Final tax year before State Pension Age

I submitted CF83 and was assessed to be qualified to make voluntary NI contributions from abroad. My birthday is not on 6th April (say on 3rd March) and I do not have 35 qualifying years for full state pension. (a) I would like to enquire if I make voluntary NI contributions for those months of the final tax year before my state pension age (i.e. from 5th April to the 3rd March of the following year), would it be accounted towards a full qualifying year on my state pension? (b) If not, can I make voluntary NI contributions for the whole tax year of my final tax year from 6th April to the 5th April of the following year (i.e. including those months from 3rd March to 6th April beyond my state pension age) in order to get a full qualifying year on my state pension? (c) Can I make voluntary NI contributions after I reached state pension year so that I can make up for a total of 35 qualifying years for full state pension?

Hi LEUNGCCP,
You would need to pay a full year’s worth of voluntary National Insurance contribution’s for that year to count as a qualifying year for pension purposes.
You cannot pay for any periods after you have reached state pension age as these periods would not count towards your pension.
Based on the information you have provided, the last full year that would count towards your pension, would be the tax year prior to the year in which you reach state pension age.
Thank you. 

Thank you for your reply. It is very useful.

Hello, I reached State Pension age on 3 March 2021, and I understand that NI contributions stop from the beginning of the tax week in which this occurs. I would like to clarify the following: 1. Given that I stopped paying NI from 28 February 2021, does the period from 6 April 2020 to 27 February 2021 still count as a qualifying year toward my State Pension, provided I earned enough in that time? 2. If it is not currently recorded as a qualifying year, am I still eligible to make a voluntary Class 3 contribution for the 2020–21 tax year, even though I have already reached State Pension age by the 4 April?

Hi Mg13,
The year you reach State Pension age does not count towards your State Pension.
Therefore would not be classed as a qualifying year and you cannot pay Class 3 for this tax year as the whole year (20-21) does not count.
Thank you.