National Insurance credits backdated

keetrab

Hi there,

I wonder whether anyone could help us out. We are most likely not the only ones who completely missed child benefit registration.

Our son was bork in march 2018, my wife was looking after him for one year while on statutory maternity leave. As I my wages exceed 50k we are not entitled to child benefit (tax would eat most of it, if not all of it) we completely missed the fact that by applying for the benefit (choosing not to receive payments) my wife's state pension will be protected as she could apply for Class 1 credits.

She is long back to work now and I wonder whether it is possible to register and back-date the NI credits somehow, so there is no gap in my wife's NI contributions.

Any help is appreciated.

Regards,

Bart

Robbie64

A claim for Child Benefit can only be backdated for three months so presumably that limit also applies to anything reliant on payment of Child Benefit. Incidentally it's Class 3 credits (to protec her State Pension only) that are awarded, not Class 1 credits.

calcotti

There has been much criticism of the way the child benefit high income charge was introduced. Many people (usually women) have lost out on NI credits in the way you describe. The government had had pressure from a number of organisations to allow backdating of the Credits for those affected but, to the best of my knowledge, have refused. They have changed the information they provide about child Benefit to highlight the issue which hopefully means that in future people will know to claim Child Benefit but decline payment if they are affected.

xylophone

Are you sure that you do not qualify for CB?

Had you considered pension contributions?

https://adviser.royallondon.com/technical-central/pensions/state-benefits-pension-manuals/child-benefit-avoiding-the-tax-charge/

sheramber

Have you checked her NI record as she would pay NI contributions on her maternity pay?

She may have paid enough to get a qualifying year.

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

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