If I was a Sahm in the U.K., would I get my pension paid into?

[Nomoresundaynightdread]

I’m British, but live abroad at the moment.
I was speaking to my mum, she was a Sahm for years when we were kids (common in the 80’s) she then when to work when we were a little older. She was saying to me that she received payment towards her pension? For staying at home, I’m sure it was until we were 18? Is this true and does that happen now?
Where I am, I’m sure it’s not the case at all and I have to work in order to pay into my future state pension.
Also, if you’re at home and not working, do you have free access to uni/college courses? I’ve always wanted to do a masters, but would have to pay for it myself where I am and we simply can’t afford it at the moment.
I’ve heard both these things, is it true?
Seems so much harder where I am, we don’t get benefits/help in the same way at all.

If husband's earn over the threshold for Child Benefit and the wife/partner does not work, they must claim it so the wife/partner gets the pension NI contribution benefit. When it stopped being universal I continued to claim CB and DH declared it on his tax return and the HMRC claimed it back from him. I was working and didn't need the pension credits. I just have a very nice husband. It was only for a cpl of yrs and dd was almost grown up.

Some do. Anecdotally I don’t know anyone who can afford to be a SAHP, and they tend to all earn £30-40k each, along with their partners earning similar. But houses in the UK are expensive, as is rent. My one bed flat in the midlands used to be £950 to rent a month a decade ago. I sold the one bed I bought one town over during Covid for £225k.

Having recently been in Lisbon for three weeks for work, food is a lot more expensive here, as are children’s activities.

And childcare is expensive. £68 a day here.

It wouldn't necessarily occur to anyone to look on a government website to find out about postgraduate degrees, as traditionally you'd find the information from individual universities or funding bodies. It's only recently the government started giving loans and it wasn't well-advertised at all.

@YouveGotAFastCar It is more expensive, and much lower wages too and not this help from the government. I’m weighing up a lot of things at the moment

@Nomoresundaynightdread for the eldest child Child Benefit is currently £24 per week.

State pension won't be worth much by your retirement age though.

It will if it continues to be increased by 10% a year.

@Nomoresundaynightdread I read that as @YouveGotAFastCar meaning food / activities are more expensive in the U.K.?

I wouldn’t move on the basis of child benefit, which is £24 per week. The U.K. is an extremely expensive place to raise children (some of the highest childcare costs in the OECD), and most Masters courses will set you back £10k or more in fees for one year of study.

@SpringNotSprung you can claim it without having it paid to you so that you get the NI credits. That’s what my DH does as he doesn’t pay full NI due to being self employed and I earn over £50k. He gets the NI credit for his state pension each year but there is no messing about paying the money back via his self assessment form.

@AlmostWife Ahh, I assumed she meant Portugal (which is expensive in lots of things compared to the U.K.)
I think £24 per week per child sounds quite amazing, nothing like that here

In the context of the current cost of living, it doesn’t go very far.

You don't pay NI until you are 16, and with the free allowance being £11,908 you probably didn't earn enough to be paying it. And you won't have been paying into it while in Portugal.

You can log into your pension account on Gov website and see how many qualifying years you have. I have 32 years (started full time work at 16) as I didn't pay in for part time jobs before I was 16.

@Nomoresundaynightdread - this seems to indicate that there is child benefit in Portugal?

I was just going to say that a quick Google suggests that there is family allowance in Portugal.

To clarify, child benefit is until children leave FT education, but credits towards state pension are only until youngest child is 12.
As PPs have said, child benefit is now means tested, but everyone can get the NI credits towards your state pension, albeit that you may need to register for CB and then opt out again if over the income threshold (or receive and pay back again).

You can get free courses through the government to retrain if you've been out of work for a couple of years eg with caring responsibilities. Not equivalent to a degree but useful if you want to change careers and get into tech or something.

If your dh is over the earning threshold you can claim but opt not to take the money. This way you still get the NI contribution.

You get child benefit here but I haven’t read anything about it going towards your pension.
Also, we don’t qualify for it, you have to be earning a very very small amount and even then the benefit is barely anything

@justteanbiscuits Ive been paying in whilst working here, it will could towards a pension

*Count

After that you can also pay voluntary contributions into the state pension to make up missing years. It is a good idea if you are a SAHM long-term to budget so that your partner's salary also pays into a private pension for you.

CB is not massive £24pw for first child, £15.90 per subsequent child. NI is only basic time credit not financial. You have to earn over the minimum earnings threshold to pay ni contributions when in work so your pt work as a teen is unlikely to qualify. www.gov.uk/child-benefit

It's not £24 per child, only for the first child, the amount for 2nd and subsequent children is around £10 per week

Ha, yes, loads of people stay home and enjoy the £24 per week CB. (Less for subsequent children)

40k salary alone isnt even really enough to have anything much above a basic existence in the U.K. today. Rents are £900-£1200 for an ordinary house, energy bills £250-£350 per month. Food has gone up incredibly, motor fuel is horrific. It's not an easy ride in the U.K. OP!!

I did (in regards to uni being free). I trained as a nurse in Wales in 2002. I had a bursary and my tuition fees were paid for, all by the Welsh assembly. I have since done a specialist practice qualification, another two years in uni, this time paid for by the the health board I work for. So I think it depends on the course you want to do.