NI contributions after child is born

wildcat99

I've just checked my NI contributions and seen that for 2004/5, I've only got 19 weeks in total. My child was born in May 2004 and I assumed that I would get NI paid as I was claiming both child benefit and income support for the whole year after she was born. I just rang HMRC and was told that you don't get any NI credits in the first tax year that your child is born. (I have no idea how I've even got 19 weeks if that's the case).

Can this possibly be right? That would mean that if your child was born on March 31 you'd get the full first year - but if they were born a few days later, into the next tax year, you'd miss out completely. It's now too late to pay to make up the credits. Does anyone know if this is actually right? The person at HMRC said I'd have to write in if I wasn't happy - they don't even have an email address!

Comms69

So get a pen and paper?


I agree with you that is wrong if that's the case, but I hadn't heard that previously

Darksparkle

I'm pretty sure it was called something else before 2010. Home responsibilities protection or something.

wildcat99

ah yes, I think you're right - and it does appear that you only qualify if you have a full year (which seems pretty unfair as now that they've changed the system it seems that you can qualify straight away)

It would have been useful if the clueless person on the phone at HMRC had told me that. I guess the moral is to make sure your children are born in late March.

Darksparkle

Perhaps the advisers guidance doesn't cover something that was in place back then.