National Insurance Credits and Universal Credit.

crashedandcool

From the goverment website it says you get Class 3 NI contributions all good, but if you're claim gets closed do you still get NI credits for that period? In the past if you were not eligible for JSA you could apply just to get your NI contributions, but if your UC claim is closed for whatever reason can you apply to get NI credits for that period? I had my first claim closed down and had to reclaim successfully, but have a gap between those two claims so what about NI credits for the days inbetween?

calcotti

Your choice depends on your circumstances.

https://www.gov.uk/national-insurance-credits/eligibility

crashedandcool

So if your claim gets closed can you claim NI credits for that period?

calcotti

I don't think you can claim NI credits retrospectively.

best thing is to wait until after the end of the year and check your NI credit. If there is a shortfall you will have an option to make a voluntary payment to complete the year.

Bear in mind that you only need 35 years of contributions to get full State Pension so you may not need to worry about every year (depending on your age and circumstances).

crashedandcool

Well in the past when I was unemployed and you were not entitled to any money from jobseekers you still got your NI paid. Or if they had stuffed it up you could apply just for NI credits and have it backdated to your first claim.



Does UC have this mechanism?

tacpot12

Not as far as I know. UC only credits you with NI (Class 3) when you receive UC. If you don't receive a UC payment, you don't get the NI credit.

If you are seeking work, you can ask at the Jobcentre whether they can credit you with NI contributions retrospectively, but I don't know whether they can do this. If they can do it, it won't be via the Universal credit system, but will be by the system you have seen previously when not eligible for JSA. Please let us know how you get on.

If they can't do it, and the gap means you haven't got enough NI in the year for the State pension making a voluntary contribution would be the only way to increase your state pension, you could also accept that your state pension is going to be a bit lower as a result.

xylophone

https://www.youreable.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-21328.html

may be of interest.

calcotti

xylophone wrote: »

https://www.youreable.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-21328.html

may be of interest.

Note the last paragraph.

Then go back to the link in my post at #2.

xylophone

Note the last paragraph.

Then go back to the link in my post at #2.

And so? Why should the link not be of interest?

calcotti

xylophone wrote: »

And so? Why should the link not be of interest?

Sorry you interpreted my post that way. It was not my intention to suggest your link is not of interest. Quite the contrary, I think it’s an excellent link and I found the last entry particularly interesting as it highlights something that has been discussed on this forum before - that NI credits only claims are not actually benefit claims. The link I previously posted is, I think helpful, in explaining circumstances that allowNI credits to be requested.

The ability of DWP to understand and process such requests is another matter.