Claiming Carers NI credits retrospectively

unlikely_2

Hi! 
Wondering if anyone knows about backdating carers credits. 
Just got off the phone to HMRC after finding out I've 15 years of missing NI years. At the time my partner was extremely ill, claiming incapacity benefit and eventually ESA with the disability and work group components. I didn't work at the time, was a dependant, very young and cared for him through his illness. 
Never thought to claim any carer's benefits or check whether my NI was covered. Doh. 
Now Im missing 15yrs of contributions and HMRC suggested applying for carer's credits retrospectively - is this actually possible and if so would it be likely to be successful?
Im now a single parent to our children having 14 years of contributions but unable to pay voluntarily for gap years as too far back. Any ideas!

Muttleythefrog

unlikely_2 said:

Hi! 
Wondering if anyone knows about backdating carers credits. 
Just got off the phone to HMRC after finding out I've 15 years of missing NI years. At the time my partner was extremely ill, claiming incapacity benefit and eventually ESA with the disability and work group components. I didn't work at the time, was a dependant, very young and cared for him through his illness. 
Never thought to claim any carer's benefits or check whether my NI was covered. Doh. 
Now Im missing 15yrs of contributions and HMRC suggested applying for carer's credits retrospectively - is this actually possible and if so would it be likely to be successful?
Im now a single parent to our children having 14 years of contributions but unable to pay voluntarily for gap years as too far back. Any ideas!

Unfortunately it is extremely unlikely you'll be able to backdate more than is specified in the rules. I actually tried to do so for my wife's claim with solid reasons for not having applied earlier and it was rejected (which didn't actually make much difference for us because they also finally after years of trying to find out said Carer's Credit was a public fund and my wife wasn't entitled to such for most of that backdating requested period.. so we minimally actually lost out on no earlier claim.). 
MSE actually details the rules well, as should government website, so I'll quote MSE:

Important: You can backdate your claim to the last full tax year 

If you met the criteria for Carer's Credit last tax year, you can backdate your claim to get the NI credit for that year too. So a claim made by 5 April 2026, for example, can be backdated to the beginning of the 2024/25 tax year.

You can still backdate your claim to the previous tax year if the person you were caring for has since died, or no longer needs caring for. In these situations it's best to contact the Carer's Allowance Unit using the details listed above.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/carer-s-credit-/

To add, contacting carer's credit is the most infuriating thing. You can't call them directly and have to get Carer's Allowance staff to send them an internal email with your query. However they're likely to simply quote the backdating rules to you once contacted.

I presume Carer's Allowance could not be qualified for during the period in question due to their lack of a disability benefit? Backdating rules are different for this benefit and obviously come with payment too.

unlikely_2

Muttleythefrog said:

unlikely_2 said:

Hi! 
Wondering if anyone knows about backdating carers credits. 
Just got off the phone to HMRC after finding out I've 15 years of missing NI years. At the time my partner was extremely ill, claiming incapacity benefit and eventually ESA with the disability and work group components. I didn't work at the time, was a dependant, very young and cared for him through his illness. 
Never thought to claim any carer's benefits or check whether my NI was covered. Doh. 
Now Im missing 15yrs of contributions and HMRC suggested applying for carer's credits retrospectively - is this actually possible and if so would it be likely to be successful?
Im now a single parent to our children having 14 years of contributions but unable to pay voluntarily for gap years as too far back. Any ideas!

Unfortunately it is extremely unlikely you'll be able to backdate more than is specified in the rules. I actually tried to do so for my wife's claim with solid reasons for not having applied earlier and it was rejected (which didn't actually make much difference for us because they also finally after years of trying to find out said Carer's Credit was a public fund and my wife wasn't entitled to such for most of that backdating requested period.. so we minimally actually lost out on no earlier claim.). 
MSE actually details the rules well, as should government website, so I'll quote MSE:

Important: You can backdate your claim to the last full tax year 

If you met the criteria for Carer's Credit last tax year, you can backdate your claim to get the NI credit for that year too. So a claim made by 5 April 2026, for example, can be backdated to the beginning of the 2024/25 tax year.

You can still backdate your claim to the previous tax year if the person you were caring for has since died, or no longer needs caring for. In these situations it's best to contact the Carer's Allowance Unit using the details listed above.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/carer-s-credit-/

To add, contacting carer's credit is the most infuriating thing. You can't call them directly and have to get Carer's Allowance staff to send them an internal email with your query. However they're likely to simply quote the backdating rules to you once contacted.

I presume Carer's Allowance could not be qualified for during the period in question due to their lack of a disability benefit? Backdating rules are different for this benefit and obviously come with payment too.

Thanks!
Yes, I thought it sounded pretty far-fetched tbh. I'll probably try the infuriating options of attempting further info from carers allowance / credit and let them tell me Im being absurd! I felt like the HMRC advisor was just placating with wishful thinking at 5.55pm! 

Back then we didn't even think of any kind of disability benefits or carers benefits... we just kind of stumbled on, coping with very little  financially and lacking any support and nobody ever advised us of options. We were kids initially and then caught in an incapacity benefit/too ill to work/too out of the loop - trap.

I've since grown up, learned and worked a lot and recently had to check my pension age by creating an HMRC account and became shockingly aware of the ignorance of my youth.... 
Guess I'll be working till the end then for the full state pension. 

Muttleythefrog

unlikely_2 said:

Muttleythefrog said:

unlikely_2 said:

Hi! 
Wondering if anyone knows about backdating carers credits. 
Just got off the phone to HMRC after finding out I've 15 years of missing NI years. At the time my partner was extremely ill, claiming incapacity benefit and eventually ESA with the disability and work group components. I didn't work at the time, was a dependant, very young and cared for him through his illness. 
Never thought to claim any carer's benefits or check whether my NI was covered. Doh. 
Now Im missing 15yrs of contributions and HMRC suggested applying for carer's credits retrospectively - is this actually possible and if so would it be likely to be successful?
Im now a single parent to our children having 14 years of contributions but unable to pay voluntarily for gap years as too far back. Any ideas!

Unfortunately it is extremely unlikely you'll be able to backdate more than is specified in the rules. I actually tried to do so for my wife's claim with solid reasons for not having applied earlier and it was rejected (which didn't actually make much difference for us because they also finally after years of trying to find out said Carer's Credit was a public fund and my wife wasn't entitled to such for most of that backdating requested period.. so we minimally actually lost out on no earlier claim.). 
MSE actually details the rules well, as should government website, so I'll quote MSE:

Important: You can backdate your claim to the last full tax year 

If you met the criteria for Carer's Credit last tax year, you can backdate your claim to get the NI credit for that year too. So a claim made by 5 April 2026, for example, can be backdated to the beginning of the 2024/25 tax year.

You can still backdate your claim to the previous tax year if the person you were caring for has since died, or no longer needs caring for. In these situations it's best to contact the Carer's Allowance Unit using the details listed above.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/carer-s-credit-/

To add, contacting carer's credit is the most infuriating thing. You can't call them directly and have to get Carer's Allowance staff to send them an internal email with your query. However they're likely to simply quote the backdating rules to you once contacted.

I presume Carer's Allowance could not be qualified for during the period in question due to their lack of a disability benefit? Backdating rules are different for this benefit and obviously come with payment too.

Thanks!
Yes, I thought it sounded pretty far-fetched tbh. I'll probably try the infuriating options of attempting further info from carers allowance / credit and let them tell me Im being absurd! I felt like the HMRC advisor was just placating with wishful thinking at 5.55pm! 

Back then we didn't even think of any kind of disability benefits or carers benefits... we just kind of stumbled on, coping with very little  financially and lacking any support and nobody ever advised us of options. We were kids initially and then caught in an incapacity benefit/too ill to work/too out of the loop - trap.

I've since grown up, learned and worked a lot and recently had to check my pension age by creating an HMRC account and became shockingly aware of the ignorance of my youth.... 
Guess I'll be working till the end then for the full state pension. 

Yeah it's a shame these things aren't better flagged up to people... or weren't. On your last point... you don't indicate age/how many years you have left or working age to contribute. But obviously... if you do look to pay for any previous years make sure it is worth it... that you would expect to need those years, or any future years with missing contributions that arise, to get max state pension as the rules currently are.

molerat

What exactly does your forecast show, not just the top box but all the text below that.

Were you / are you claiming child benefit and are all the years up to the child's 12th birthday full ?