Insurance record for maximizing state pension benefits. The window for making back payments is now limited to the past six tax years following this deadline.