Pension credits from Child Benefit

hev_2

Sorry if this is in the wrong place. I am bemused my financial stuff and I am not even sure of the questions I need to ask.:o

When DS was born, 16 months ago, OH registered for Child Benefit without referring anything to me. The Child Benefit is now in OH's name, and he gets the credits towards his pension. I have only just found this out, and it is worrying me because he works full time and I stay at home and look after DS.

I have rung Child Benefit and they are sending out a form so that the Benefit can be registered to me and I get the credits towards a pension, heaven knows what OH will make of that but is there anything I can do about the pension credits over the last 16 months?

Sorry if this is a silly question, but I am in a bit of a state so I thought I would do the obvious thing and ask.

getting-sorted-sarah

Your OH was not getting credits - as he was working, so he was paying his NI conts, and does not benefit any further from having the CB in his name - if you've been at home you should have had CB in your name from day one, which I think you realise now - and he should see sense too! The scheme is called "Home Responsibilities Protection" - the idea being that your state pension is protected while you are at home and not working due to having care responsibility for a child.

getting-sorted-sarah

You can read about HRP here:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/childbenefit/hrp.htm#e
I would give the Revenues a call and ask for advice - it may be that you could pay those extra contributions, or that you'll still have enough qualifying years for a full pension anyway - depending on how old you are now and what the pattern of you working life has and will be.
Try not to worry about it! At worst you have lost a couple of years contributions, which shouldn't be a big problem unless you have other big gaps in your work history.

hev_2

Unfortunately I am in my forties, with gaps in employment history. Sigh.

Hopefully OH will agree to it being transferred over. I paid NI on maternity pay received after DS was born, so hopefully I will only be down a year.

At the moment I can't imagine how I will pay any extra contributions, as I don't have an income, but reading these boards shows that anything is possible.

Thank you for your help. It is very much appreciated.

EdInvestor

The requirement for the full state pension has now gone down to 30 years, and the rules are much more beneficial for women, not discriminatory like the old ones.

So you may already be well on the way from earlier work?

getting-sorted-sarah

hev - get advice from Revenues - if you worked most of a year it will not count, but you may only have to pay a couple of weeks conts for it to count - they should be able to give you a breakdown of missing years and the figures you'd have to pay may be small. (A financial year - April to April.)
Also Ed is quite right - the new system means you have to have far less qualifying years, so you may be fine anyway. I think it would set your mind at rest if you get some info from Revenues.

Best of luck.

hev_2

Thank you both for this.

I have around (can't exactly remember - mental illness has caused some probs) 15 years work history.

So if Child Benefit goes in my name I should be able to make something of it. I got paid until May 2007 so I don't think there is much that year.

I'll get my courage up and speak to the Pension people about it.

I really appreciate your help - thank you.