Should I pay voluntary Class 2 National Insurance?

It depends on whether you need the qualifying year. Below the Small Profits Threshold of £7,105 you get no automatic credit, so a year of low-profit driving can leave a gap in your National Insurance record.

A full year of voluntary Class 2 costs £189.80, at £3.65 a week. You need 35 qualifying years for a full new State Pension and at least 10 to get anything at all, so a gap matters more to somebody with a short record than to somebody with thirty years behind them.

How to decide

1. Check your record on gov.uk. It shows which years are complete and where the gaps are.
2. If the year would otherwise be a gap and you are short of 35 years, it is usually good value. Very few things buy a year of State Pension for under two hundred pounds.
3. If you also have a PAYE job that already earns the credit, paying again buys nothing.

You tick it on your Self Assessment return. JoltMile has a matching setting so the amount shows separately, and it is never added to your estimated tax bill, because a voluntary contribution is not a tax charge.