Illustration: Paul ScottThousands of Irish people who worked in the UK for a number of years have just weeks to apply for access to a future UK state pension. At present, anyone with three years of national insurance coverage in the UK is entitled to buy back social insurance cover, even if they are no longer living in the UK. From the same date, any purchase of additional years of national insurance cover will be at the higher Class 3 rate. The flip side is that over three-quarters of applicants have less than a 10-year national insurance history. And, as in Ireland, you need at least 10 years of social insurance cover to secure a minimum weekly UK pension payment.

Source: The Irish Times February 06, 2026 21:54 UTC