State pension: Warning Britons could miss out on £5,000 unless they do simple check

Britons are being urged to carry out a simple check to boost their state pension and turn £800 into more than £5,000.

Hundreds of thousands of people in the UK between the age of 45 and 70 have not worked the 35 years necessary to qualify for the full state pension amount.

Many of those who are unemployed or on low income have gaps in their national insurance payments that mean they receive a lower amount when they retire.

It is possible to boost these payments - but only until April.

At present you can top up any missing years as far back as 2006.

However, later this year the rules will change to limit payments to the last six years.

Britons can check on gov.uk how many years of national insurance payments they have made and if there are any missing years.

They can pay £824.20 to ensure they receive the full £5,000.

Speaking to ITV, consumer expert Clare Barret said: "That £800 investment could bring you thousands in years to come.

"But the rules change in April, and you can only fill gaps going back six years from then.

"So it's really important to look now before April."

The figure is calculated as the £15.85 a week national insurance contribution.

While the one off sum may seem a lot of money, they payment will lead to a far longer sum being paid back via the state pension in the long term.

National insurance contributions usually are taken directly from wages and can be seen on an employees payslip.

They are usually taken via self-assessment for those who are self-employed.

National insurance is only paid by those earning more than £12,000 a year. For most people it is paid at a rate of 12 percent.