The Marines in One Piece are a mixed bag of love and hate but when it comes to Garp, we cannot help but respect the guy. He is silly and goofy, but when it comes to duty, he isn’t the one to shy away from making tough decisions. From Marco to Chinjao, Garp has knocked […]
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Solo Leveling anime has been making slight changes to the plotline ever since it began airing. From changes to the established story to altering Jinwoo’s character little by little, the anime has made quite a few changes. At the same time, the changes have not been massive enough to be too noticeable. But the Episode […]
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MILLIONS of savers have just DAYS left to boost their future state pension payments.
A crucial deadline to fill in gaps in National Insurance (NI) payments is looming on April 5.
The date will end a temporary extension that allowed people to fill in missing NI years dating back to 2006/2007.
Pensioners require 35 years of qualifying NI contributions to claim the full new state pension, which is worth £221.20 a week.
A minimum of 10 years’ payments are required for savers to receive anything at all.
Life events such as career breaks, time spent abroad, or periods of self-employment with low earnings can result in gaps in NI payments.
This means that making payments to fill in gaps can significantly impact your future income.
Buying one additional year costs £907 and boosts your state pension by £342 every year of retirement.
Or If you fill gaps between 2006/07 and 2015/16, you’ll pay the 2022/23 rates for contributions working out at £824.20 to buy one year of contributions.
This means you can make back the investment cost within three years, and potentially boost pension income by thousands of pounds over the course of your retirement
Overall, you have the potential to enhance future state pension payments by up to £113.76 a week, equating to an annual increase of £5,915.92.
But those with gaps only have a limited time to act as from April 6 retrospective contributions will be restricted to the past six tax years.
Brian Byrnes, head of personal finance at Moneybox, said: “According to findings from the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA), over half of UK savers will fall short of retirement income targets set by the 2005 Pensions Commission.
“With so many people at risk of not saving enough for a comfortable retirement, it’s important that savers are accessing everything they have or are eligible for, whether that’s by finding missing pension pots or filling the gaps in their NI contributions.
“This is why, with just two more weeks left to fill any gaps in NI contributions to top up your state pension, it’s vital for everyone to check what money they have on the table when it comes to their retirement.”
Savers can check how many NI credits they’ve accrued in just minutes on the government’s online ‘Check Your State Pension’ forecasting tool at gov.uk/check-state-pension.
It outlines the options to make voluntary NI contributions to fill them.
Mr Byrnes added: “It’s worthwhile checking ahead of the deadline, as from April 6 you will only be able to make voluntary contributions for the past six qualifying tax years.”
However, buying backdated voluntary contributions won’t be right for everyone.
Mike Ambery, retirement savings director at Standard Life, said: “It’s very important to consider your own situation, as there could be many reasons why voluntary NI contributions wouldn’t suit your circumstances, for example if you have sufficient time to make up the years without making voluntary contributions.
“There’s not a lot of time left, and this is a big decision to make. Checking your record and contacting the relevant people before 5th April could potentially mean you’re thousands of pounds better off in future.
“While the deadline remains in place, there has been some welcome flexibility – those who secure a callback from HMRC before the deadline may still be able to make payments after April 5. That said, acting as soon as possible remains crucial to avoid missing out.”
NATIONAL Insurance is a tax on your earnings, or profits if you're self-employed.
These contributions make you eligible for things like the state pension and certain benefits.
You’ll usually pay National Insurance Contributions (NICs) when you’re over the age of 16 and earning a certain amount.
For example, if you earn £1,000 a week, you pay nothing on the first £242.
Earn over that and you pay 10% on the next £725 – so £72.50. Then you pay 2%o on the rest, so £33, which works out as 66p.
For the self-employed rates are slightly different.
You can also get something known as National Insurance in some circumstances when you’re not working, for example when you have kids and claim certain benefits.
NICs are usually taken automatically by your employer and paid to HMRC, so you don’t need to do anything.
You can see how much NICs you pay on your wage slip.
Anyone working for themselves usually has to pay NICs themselves when completing a self-assessment tax return.
If you think you’re missing NI years, the first thing to do is check your State Pension forecast.
You can check this through the government’s ‘Check your State Pension’ tool online at www.gov.uk/check-state-pension.
The tool is also available through the HMRC app, which you can download free on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
You’ll need to log in using your Personal Tax Account login details. If you don’t already have an online HMRC account, you can register at gov.uk.
It shows you how much your state pension could increase by and what NI years you’ll need to buy to achieve this.
You’ll then be able to pay for these missing years securely online.
You will need to pay for these in full as you can’t set up a plan to pay in instalments.
Be aware that you can’t use the online service if you’re already receiving your State Pension.
Instead, you’ll need to call the Pension Service on 0800 731 0469.
However, before you commit to buying new NI years it’s vital you check whether you were entitled to free credits at any point.
Before making a voluntary contribution, check if the gaps in your contributions can be filled with free NI credits.
Thousands are thought to be missing out on these NI Credits, leaving them worse off in retirement.
For example, those on certain benefits could qualify for Class 1 credits.
This includes parents with active claims for child benefit.
You can check the full list of people eligible to claim credits by visiting gov.uk/national-insurance-credits/eligibility.
It explains the circumstances where you’ll need to claim and when you’ll get it automatically.
In some cases, buying back missing years can be really valuable.
But earning back the years isn’t free, so your voluntary contributions come at a price.
If you fill gaps between 2006/07 and 2015/16, you’ll pay the 2022/23 rates for contributions.
It is worth £15.85 a week, which means it costs £824.20 to buy one year of contributions.
As the state pension was £185.15 per week in 2022/23, this boost would add £5.29 per week or around £275 per year.
Although you’d have to pay £8,242 (10 lots of £824.20), the annual state pension boost would be around £2,750.
Someone who was retired for 20 years would get back around £55,000 in total (before tax).
Anyone under 73 can make voluntary pension contributions, as it’s assumed everyone under this age will claim the new state pension.
If you’re below the state pension age, you can check your state pension forecast by visiting gov.uk/check-state-pension to determine if you’ll benefit from paying voluntary contributions.
You can also contact the Future Pension Centre by calling 0800 731 0175.
If you’ve reached state pension age, contact the Pension Service to find out if you’ll benefit from voluntary contributions.
You can contact this service in several different ways by visiting gov.uk/contact-pension-service.
AT the moment the current state pension is paid to both men and women from age 66 - but it's due to rise to 67 by 2028 and 68 by 2046.
The state pension is a recurring payment from the government most Brits start getting when they reach State Pension age.
But not everyone gets the same amount, and you are awarded depending on your National Insurance record.
For most pensioners, it forms only part of their retirement income, as they could have other pots from a workplace pension, earning and savings.
The new state pension is based on people’s National Insurance records.
Workers must have 35 qualifying years of National Insurance to get the maximum amount of the new state pension.
You earn National Insurance qualifying years through work, or by getting credits, for instance when you are looking after children and claiming child benefit.
If you have gaps, you can top up your record by paying in voluntary National Insurance contributions.
To get the old, full basic state pension, you will need 30 years of contributions or credits.
You will need at least 10 years on your NI record to get any state pension.
A DIY enthusiast has found the best budget and renter-friendly hack to transform your home.
So if the cost of living crisis has made your purse feel tighter than ever, but you’re desperate to give your pad a glow up without breaking the bank, then you’ve come to the right place.
Lou, a DIY fan from the UK, explained that she used self-adhesive vinyl to give her home a mega makeover.
Not only does it look great and add colour and style to a space, but it also gives homeowners increased privacy too.
Thrilled with her ‘quick and easy’ overhaul, Lou took to social media to share a before and after look at the DIY job.
Posting online, the content creator uploaded her clip with the caption ‘Such a quick and easy change, I’ve used this before on a couple of other windows that I’m now going to change as I love this design.’
Lou then confirmed that she used the D-C-Fix window film in the shade Minster Blue, which she bought from The Range.
Detailing her impressive makeover, Lou said: “I’ve used some D-C-Fix window film on my porch window and I’m in love with the results.
“This is budget friendly and renter friendly, because it comes off so easily, and this roll only cost me £4.50, which I think is an absolute bargain.
“After trying to line the pattern up, taking it off and on and off and on, I think I got it where it needed to be and I don’t think I did a bad job either.”
As well as looking great, Lou was impressed with the added privacy her hack gave her, as she continued: “It’s nice because it’ll hide the rubbish in the porch and we have a lovely postman, but he does come in the porch as well, and although he is lovely, I don’t want him to see me in my pink doughnut pyjamas.
“I love the pattern, and I love the way it looks.”
The TikTok clip, which was posted under the username @loushomelife, has clearly left many open-mouthed, as it has quickly racked up 561,000 views.
Not only this, but it’s also amassed 12,800 likes, 426 comments, 1,416 saves and 849 shares.
The ultimate guide for homeowners and renters:
Social media users were impressed with Lou’s home transformation and many eagerly flocked to the comments to express this.
One person said: “Lovely pattern, may do the same for mine.”
Another added: “Wow you did an amazing job.”
You did a great job, love it for privacy
TikTok user
A third commented: “That looks brilliant.”
Meanwhile, someone else chimed in: “Absolutely gorgeous.”
Not only this, but another DIY fan expressed: “You did a great job, love it for privacy.”
At the same time, one user asked: “What’s it like from the other side?”
In response, Lou confirmed: “Looks exactly the same from the other side.”
Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme – Sun Club
A CHANNEL 4 show’s set was placed on lockdown over a ‘terrifying’ dog that left everyone scared.
Nick Grimshaw has officially taken over as host of The Bad Dog Academy as it returns for a brand new series.
It aims to help Britain’s most troubled dogs and their desperate owners.
The new series will see a team of top dog trainers work their magic once again.
But radio presenter Nick, 40, has revealed one dog threw filming into chaos – and left crew scared.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun’s TV Mag: “There was a great big dog called Ghost. You know, that was quite a terrifying.
“It was in the morning we’d all get together with the trainers and talk about who was coming in that day. And I’d never met a Cane Corso and I’d never even seen one in real life.
“I was like, is it going to come to the show? And one of the trainers said ‘oh you better get ready today’.
I thought they were joking but it was really serious. And we had signs up all around the set that were saying ‘don’t come in this area’.
It was literally warning that this dog was on the set. I was like, s***. Then they were like go and let him in, the dog that everyone’s scared of.
“But yeah, he was a big guy.”
Viewers of The Bad Dog Academy will see owners will get trained in dog management skills and psychology, while their misbehaving pooches will be put through their paces with expert-led sessions.
Channel 4 boasts a number impressive competition shows, but which ones are really the best?
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The Great British Bake Off
Bake Off: The Professionals
A LUCKY punter is celebrating after winning a life-changing Daily Million Plus prize worth €500,000.
The Plus player bought their winning Quick Pick ticket on the day of the draw from Tesco, Stillorgan Shopping Centre, Stillorgan, Co. Dublin.
The numbers for Friday’s 2pm Daily Million Plus draw were: 17, 22, 23, 25, 30, 37 and the bonus was 32.
Daily Million draws take place twice a day, seven days a week at 2pm and 9pm and costs just €1 per play.
The National Lottery is urging all players in Dublin to check their tickets carefully and if you’re holding the winning ticket, be sure to contact the National Lottery prize claims team on 1800 666 222 or email claims@lottery.ie to arrange the collection of your prize.
National Lottery spokesperson, Darragh O’Dwyer, said: “What an incredible stream of wins we’ve had across all games recently!
“This week alone there have been two high tier prize wins in the Daily Million Plus draws, each worth €500,000 and to top it off the Lotto Jackpot worth €4,005,581 was won in Wednesday night’s (26th March) Lotto draw.
“This is the third top tier prize in the Daily Million and Daily Million Plus draws so far in 2025!”
Meanwhile, players are being urged to check their tickets after Wednesday’s €4million Lotto win.
The numbers in the main draw on Wednesday, March 26, were 03, 08, 18, 20, 30, 43 and the bonus was 46.
And one lucky punter has just won a life-changing sum of €4,005,581 after matching those numbers.
There was no winner of the Lotto Plus 1 top prize.
The numbers drawn were 04, 09, 13, 37, 38 and 46 and the bonus was 15.
There was also no winner of the Lotto Plus 2 draw.
The numbers for that were 04, 25, 27, 32, 38, 42 and the bonus was 30.
The winning raffle number was 1687.
There were 61 winners of the Raffle Prize, receiving €500 each.
Meanwhile, tonight’s Lotto jackpot is a guaranteed €2million.
Players dreaming of becoming Ireland’s newest millionaire are reminded that tickets for tonight’s Lotto draw can be purchased in-store, through the National Lottery app or at http://www.lottery.ie ahead of the 7:45pm cut-off time for sales this evening.
DUA Lipa has flashed her thong in a very see-through lace jumpsuit on her world tour.
The hitmaker, 29, is in Australia for her Radical Optimism tour, with her sharing some red hot snaps from backstage at her Sydney show on Friday.
Posing up a storm in a see-through lace jumpsuit, Dua looked amazing as she pouted and smiled for the photographs.
Standing in front of a black backdrop, Dua rocked the black lace garment which was see-through and showed off her thong and bra.
With a white feather boa draped over her shoulder, Dua could be seen posing, squatting and beaming for the camera.
Sharing the sizzling snaps, and some clips from her concert, Dua penned a caption that read: “NIGHT 2 SYDNEY. it just keeeeps getting better!!!!
“Last night I was joined on stage by my mega talented aussie mate and songwriting partnaaaa @tameimpala who has inspired me for forever to sing The Less I Know The Better ~~~ gaaaah what a night!!!!“
“Dua Lipa is gorgeous,” penned one fan in the comments section.
Another added: “Dua Lipa is the most Beautiful on this planet!”
A third penned: “dua lipa the goddess.”
While a fourth swooned: “THE BEST CONCERT I HAVE EVER BEEN TO.”
“Incredible night,” echoed a fifth.
“You were eveything,” added a sixth.
Currently in Australia for her tour, Dua was spotted departing a popular grocery store in Sydney earlier this week.
Seen leaving IGA, Dua was spotted after purchasing some goodies from the Independent Grocers of Australia.
A video of Dua leaving the supermarket was shared by a Sydney gossip page.
“Girl’s got to get her TimTam fix,” they penned in the caption.
In the video, Dua could be seen with a group of girl pals as she left the store with a huge bag on her shoulder.
Reacting to Dua’s supermarket run, one person said: “Yup… would’ve walked right passed her.. love her music though.”
“Just looks like a regular person,” said a second.
A third person added: “Who cares… to tell you the truth I would have no idea what she looks like.”
There’s a certain hint of pain when an announced project turns out to be indefinitely shelved forever. Millions of fans around the world might be feeling that pain right now because the MCU did just that. Although unconfirmed, it is almost a guarantee that Mahershala Ali’s Blade has been put on ice for an indefinite […]
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