Low hours. Can I pay my own tax national insurance and pension?

fitzykev

My wife was working two part time jobs but lost one of them. The other is banking in a nursing home and won't get many hours. We are getting universal credit.  Universal credit does not contribute to tax national insurance and pensions. She does not want to fall short come pension age. Can she make contributions herself? 

molerat

She can make class 3 voluntary contributions but doe she need to ?

How much does she earn per week ?  If in excess of £123 per week she will be credited with NI.

How old is she ?

Has she had a pension forecast ?

https://www.gov.uk/check-state-pension

Dazed_and_C0nfused

Doesn't universal credit add NI credits as well?

fitzykev

She is 38 she would not make over 123 pounds a week. Basically she started a new part time job so she left the nursing home but told them she would do banking hours. Then she lost the other job. Now she can't find a job that suits as we have a 2 and a half year old. And only has banking at nursing home which is not many hours at all 

molerat

Dazed_and_C0nfused said:

Doesn't universal credit add NI credits as well?

Looks like it does

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

On Universal Credit

Your situation	How to get credits
You’re getting Universal Credit	You get Class 3 credits automatically

p00hsticks

Youj do get class 3 NI credits with Universal Credit (although I believe there is an ongoing problem with DWP passing on the details to HMRC and/or HMRC actually registering it at the moment). However I have a feeling that if you are claiming as a couple only one gets the credits ?

She can make voluntary NI contributions to top up her pension but it would be worth waiting until after the years has finsihed to see if she earned any credits at any point and so doesn't have to pay for the full year (bear in mind that you don't actually have to be paying NI to get credits - if she reaches the Lower Earnings limit in any pay period (£123 a week, £533 a month) she'll get credits without actually paying NI.

I recommend that she (and you) get a State Pension Forecast to get a clear idea of exactly what your current position is

https://www.gov.uk/check-state-pension  

NedS

fitzykev said:

She is 38 she would not make over 123 pounds a week. Basically she started a new part time job so she left the nursing home but told them she would do banking hours. Then she lost the other job. Now she can't find a job that suits as we have a 2 and a half year old. And only has banking at nursing home which is not many hours at all 

Besides receiving class 3 NI credits for being in receipt of Universal Credit, she will also receive NI credits if she is claiming Child Benefit for the child (up to the age of 12), so she definitely should not be paying voluntary NI contributions. Assuming you are working, make sure the Child Benefit claim is in her name, not yours.

fitzykev

NedS said:

fitzykev said:

She is 38 she would not make over 123 pounds a week. Basically she started a new part time job so she left the nursing home but told them she would do banking hours. Then she lost the other job. Now she can't find a job that suits as we have a 2 and a half year old. And only has banking at nursing home which is not many hours at all 

Besides receiving class 3 NI credits for being in receipt of Universal Credit, she will also receive NI credits if she is claiming Child Benefit for the child (up to the age of 12), so she definitely should not be paying voluntary NI contributions. Assuming you are working, make sure the Child Benefit claim is in her name, not yours.

I work around 40 hours a week my wife at th4m moment and unless she gets another part time job earns less then  123 pounds per week. Son two and a half years old. So what your saying is because of these circumstances her contributions are or should be getting paid by universal credit? I think this is what your saying I am just checking to be sure 

Dazed_and_C0nfused

Are you claiming Child Benefit and if so whose name is it in?

If it's your wife she will get credits for that for several years.

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

NedS

fitzykev said:

NedS said:

fitzykev said:

She is 38 she would not make over 123 pounds a week. Basically she started a new part time job so she left the nursing home but told them she would do banking hours. Then she lost the other job. Now she can't find a job that suits as we have a 2 and a half year old. And only has banking at nursing home which is not many hours at all 

Besides receiving class 3 NI credits for being in receipt of Universal Credit, she will also receive NI credits if she is claiming Child Benefit for the child (up to the age of 12), so she definitely should not be paying voluntary NI contributions. Assuming you are working, make sure the Child Benefit claim is in her name, not yours.

I work around 40 hours a week my wife at th4m moment and unless she gets another part time job earns less then  123 pounds per week. Son two and a half years old. So what your saying is because of these circumstances her contributions are or should be getting paid by universal credit? I think this is what your saying I am just checking to be sure 

Correct, yes, anyone in receipt of Universal Credit is automatically entitled to Class 3 NI credits towards their state pension.

fitzykev

NedS said:

fitzykev said:

NedS said:

fitzykev said:

She is 38 she would not make over 123 pounds a week. Basically she started a new part time job so she left the nursing home but told them she would do banking hours. Then she lost the other job. Now she can't find a job that suits as we have a 2 and a half year old. And only has banking at nursing home which is not many hours at all 

Besides receiving class 3 NI credits for being in receipt of Universal Credit, she will also receive NI credits if she is claiming Child Benefit for the child (up to the age of 12), so she definitely should not be paying voluntary NI contributions. Assuming you are working, make sure the Child Benefit claim is in her name, not yours.

I work around 40 hours a week my wife at th4m moment and unless she gets another part time job earns less then  123 pounds per week. Son two and a half years old. So what your saying is because of these circumstances her contributions are or should be getting paid by universal credit? I think this is what your saying I am just checking to be sure 

Correct, yes, anyone in receipt of Universal Credit is automatically entitled to Class 3 NI credits towards their state pension.

Sorry for been dumb but just to confirm. Anyone on universal credit and claiming child credit is entitled to national insurance?