You’ll stop making National Insurance Contributions when you reach state pension age, so you won’t pay NI on any pension payments or other income. You might still have to pay income tax though, if your taxable income exceeds the personal tax allowance.

You won’t continue to make NI contributions once you reach state pension age, although you may still have to pay Class 4 NI for the remainder of that tax year if you are self-employed and your earnings hit the threshold.

When you retire, remember to let HMRC know that you have stopped working! You will need to send them your final Self Assessment tax return, covering the period until you finished working.
 

National Insurance Contributions are payable from the age of 16 until state retirement age. The amount of NI that you have to pay depends on how much money you earn, and whether you’re employed or self-employed. Check the current NI rates and thresholds in our article.

Some people retire before the retirement age. It might be possible to receive your pension early if you have one through your employer or if you have a private pension as a self-employed person. You’ll be able to check this with your employer or pension scheme provider, but be aware that there might sometimes be tax implications for taking money out of your pension pot early.

 
Early retirement might also mean that the amount of state pension you eventually receive is less. This is because you might not have made enough NI contributions. You can check your National Insurance record online using your Personal Tax Account to see how many qualifying years of contributions you have made.

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