Is 'housekeeping' classed as income?

I have read most of the responses and, as usual, there is good advice here, especially about ringing for a pension forecast: www.gov.uk/check-state-pension. I found the respondents very accessible and helpful when I consulted them... I wonder if you are secure in your home, though, if you are not married. Have a look at this: www.citizensadvice.org.uk/family/living-together-marriage-and-civil-partnership/living-together-and-marriage-legal-differences/ You may find it useful.

Gosh, so many replies!

MOnica and others, thank for simply replying to my question, as you pointed out the rest of the conversation was pointless.

I don't mind being criticised for my life choices, it was right for me at the time, and I am no where near facing destitution.

I'd just like to say, I didn't sit at home all these years doing nothing, I was heavily involved with charity work, of which I don't need to broadcast. I held many a hand to people who had been cast aside by their families in all sorts of circumstances. Guess I've been lucky with mine.

Yes I am ill, last year I spent most of it clearing out my house so the boys don't have to rootle through my stuff when the time comes, I wanted to contact HMRC due to some old paperwork I found, that is all.

Once again, I have no intention of robbing the state for a pension.

So I'll leave the thread now, but please try and remember that there are a lot of women out there, lots younger than me facing future financial difficulty.

I never had that difficulty - I had a ball!!!

DoodleDog It was rhetoric. Just that, Nothing else. Women shouldn't judge other women's life choices, end of.

most benefits are means tested, not all are, especially some that relate to illness, including terminal illness. I didn't know that, as (luckily) I haven't need to claim for illness-related benefits, so thanks for pointing it out.

That is why I asked about whether the OP was asking about benefits, though. It is really unclear what it is that she wants to know, as there is no indication of why HMRC would be asking her about her source of income.

Bluecat - I haven't seen anyone calling people 'selfish bitches' or 'lazy cows', and nor have I seen a single post that has been 'judgemental' about the OP's life choices.

Slightly off-topic, but in any case, 'sisterhood' doesn't mean supporting anything and everything that every woman does. Everyone (male or female) makes choices, and lives with the consequences. I genuinely don't understand why 'women's liberation' (a rather dated term) was brought into this in the first place, unless it was to cause bad feeling.

Sorry, hope2021, we cross posted.

I'm sorry to hear of your illness, and wish you well.

I am the same as you, OP. I gave up working, partly due to work reasons, and mainly because I wanted to be a stay at home Mum. My youngest was 2 at the time and I went on to have another child when he was 10. He is now in his second year of Uni. My oldest daughter is 37. I have been parenting for 35 years so it is easily done.
I made my life choices but whilst I have not contributed to direct taxation, I have certainly paid my dues from my husband's pocket, indirectly. Furthermore, I have been a volunteer within schools, an unpaid carer and an unpaid Area Co-ordinator for a thriving Charity. I absolutely refute that I have been subsidised by the State; I plugged holes that they should have been filling by offering my services for free. I also earned reasonably well before I 'retired' so I paid my taxes directly and indirectly for that too.

hope2021 I am sorry to hear about your illness too.

I do think, though, that you could find out about a possible pension just in case you are entitled to one soon.

As far as tax is concerned, no, you should not be liable. Someone seems to be too diligent at HMRC!

Check your entitlement on the government pension calculator.
Housekeeping is not earned income it is for expensrs in keeping the household going. If you are not married then you will not qualify for under husband's contributions but you may be entitled to pension credit for years at home with children. Get into the gov.ul website with your national insurance number and you will see what you are entitled to, state pension wise.

I have sisters, and we all have different work histories. However the govt seems to expect us all to be able to work for 35 years, so we can get a full pension - if fewer, you'll get a percentage of a full pension. (As has been mentioned, NI was paid for the years Child Benefit was claimed. I never knew that)
Likewise I didn't know that lifelong Widow's Pension was replaced by 3 yes of payments.
Sadly they change the rules to save money (but that money is coming directly out if our pockets) and expect us to magically know.
Hope2021 apply for what is rightfully yours

Individual choices might be valid, but that doesn’t mean that they make economic sense, sadly. It doesn’t mean people aren’t contributing - in fact, this is a good argument for something like Universal Basic Income, where our income isn’t based on labour.

I have a friend who has never paid NI ,doesn't bother her and shes adamant that she WILL get a full pension "because what else would I live on " maybe she's right and those of us who take responsibility for our senior years are mad...if you can just not pay and still get apension why bother.I'm a WASPI ,I worked(and still would except for covid) from I was 15 until I was 66 for my state pension ,by my reckoning the DWP have fiddled me out of around £52000 .I should probably have sat on my backside at home "bringing up a family" though I managed that too while running businesses etc .Still paying tax on my pension ,I wonder which one of us is stupid!!

She isn’t right paddyanne not since the pension rules changed about 5 years ago. She needs to get a pension prediction I think, she will be shocked to see how little she will get, I hope she got an alternative source of income too.

I have a friend who has never worked. She's been a family carer and mother all of her adult life. Still, she'll be entitled to a basic pension from the state - everyone is!

A basic pension only though, not a full pension, and not enough to live on.

With no further information, paddyann, I assume she means she has a claim on a pension through a partner, deceased or living, but that will only bring in £80 a week, alhough she would then, presumably be able to claim Guarantee Credit, if she is living alone or widowed.

If she is single or cannot rely on a pension through a partner, then she has no entitlement that I can see, except possibly, UB.

However when she reaches 80 she will be able entitled to a pension of around £80 a week, whether she has made NI contributions or not. However, whatever she gets it will be a very small amount, and will get reduced if she receives money from any other source or has savings.

Personally, I would rather make payments and have a secure pension income in retirement, however small, which can be topped up with pension credit, than hope for the best and have to spend my retirement years below the poverty line and constantly having to be chasing every penny I get or justifying it to benefits officers.

Anyway, like many of these clever clever schemes that people think up to avoid paying tax, or paying for residential care, they tend to blow up in their faces because they were either urban myths or there is some small print they hadn't read that invalidates what they did/are doing.

Are you able to get married now? I think you would then be entitled to claim on your husband’s contributions. You’d need to check though as this may have changed.

My friend only paid the 'small stamp' and expected to get a full pension based on her now divorced husbands contributions.
Sadly, she discovered too late that her pension was to be 34p a week. Yes 34p!

I retired early (55) from teaching as I was very stressed and ill at the time. I discovered that I could boost my state pension by paying NI class 3 voluntary contributions and, while I pay monthly, I think you can invest a lump sum instead. I should definitely check this out. The people at NI were really friendly and helpful.

I worked out that if I lived past 72 I'd be making a profit on my contributions. If I don't get that far no one is bothered. The other half certainly isn't.

As far as all the judgements on this thread go, take plenty of no notice. I am sure your children benefited from having you around and society will benefit from having your children contributing to the commonweal.

hope2021

Gosh, so many replies!

MOnica and others, thank for simply replying to my question, as you pointed out the rest of the conversation was pointless.

I don't mind being criticised for my life choices, it was right for me at the time, and I am no where near facing destitution.

I'd just like to say, I didn't sit at home all these years doing nothing, I was heavily involved with charity work, of which I don't need to broadcast. I held many a hand to people who had been cast aside by their families in all sorts of circumstances. Guess I've been lucky with mine.

Yes I am ill, last year I spent most of it clearing out my house so the boys don't have to rootle through my stuff when the time comes, I wanted to contact HMRC due to some old paperwork I found, that is all.

Once again, I have no intention of robbing the state for a pension.

So I'll leave the thread now, but please try and remember that there are a lot of women out there, lots younger than me facing future financial difficulty.

I never had that difficulty - I had a ball!!!

You will not be robbing the state. You're entitled to a pension. Claim it.

I too am a bit confused. My 1st child was born in 1985 and it was the norm for mothers to go back to work. All my friends did - part time or whatever. I am 64 and 2 years till my state pension but worked till I was 61 and since then have had childcare for my grandchildren. I have a pension from my work at the moment.
What on earth did you do when your DC grew up?

I see you now you have done charity work and are unwell and I'm sorry you are but the wording of the post is not right about it being normal to stay at home.
I wonder if this is real?

I still think you could investigate your pension rights, hope2021.

IMO HMRC often go after those they think are easy targets and I cannot see how money paid to you for housekeeping can be taxable if tax has already been paid on it.

Best wishes

My last child was born in 1985 and I cohabited with their father, although we later married. I stayed home for almost 20 years as my earning potential was less than childcare costs and DH wanted me to be a SAHM. He earned enough for all five of us and put the children through private schools. Our money and our choice. We had a busy life and my staying at home was the right decision for us. So Hope2021, I don't believe housekeeping is counted as earnings. It wasn't in my case and I have claimed my pension - heaven knows DH paid enough tax!

Surely this must be a made-up posting.
In the 1990’s , where we lived, only the ill, unemployable or those with huge families, or expectant mothers stayed at home.
Granny’s are grown ups and as such take responsibility for ourselves by not rely on others, particularly our cherished children.
‘Stay at home Mum’ was a huge luxury. Your chickens have come home to roost, meaning it’s now time to pay for that luxury.
I can’t believe you’d want your children to keep you. This is the time to be the grown up. You will be eligible for some benefit and a small pension. It’s time to cut back and regain some dignity. Please don't be a lifelong drain on your cherished children.
Consider getting a pt job.
This may not be what you want to hear - it’s what I think.
Also it was unusual people of our age not to be married if we had children Now not so uncommon.
I’m still thinking this is a made up posting.
Seek help through the CAB if this is a real posting.

Wow! Another judgemental comment!