Stay-at-home parents - retrospective Child Benefit claims

It's ridiculous, isn't it? A person could have 35 years of 51 weeks of contributions, but wouldn't be counted as having any full years.

Yes, and rightly or wrongly lots of people aren't financially aware and in the example you outline would more than likely have assumed that they'd paid the national insurance as required, especially if they were an employee and it was deducted at source, and would have been none the wiser until it was potentially too late ☹️

Yes, and anyone taking a holiday between jobs, or having maternity leave that spanned two tax years lost out too, if they took unpaid leave.

I have around 47 years of work too, but some were contracted out, and some were incomplete because of the reasons above. I have had to pay for 6 years of VCs, despite having worked since I was 16.

V3ra

I found out recently that the Home Responsibilities Protection that came with receiving Child Benefit was only credited for full years.
I'd always wondered why my Government Gateway account showed two incomplete years, but I had enough contributions and more for my full state pension so didn't query it.
Looking closer at it now I can see it is 1981, when my first child was born, and 2000 when my last child turned 16.

It's ridiculous, isn't it? A person could have 35 years of 51 weeks of contributions, but wouldn't be counted as having any full years.

The fact that people are receiving Child Benefit should be enough. However, the systems haven't worked that well. For example, I had some years when I was paying reduced NICs because I was contributing to an occupational pension fund. As a result, my original pension forecast was reduced. I queried it. My argument was that I was receiving Child Benefit and would have received HRP, if I hadn't been working. In effect, I was being penalised for working. My argument was accepted and I was credited for a few years. In practical terms, it didn't make that much difference because I have a total of 47 years of contributions anyway.

I found out recently that the Home Responsibilities Protection that came with receiving Child Benefit was only credited for full years.
I'd always wondered why my Government Gateway account showed two incomplete years, but I had enough contributions and more for my full state pension so didn't query it.
Looking closer at it now I can see it is 1981, when my first child was born, and 2000 when my last child turned 16.

I agree about temps. That's how I ended up with a year with only 51 weeks of contributions. The solution for temps is to sign on immediately as unemployed. Even if they're never paid any benefits, they will be credited with NICs.

Doodledog

Mine wasn't, so there will be others in similar situations, I'm sure. People working as temps, for instance, who may have gaps between contracts. Clearly, everyone needs to check their own pension forecast, but I do know that I had to buy back the years when I was on those contracts, as they didn't count as full.

As I say, it's too late for me, but I was asking if working parents could have gaps plugged, or whether the home responsibility payments were just for those who didn't work at all.

In that case, the years need to be filled. Any contributions paid won't count for anything if the year isn't "full".

Mine wasn't, so there will be others in similar situations, I'm sure. People working as temps, for instance, who may have gaps between contracts. Clearly, everyone needs to check their own pension forecast, but I do know that I had to buy back the years when I was on those contracts, as they didn't count as full.

As I say, it's too late for me, but I was asking if working parents could have gaps plugged, or whether the home responsibility payments were just for those who didn't work at all.

Callistemon I think HRP has been replaced by NIC credits, which works out more or less the same but by a different calculation method.

Doodledog

No, I mean someone on (eg) term time contracts who were paid over 9 months instead of 12.

I'm not asking for me, as I have enough years (now that I've paid extra contributions) to get a full pension, and you can't get back NI even if it's been paid in error, but there will be others who worked similar hours who might benefit from knowing if they can also claim for the weeks they missed on the same grounds as SAHPs. I was full time, but was only paid in term time, and those years are not 'full'.

Term-time contracts are usually paid over 12 months to simplify tax and NICs. The disadvantage, of course, is that people can't claim benefits for holidays. The monthly salary was multiplied by 9 then divided by 12, but it would probably be worth checking individual cases.

Yes I remember it was 1978, there was a cut off date so made sure I completed the form in time.

Sorry, that was to silverlining
Before 1978 there was no provision for Home Responsibilities.
It ended in 2002.

People who were unable to work because they were caring for someone could also have received HRP.

If you were caring for a sick or disabled person
You can only claim HRP for the years you spent caring for someone with a long-term illness or disability between 6 April 1978 and 5 April 2002

^You must have spent at least 35 hours a week caring for them and they must have been getting one of the following benefits^:

Attendance Allowance
Disability Living Allowance at the middle or highest rate for personal care
Constant Attendance Allowance

I am not sure if this is being credited retrospectively too.

It only started in 1978.

No, I mean someone on (eg) term time contracts who were paid over 9 months instead of 12.

I'm not asking for me, as I have enough years (now that I've paid extra contributions) to get a full pension, and you can't get back NI even if it's been paid in error, but there will be others who worked similar hours who might benefit from knowing if they can also claim for the weeks they missed on the same grounds as SAHPs. I was full time, but was only paid in term time, and those years are not 'full'.

Doodledog

Are mothers who claimed CB and were also working and paying NI, able to make up the difference if their working hours didn't qualify them for a full year? It seems wrong that someone working and paying in should lose a year if it doesn't count as 'full', yet someone not working or paying in should get it all paid.

Anybody working part-time and earning over a certain amount should have been paying NICs. It doesn't matter how much the contributions were if they were paid 52 weeks of the year. It's worth checking your NI record to see if there are gaps. I had one year when I only had 51 weeks of contributions because I had been between jobs, so I paid for the extra week.

Are mothers who claimed CB and were also working and paying NI, able to make up the difference if their working hours didn't qualify them for a full year? It seems wrong that someone working and paying in should lose a year if it doesn't count as 'full', yet someone not working or paying in should get it all paid.

I did 12 years of gc care, once a week, long days, plus regular extra days of course. I stopped a year or so ago. I get a full ( but the lower/ reduced) pension based on 40 years of contributions.
Can anyone tell me if this will increase my pension or does it just add NI credit to qualify for a pension.

silverlining48

Cant understand why those parents who are entitled would not claim child benefit.
I remember completing a form from the dhss in 1978 which credited my years at home with children. It was well publicised. As far as I remember it wasnt backdated and if you didnt apply you didnt get it.
I already had two small children by that time, wonder if I may have missed out those years.

I remember filling in forms for my children. I don't think I was aware at the time that it would affect my pension - in my case, it didn't anyway because I never gave up work and was paying NICs in my own right.

My guess would be that the small amount of Child Benefit (Family Allowance) wasn't significant to some people on high incomes.

I don’t understand that either growstuff.

GagaJo

It isn't automatic. I didn't get child benefit when my DD was young because her father didn't earn a UK salary. I was only at home for about 3 years in total, but combination ned with the years we lived overseas, it's left a considerable gap in my NI contributions.

I don't know why that should have been the case. Child Benefit (Family Allowance) has always been paid to the mother by default. I don't understand what the father's income has to do with it, unless your DD was born abroad or you were abroad at the time.

Cant understand why those parents who are entitled would not claim child benefit.
I remember completing a form from the dhss in 1978 which credited my years at home with children. It was well publicised. As far as I remember it wasnt backdated and if you didnt apply you didnt get it.
I already had two small children by that time, wonder if I may have missed out those years.

Hetty58

Those on a very high income will just pay it all back in tax charges - or can choose to not have it paid. Still, it's very important to claim it, as the entitlement creates the credits.

Until relatively recently, Child Benefit (Family Allowance) was non-taxable. Even high earners didn't pay tax on it. If they didn't claim it, it was because they din't think it was significant.

And don’t forget grandparents can claim if the parent was working. I do one day a week childcare and have added 4 years to my credits. Goes some way to get over the 6 extra years I’ve had to wait to get my state pension! I was missing 5 years ( opted out teachers pension) so only had to buy one year.
Specified adult childcare credits via Gov gateway

If they were on the Married Woman’s Stamp, they were working, so it’s rather different.

Next - let's hear that women who were automatically put on the Married Women's Stamp by their employer will have those years reinstated!

A public service employer too ☹