Disability and National Insurance

StockportGerbil

Hi!

Apologies if this is not in the right forum!

My wife has MS. Because of this she can only work part time and therefore is on a low income.

She receives DLA but no other benefits.

She's just had a letter from HMRC saying there is a gap in her National Insurance Contributions (NICs) and inviting her to pay £204.85 to make good that gap.

It also notes she has 29 years of NICs.

Because of her disability should she be entitled to National Insurance Contributions? If not then I'd be tempted to pay the money so she gets a full state pension, but no more after that. Has anyone else encountered this situation?

Thanks

Kevin

McKneff

She only needs one more years payments to enable her to claim a pension.
Will there come a time when she could be earning over the limit and therefore pay an NI contribution.

Its finding the balance as you actually only need 30 years contribution to get a full state pension.

benefitbaby

Unfortunately DLA does not generate NI credits, only working age work-replacement benefits do.

Therefore your choices are as the previous post suggest or consider whether your wife would qualify for ESA.

If her hours of work/earnings are low enough to qulaify as 'permitted work' and she has in the 2009-10 and 2010-11 tax years made NI conts then she may qualify for contribution-based ESA and this provides a NI credit each week.