Specified Adult Childcare Credits to fill gaps in National Insurance Record….what are they worth?

xxxtracyxxx

Hello,

Wondering if anyone can help as I can’t get through to the national insurance helpline. 

I currently only have 29 full qualifying years of NI contributions and as I understand you need a total of 35 years for a full pension so I have a 6 year gap in my NI contributions, which will cost me approx £4500 in voluntary contributions to fill, I have been looking after my grandchildren for a couple of days a week since leaving work, from these dates:

First child from: 1/1/2015 until she went to school in 9/2018 then looked after her after school and in the school holidays since.

Second child from: 1/6/2020 until present.

I have filled in the relevant application forms and sent them off last October, I rang in January to be told they’d received the forms but haven’t actioned them and to ring back in February if I haven’t seen any change to my record online, I haven’t so have rang again to no avail. 

Would anyone know what I’m likely to get in the way of credits for this period of childcare and how much it will reduce the £4500 I currently need to pay?  

molerat

You pay for weeks so a childcare credit is worth the same as paying for it

xylophone

I currently only have 29 full qualifying years of NI contributions and as I understand you need a total of 35 years for a full pension 

As you have contributions pre introduction of NSP in 2016, this may or may not be relevant to your case.

What exactly does your state pension forecast show?

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

Current £.pp amount accrued up to April 2022 ?

Number of pre 2016 NI years full ?

Number of post 2016 NI years full ?

Any Contracted Out Pension Equivalent  amount shown ?

For COPE, follow the link in your forecast.


https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-insurance-credits-for-adults-who-care-for-a-child-under-12-fact-sheet/specified-adult-childcare-credits-fact-sheet

These National Insurance (NI) credits were introduced from April 2011. You may be entitled to receive these NI credits if you are a grandparent, or other family member, who cares for a child under 12, usually whilst their parent (or main carer) is working. These credits are only available from April 2011 and you must make an application to receive the NI credits.

Specified Adult Childcare credits will help build up your National Insurance contributions. This means:

• you will receive a Class 3 NI credit for each week or part week you cared for the child (Class 3 NI credits help to build entitlement to the State Pension and, until April 2017, certain bereavement benefits)
• it can help to stop gaps in your National Insurance record

xxxtracyxxx

Thank you Molerat, so would my period of childcare (more than 6 years) fill my gaps completely and wipe out the amount I currently have to pay without childcare credits?

xxxtracyxxx

Thank you xylophone,

My current state pension forecast is £145.17.

Pre 2016 full years: 29, post 2016 full years: nil

molerat

xxxtracyxxx said:

Thank you Molerat, so would my period of childcare (more than 6 years) fill my gaps completely and wipe out the amount I currently have to pay without childcare credits?

If you have applied to cover the whole period then yes.  If you have not covered the whole period then each week not covered will cost you £15.85, for most years, until July.

xxxtracyxxx

Brillant thank you Molerat.  

Dazed_and_C0nfused

xxxtracyxxx said:

Thank you xylophone,

My current state pension forecast is £145.17.

Pre 2016 full years: 29, post 2016 full years: nil

Maybe I'm just missing something here but I don't know why you think you need 6 years?

You have accrued £145.17 so are £39.98 short of the standard new State Pension.

Post 2016 years will add £5.29/week, up to a maximum of £185.15.

So you would need 8 years not 6.

MallyGirl

because they have 29 and are still thinking that 35 is required?

Dazed_and_C0nfused

MallyGirl said:

because they have 29 and are still thinking that 35 is required?

Quite possibly 😥.

Although you would think by now people who manage to find this forum would have got past that by now!