State pension contributions

HIA

Can anyone confirm my understanding? I stopped working last year aged 57 and my national insurance record shows 41 years full contributions and a forecast of £181.85 a week . I believe if I purchase another year I can increase this to the maximum of £185.15 a week. I have started looking after my granddaughter 2 days a week from July 2022 and her parents are just within the limit for receiving family allowance.   I think this entitles me to apply for NI credits but I have to wait till October 2023 to apply. Correct?

molerat

Yes, you need to wait until the October following the end of the year concerned to apply for the transfer of credits.

But it may be worth waiting and transferring another year where you will have more weeks of caring so you need to make up less (although no one seems to check / question how many weeks you are transferring)

HIA

Thanks, so I can (honestly) only apply for NI credits for July 2022 to 5/4/23 (9 months) in October 2023 and then a further 3 months in October 2024 or apply for the full year in October 2024 assuming the parents are still in receipt of family allowance.

molerat

The rules state you can claim for each week in which you are caring for the child for some period. 52 weeks make a year, will you honestly be caring every single week of the year ? (but as I said, no one seems to check)

You cannot make up a full year from 2 part years, a year is 6 April to 5 April.