Specified Adult Childcare Credits

RobStaffs

My wife gave up work to look after our granddaughter which enabled our daughter to carry on with her career. Just before Christmas my wife applied for HMRC for credits to ensure there were contributions being made to her state pension. This was to cover the tax year to April 2014. All we have had back so far is a letter from HMRC confirming her National Insurance but no confirmation that the payments have actually been made.

Is there anyway we can check that payments are being made to my wife's state pension?

kangoora

Ask for a National Insurance statement, might be best to wait until new tax year after 6th April

https://www.gov.uk/check-national-insurance-record

What your wife could possibly do is register as self-employed, have your daughter pay her a 'wage' (it can't be nothing) and then your wife can pay self employed NI contributions which are extremely cheap.

greenglide

So is she receiving carers allowance or a similar benefit?

Otherwise why do you think she would get credits to her NI record?

She needs an HMRC NI contributions statement. You can apply for this online.

xylophone

Otherwise why do you think she would get credits to her NI record?

See https://public-online.hmrc.gov.uk/lc/content/xfaforms/profiles/forms.html?contentRoot=repository:///Applications/NICs_iForms/1.0&template=CA9176_en_0.5.xdp

babyblooz

Is there a minimum number of hours of childcare required to be able to claim these NI credits?

HOWMUCH

babyblooz wrote: »

Is there a minimum number of hours of childcare required to be able to claim these NI credits?

Only people who are named on the Child Benefit or a person who is a carer for a child who receives DLA HRC or MRC.

babyblooz

I understood that grandparents could claim it if the parent of the child they care for is paying NI for themselves. I've been doing some googling around it but can't find out if there is a minimum number of hours, days etc.

Grandparents and other adult family members play a big role in looking after grandchildren or the children of other family members so the children’s parents can continue to work. This may have meant that some were sacrificing their own incomes in retirement. To ensure grandparents’ and certain adults’ caring responsibilities count towards entitlement to the basic State Pension, the Government introduced a new National Insurance credit in April 2011.

The weekly Class 3 National Insurance credit can be awarded to grandparents and other family members aged 16 or over, but under State Pension age, who care for a child (or children) aged under 12 usually because the child’s parents are working. The parent must be entitled to, but not need, their parents credit (linked to their claim for child benefit) and be willing to pass on the credit to the family member looking after their child.

This is from https://sfyccfit.wordpress.com/2013/04/03/specified-adult-childcare-credits/

HOWMUCH

Well that's news to me, but they don't advertise things do they. I'd complete the form in the link and apply as you say there's no mention of required hours.

babyblooz

It definitely is worth knowing. He is already doing the childcare now as he took early retirement. He loves spending time with him. They have so much fun!

He has a small pension from his old employer and has more than enough years NI credit under the current system.

With the changes in the pension system he is able to increase his state pension from April by gaining more NI credits under this new system. We were looking into buying them as additional credits but if he is entitled to them by virtue of his childminding then that is going to save us some money.

I need to find out more info about it really!