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.

But if you have been contributing in Portugal. You should have some state pension there? Looks as if you get a very basic one for 15-20 years of contributions? www.expatica.com/pt/finance/retirement/pensions-in-portugal-105266/#:~:text=The%20social%20old%2Dage%20pension,are%20also%20available%2C%20if%20necessary.

Look, no point obsessing over what you could have had here.

To get a state pension you need 35 years that "count" (which you can be working, raising kids or you can pay for to complete your record). What is your current NI record? How many years have you paid in in the U.K.? Add to that the number of years for which you could "count" as having paid in due to having a child under 13 and what does that get you? Then, you have to take that number away from 35, which gives you the number of years you have to work (or pay for) after your child is 13 to get a pension. Sounds like you'd have to work quite a lot of years of NI to qualify with the 35 years.

To qualify for child benefit, you have to live here. Rents are pretty high and you generally need a deposit of 6 weeks' rent to rent privately (you won't get on a list for a flat in most places, or not high up anyway). What standard of living would you get?

You won't qualify for a free masters, you'd have to get a loan.

Sorry, when did you move?
And really? You think £24 a week is amazing and would mean you didn't need to work??

you get paid child benefit until child is 16 or under 19 if still in full time education ( school/college not university) but you only get NI credits until youngest child is 12
so if you are a SAHM to two children born 2 years apart you will get a total of 14 years NI credits towards state pension, even if partner is earning too much to get child benefit it is worth getting it and paying back to get the pension years credited,, if you opt not to get the child benefit you don't get the pension years credited

Average UK household income is around £35k, so plenty exist on below 40k.

(In 2011, the system became much less generous - before then if you had kids under 18 you got those years counted and you don't now, but under 12 and you can claim child benefit and they add those years to your benefit and if you or partner earn over £50k they take the CB back off you via tax. What your mum got is irrelevant to what you'd get now).

You get in Scotland

But most families consist on 2 working people . Those that’s really single on 35k do struggle

Actually we would be rolling in that if we earned it. We live in the North.

You get a basic state pension in Portugal even if you didn’t work but it’s very basic only about 280 euros . Hope it helps

https://www.seg-social.pt/pensao-social-de-velhice1

I'm not saying at all the £24 a week is a negligible sum of money, but it really doesn't go far these days.
Plus, you are not taking into account costs, unless you already have a mortgage free house in the UK, you cannot get a nice four bedroom house in a reasonable area for 200 000 euros, but you can in Portugal.

Actually there was a thing called home responsibilities protection until 2010 that was basically to protect your pension if you were getting child benefit or caring and not available for work. That's what your mum is talking about, it filled any gaps in your NI credits.

If you are living abroad you presumably are not getting UK Child Benefit, so no you wont be paying your NI pension.

There are no free university courses in the UK anymore.

This is interesting. I was a sahm until my youngest was 10, my husband earned more than the threshold so we weren't entitled to child benefit. Does this mean if my husband and I separated I've lost of on years of no pension if I wasn't claiming CB?

I think you are living on another planet if you think a family could live on 40k and the mum sit around being a sahm. Those days are gone. You aren't going to get any benefits to top you up earning 40k (except child benefit), child benefit is £20 a week for the first child and then £15 for the second, not much. You really can't afford to live on 40k as a family. Even if 1 parent earned double that you would not be in a comfortable financial situation like you would once upon a time. Your post does seem conflicted asking about how long you can be a sahm for and still receive a pension but then asking how much a masters would cost (about 10k).

Oh and no most women don't "take advantage" I earn more than my husband and spent years in uni and training, I didn't do that to sit at home. I went back to work full time after each maternity leave, a year on maternity leave was more than plenty.

I definitely got some NI credits before 2011. It was called Home Responsibilties Protection I'm not sure what changed after 2011 other than the name and the age limit.

Did you perhaps register but opt to not receive payments? If so your credits will still have been made.

I honestly can't remember. Shocking though that I've never though about this

There are no free uni courses in UK now

Yes there are, if you live in Scotland and go to a Scottish university.

You should definitely come back and see what you can milk out of the rest of us, OP.

@SofiaSoFar Sorry???

Child benefit or carers allowance give you pension credits.

The cost of some FE courses is reduced if you are a low earner and/or on means tested benefits.

But you wouldn’t get this reduction for doing an undergrad or masters.

The fees and available finance are the same, but you might get extra grants direct from the Uni if you are in financial difficulty. It isn’t guaranteed.

Sorry, I meant NI credits which contributes to your pension.

The state pension is crap though. I'm a carer for our son and my husband pays into a private pension for me as well as himself. I get free funding through the Open University as I'm below the threshold for earning.

@darjeelingrose Where I am, you can’t get a 4 bedroom house for €400,000, let alone €200,000
There are no child benefits at all, unless you are earning v v little and even then it’s v low, I’m just comparing here to there and £24 a week would be great as an added thing, per month it could pay a bill for me or pay for my Dds clubs.
I’m just comparing, as where I am, we don’t get anything.
My Dh is considered a high earner here, but it’s still only €26, 000 a year, the average is maybe €14,000 a year and tbh things aren’t massively cheaper here at all.
£40, 000 per year sounds a good amount to me, but admittedly I am out of touch as haven’t lived there for a while so it’s true I don’t know, hence why I’m asking here.