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Class 3 National Insurance is a voluntary payment that you can make if you have gaps in your National Insurance (NI) record and you want to qualify for the state pension.
But not everyone is eligible to pay it. Take a look at the table below to see what you’d be eligible to pay based on your employment status.Â
| Employment status | What do I pay? |
| Employed and earning < £123 – but not eligible for National Insurance credits | Class 3 |
| Self-employed with profits < £6,725 | Class 2 or Class 3 (depending on the benefits you want to be eligible for) |
| Self-employed with profits > £6,725 | Class 2 (scrapped from 6 April 2024) |
| You’re employed and have a side hustle but with low earnings and small profits | Contact HMRC on 0300-200-3519 |
| You’re a self-employed examiner, religious minister or have an investment, land or property business | Class 2 or Class 3 (depending on the benefits you want to be eligible for) |
| You live and work abroad | Class 3 – if you’ve lived in the UK for 3 consecutive years/paid 3 years of contributions |
| Unemployed but not claiming benefits | Class 3 |
| A married woman or widow no longer paying reduced rates | Class 3 |
| Living (but not working) abroad | Class 3 – if you’ve lived in the UK for 3 consecutive years/paid 3 years of contributions |
In the 2024/25 tax year, Class 3 NI is £17.45 per week, and you can pay it through HMRC’s website.
Be aware that you can only make voluntary contributions for the past six years. If you’re not sure whether or not you’re eligible, you can contact the Future Pension Centre.Â
They’ll tell you if you qualify.
There is a selection of options to pay your Class 3 NI:
HMRC will give you a deadline to pay, to which you’ll have to make sure that you adhere.
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