State pension warning: Britons urged to check National Insurance record - do you qualify?

So, any pay periods where a person has earned under the lower earnings limit will not count towards the total.

Similarly, there is a slightly different rule for self-employed individuals to bear in mind when it comes to qualifying years of National Insurance.

At present, the self-employed must earn at least £125 per week, or £6,515 across the year to be counted towards their state pension.

What is important to note, however, is that qualifying years do not have to be consecutive, meaning work breaks are possible.