Mandatory Reconsideration: Specified adult childcare credits.

Isils

After reading an article in Moneysupermarket newsletter, I realised I could apply for Specified adult childcare credits for the years I provided childcare for my grandson.

I have a shortfall in NI contributions therefore any entitlement to extra credits would take me closer to full state pension.

Yesterday I received a letter from HMRC confirming I am entitled to specified adult childcare credits from August 2014 to April 2022.  However, as I reached state pension age in July 2022 I cannot enhance my state pension after that tax year.

My question is, has anyone requested a Mandatory Reconsideration with success?

The reason for my late application is that unfortunately I was unaware of this way to boost my NI contributions until I read it on MSE website.

p00hsticks

If you mean a reconsideration about being able to claim for NI credits after tax year 2021-22, there would be no point - it's part of the state pension legislation that only NI years up to and including the tax-year immediately prior to the one in which a person reaches state pension age are considered for the purposes of State Pension Entitlement. (That is the case whether the years is earned, bought or creditted).

Have HMRC said that they will be updating your record for 2014 to 2022 to reflect the credits ?
If so you need to establish if they have also informed (or will be informing) DWP, who should then recalculate your State Pension Amount (I am guessing that it will be backdated to the point at which you claimed the credits).
Be aware that having reached State Pension Age and with your pension already in payment this involves a lengthy manual recalculation so it can take many months to get sorted. 

Isils

Thanks so much for your reply which helped me understand better.
I thought when reading the letter I wouldn’t be given the credits due to now being in receipt of my state pension.
After reading your reply I realise I may (hopefully) have misinterpreted the letter.
As you can see in my attached image there is no mention of HMRC informing DWP, however I will now contact the Pension Service to clarify the situation.

p00hsticks

Isils said:

Thanks so much for your reply which helped me understand better.
I thought when reading the letter I wouldn’t be given the credits due to now being in receipt of my state pension.
After reading your reply I realise I may (hopefully) have misinterpreted the letter.
As you can see in my attached image there is no mention of HMRC informing DWP, however I will now contact the Pension Service to clarify the situation.

So that sounds as if you are to be awarded the credits, but that HMRC won't let DWP know automatically. You need to do as they suggest and ring the Pension Service (which the part of DWP that deals with those over State Pension Age) and let them know you have been awarded these credits and that your pension entitlement should now be recalculated. 

It looks as if it's a freephone number, but the advice generally given on these boards for the shortest wait times is to ring as close to 8am as possible, when they first open.