Money-saving expert Martin Lewis has warned it is now the final opportunity to significantly boost your state pension. He said individuals have until April 5 to top up their National Insurance contributions for the years between 2006 and 2019, potentially adding tens of thousands of pounds to their pensions.

Mr Lewis took to X (formerly Twitter) and his podcast on BBC Sounds to urge people, especially those aged between 40 and 73, to boost their pensions before the looming deadline. Mr Lewis wrote on X: “Pls share. If someone hasn’t checked this yet and is between the age of 40 and 73. Without exaggeration it could be worth £10,000s, so check. If you miss it now the door shuts forever on 5 April.”

Many people are unaware that they have gaps in their National Insurance record, and by the time they retire, it may be too late to rectify this.

To help people navigate this, Mr Lewis provided a detailed step-by-step guide on his BBC Sounds podcast, urging people to act quickly.

First, start by checking your National Insurance record online.

This will show which years are missing, and you can then find out if topping up those years is worth it for your pension.

The key years to focus on are from 2006 to 2019.

Once you’ve identified any gaps, the next step is to check your state pension forecast on GOV.uk.

From April 6, the rules are changing, limiting voluntary National Insurance contributions to just the previous six tax years, so the April 5 deadline is crucial.

If you are struggling to reach the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) by phone, the government has introduced an online callback request form, which will allow you to pay voluntary contributions.