HMRC will add National Insurance credits to your State Pension if you look after a child related to you under the age of 12 – this can be worth a few thousand pounds over a typical 20-year retirement
Elderly individuals who provide care for children under 12 during term-time or school holidays could potentially increase their State Pension payments by over £6,000 across a typical 20-year retirement period. This is possible through claiming a National Insurance benefit from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
A single additional National Insurance credit can add approximately £303 per year to the full New State Pension. This State Pension enhancement is known as Specified Adult Childcare. It operates by transferring the National Insurance credit linked to Child Benefit from the recipient of the Child Benefit to a family member who is caring for a related child under 12, or under 17 if the child has a disability.
You will be granted a Class 3 National Insurance credit for each week or part of a week you cared for the child. However, only one credit is available per Child Benefit claim, regardless of the number of children included in the claim.
For instance, if two grandparents cared for their daughter’s two children, only one credit is available for transfer. The recipient of the Child Benefit must decide who receives the credit, reports the Daily Record.
However, if the grandparents also have a son and they care for both their daughter’s and son’s children, there are likely two Child Benefit recipients. Therefore, two credits would be available for transfer.
If no one has claimed Child Benefit for the child, there is no attached National Insurance credit to transfer and credits cannot be awarded.
The boost is primarily designed for those caring for children whose parents are employed, meaning they don’t require the National Insurance credits from Child Benefit for their own State Pension. It’s worth noting that retrospective claims for Specified Adult Childcare can be made dating back to 6 April 2011.
Claims for providing remote care during the Covid-19 pandemic
According to GOV.UK guidance, your usual care arrangements may have been disrupted by Covid-19 since March 2020. This implies that if you provided care remotely via phone, text message or video call during the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, you might be eligible to fill any gaps in your National Insurance record by claiming Specified Adult Childcare.
This applies to the tax years 2019 to 2020 and 2020 to 2021.
The full New State Pension amounts to £230.25 per week, equivalent to £11,973 annually. However, to receive this maximum amount, approximately 35 years’ worth of National Insurance contributions are required.
A minimum of 10 years is needed to receive any payment at all.
Some individuals may have been ‘contracted out’ and will need more than 35 years.
Who is eligible to apply for Specified Adult Childcare credits?
You can apply provided:
- you are an eligible family member who provided care for a child under 12
- you were over 16 and under State Pension age when you provided care for the child
- you are ordinarily resident in the UK but not the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man
- the child’s parent (or main carer) has claimed Child Benefit but does not need the credits themselves
The child’s parent (or primary carer) consents to your application by counter-signing the form to confirm that you:
- provided care for their child for the period stated
- can have the credits for the period stated
Who qualifies as an eligible family member
You are classed as an eligible family member if you are the:
- mother or father who does not live with the child
- grandparent, great-grandparent or great-great-grandparent
- brother or sister – including a half-brother or half-sister, step-brother or step-sister, an adopted brother or an adopted sister, aunt or uncle
You are also classed as an eligible family member if you are either the:
- current or previous husband, wife, partner or civil partner of anyone in the list above
- son or daughter of the current or previous husband, wife, partner or civil partner of anyone in the list above
Who should refrain from applying
You should not apply for credits if for the same period you:
- already have a qualifying year of National Insurance – usually because you work or receive other National Insurance credits
- are receiving Child Benefit for any child and already get credits automatically
If you are the spouse or partner living with the Child Benefit recipient and want to transfer the credits to yourself, you need to complete form CF411A – more details here.
When to submit your application
You must wait until October 31 following the end of the tax year for which you want to apply. This means you can now claim for the financial years 2011/12 – 2023/24.
This is due to HMRC needing to verify that the parent or primary carer already has a qualifying year for National Insurance purposes.
What you require to apply
You will need the following to apply:
- your personal details as the eligible family member that provided care for the child
- the child’s details and the periods you provided care for them
- the personal details of the child’s parent or main carer – the Child Benefit recipient
The HMRC guidance explains that both you and the Child Benefit recipient must sign a declaration on the application form.
It also says that the child’s parent or main carer should check their National Insurance record online before you apply, to check that they have credits to transfer.
Complete information on how to apply can be found on the GOV.UK website.