National Insurance contributions as ESA partner.

MartBear

Hi,

Hoping someone can help me understand this. Since 2009 myself and my wife have been unemployed due to mental health that was caused due to personal reasons that affected us both. We were able to claim sickness for 1 year, but our jobs understandably let us go after this time and we signed on ESA.

My wife at the time was earning more than me, so when we signed up she was the main claimant, and I was partner. Over the years, this has been annoying, as I was treated like I basically don't exist and found it hard to get any help or support as I got none of the help back into work a main claimant got(for example, wife can work 16 hours and we're fine. If I worked ANY hours, our benefit would be stopped and we'd need apply again)

I asked about this repeatedly, always with my wife there to let her give them permission to speak to me. Not kidding, she had to be present or else I couldn't see them. Being as how anxiety and depression were a big problem here, being made to feel worthless really did not help and it definitely halted my progress.

I asked them about my NI contributions, was told "Yes,you should be fine as long as you're on the claim". Great I thought, because I'd missed some gaps before when I was taking seasonal work for 3 years and only worked 8 months each year.

Early this year, after continued downturn in health (physical, not mental now) I have become my wifes carer. I signed up for carers allowance, and am now registered as such. I still have my own health problems. So now we have a joint ESA claim, and a carers allowance.

My mum was recently worried about her pension, so I showed her how to look up her contributions, and did so by showing how I would log on (as she didn't have her details to hand) and I was pretty miffed, as it says that I made contributions last year, but prior to that I'd not made ANY contributions since 2010 (2 weeks worth)

Does anyone know if this is right? I was told it would be sorted out, i thought it was being paid. 2049 is now my pension year apparently, and i need 31 years of contributions in those 31 years. But now I'm worried that should anything change, my contributions will stop again as I dont understand why they'd not been given in the first place.

IF it is wrong, who do I contact?

poppy12345

As you're claiming ESA with your wife as a couple with your wife being the main claimant, DWP will only pay her NI contributions towards her pension, they won't pay yours.



As you're now claiming Carers Allowance, they will now pay your NI contributions.

MartBear

Ah, thanks for that.

That's really annoying, and another part of the whole 'partners dont exist' issue I had then. They told me I would be covered. My wife went for multiple assessments, where she was cleared for the ESA. Until the physical issues became a problem for her, our illness was the same. We would both be entitled to ESA had we been separate and living apart.

I know that there must be a reason for the partner getting absolutely no help whatsoever in a couples claim, but all it did for us was stop me 3 times from getting a part time job (after being interviewed at the Job Centre with my wife, we were told not to take the job cause we'd be worse off.) which had I been entitled to the 16 hour allowance, we'd have been ok, and I could work that and see if I was able to slowly progress into full time work.

I'm sure there's a reason I'm missing here, I just wish I wasn't lied to.

Better hope I dont miss a period between now and my 69th birthday I guess.

poppy12345

As you were previously both working then it may have been possible for you to have both claimed Contributions based ESA. This isn't means tested and a claim depends on N1 contributions is the previous 2 tax years before your claim started. Claiming this would have meant you would have both got your NI paid. Too late for that now sadly.

calcotti

This is one example where I think Universal Credit is better than the benefits it replaces. My understanding is that, although the claims are linked and then calculated as a couple, because under UC both parties to a couple have to claim both get NI credits towards State Pension.

[Deleted User]

This is worth a read as you don't always have to be getting carers allowance to get N.I carers credits

https://www.gov.uk/carers-credit

calcotti

venison wrote: »

This is worth a read as you don't always have to be getting carers allowance to get N.I carers credits

https://www.gov.uk/carers-credit

Looking at the link venison posted there is a further link which goes to a Carers Credit application form and accompanying notes. It looks as if you could apply now for Carer's Credit backdated to 06/04/2017 (if you met the caring conditions at that time) - that would give you an additional year of credits (2016-2017) and give you credits for this year up to the point your Carer's Allowance started, since when you will have been getting them anyway.

MartBear

Thanks for the help and advice, I'll see how far I can get backdated and hopefully get a little bit caught up.

Don't think I'll ever listen to another 'adviser' at the Job Centre again though, this has totally stressed me out

Thanks again everyone!

sammyjammy

As unhelpful as it might be seen on the face of it people in the Jobcentre needs to stop answering these queries, whether they think they know the answer or not it is not their job to know about the intricacies of benefits and this is where misadvice and frankly incorrect information is given. Some of these staff have no more benefit knowledge than the man on the street ( some are longer serving and may have out of date knowledge.)