National Insurance

The Government today urged those caring for a friend or relative to use a new scheme to build up their state pension entitlement.

Anyone earning over £20,000 a year will have to pay more National Insurance (NI) than expected from April 2011.

Today's Pre-Budget Report (PBR) was a story of higher taxes for most of us to help pay for the country's £178 billion of borrowing this year.

The Government will allow those who tried but failed to boost their state pension last week – before top-up prices rocketed by 50% today – more time to pay the reduced rates.

Millions of adults who want to buy additional National Insurance (NI) to top-up their state pension entitlement have been given more time to pay at the current price – before it's due to rocket by 50% on Monday.