Ft Money Show

The government has just extended the deadline to April 2025 for people to top up their National Insurance contributions. For many people approaching retirement, especially women, it offers a fantastic opportunity for them to increase their state pension by thousands of pounds by paying in only a few extra hundred. As you can imagine, the demand is huge, and has jammed the government pensions hotline. Money Clinic host Claer Barrett speaks to Sir Steve Webb, the former pensions minister and now a partner at consultancy Lane Clark & Peacock. He fields questions from FT readers and listeners about who should apply (and who should not), how to apply, and what kind of a deal to expect.The episode features a clip from the Martin Lewis Podcast on BBC Radio 5 Live.Want more?Deadline to plug UK state pension gap extended until April 2025Find out more about voluntary National Insurance contributionsSee your State Pension forecast and find any gaps in your National Insurance recordCheck your State Pension ageIf