child aged 12 no longer get national insurance paid so now have gaps. Going forward any ideas?

tpeter

Hello

I just logged into to see my government pension .

I am currently unemployed and get a tiny amount of universal credit as my partner(not married) works full time.

I get child benefit paid to me.

I was unaware that contributions to state benefit stopped when my youngest was 12. ( a couple of years ago) so i now havr gaps (again)

Just wondering apart from the obvious -get a job- is there an alternative way i can get contributions towards my state pension or just have to pay the £17 a week approx to backdate it , and also going forward if i am unsuccessful finding work

( I am aware i need to get to 35 years to get full state pension )

Thank you to anyone who takes the time ro read this

Kind regards

Pete

kaMelo

Claiming UC will give you class 3 credits for as long as you qualify to receive it.

More importantly, unless you were born this century 35 years has no relevance to you. You are under transitional rules so the number of years required varies depending upon your work history.

 We have seen the number of years required range from 28 to 50 but the only way to know where you are currently and what you require is to check your state pension forecast.

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

Once you know the number of years you require then you will know what needs to be done going forward.

NedS

UC also entitles you to receive NI credits towards your state pensions.

Although your NI credits for claiming Child Benefit for a child under 12 have ended, you (and your partner) will both receive NI credits for any periods you have a UC award that is in payment (i.e, you are entitled to a UC payment for that month). So as long as you are still receiving a UC payment, no matter how small, you will both receive NI credits for that month towards your state pensions. It sounds like your partner does not need the NI credit as they are working and presumably paying NI, but they receive it anyway because it is a joint UC claim.

Be aware, if for any reason your partner's earnings were to increase in a given month resulting in a NIL UC award, then you would not receive NI credits for that month which could still leave a gap in your record.

PyGuru

As long as you're eligible for UC, you'll continue to receive those credits, even if your amount is small.

As for the gaps in your contributions due to your youngest turning 12, the best approach would be to check your state pension forecast through the official website to understand how many years you need for a full pension. This way, you can identify how many gaps there are and whether you need to pay voluntary contributions (Class 3) to make up for them.

If you're still struggling to find work, consider looking into volunteer opportunities or part-time jobs, as some of these might also help you accumulate further credits. In some cases, even periods of unemployment can be covered under specific rules. But first, always verify with the state pension service for the most accurate advice based on your situation.

tpeter

thank you all for your replies.

So it turns out that the UC is paid to my partner who works and pays national insurance. Apparently i CANNOT get the class 3 points backdated according to their helpline. I cannot really understand this as i am on all the forms , its just not paid to me .

kaMelo

Do you live together?

tpeter

kaMelo said:

Do you live together?

yes....i am on the claim...but we have seperate bank accounts and we decided that the payments were paid to her bank.

kaMelo

Where the money is paid shouldn't make any difference, both of you should receive class 3 NI credits for any period that you qualify for a UC payment.

I wonder if this is one of those cases of system error where credits not being applied.

What exactly does your state pension forecast say and, probably astupid question, do DWP have your NI number?

poppy12345

It makes no difference whose bank account the UC is paid into. You will both be receiving class 3 NI credits since you started your claim. 

They can’t be backdated to a date before your UC claim started. 

tpeter

poppy12345 said:

It makes no difference whose bank account the UC is paid into. You will both be receiving class 3 NI credits since you started your claim. 

They can’t be backdated to a date before your UC claim started. 

thank you. But i was on child tax credit before they transferred me. so hoping its the same rules.

tpeter

kaMelo said:

Where the money is paid shouldn't make any difference, both of you should receive class 3 NI credits for any period that you qualify for a UC payment.

I wonder if this is one of those cases of system error where credits not being applied.

What exactly does your state pension forecast say and, probably astupid question, do DWP have your NI number?

my state pension tax tear 23/24 says i am missing gaps . It coinicides with my youngest turing 12

i assume they have my NI number...i mean all the letters i get have it