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.

Nat insurance credits for child benefit predate 2011, I've claimed since 1998 until last year and my pension statement is OK ( I'm aware the credits stopped when DS3 was 12, luckily I've been self- employed since then).

@Nothingisblackandwhite Thank you, I didn’t realise you would still get it without paying in.
I will be eligible for a pension from the U.K. for the years worked and here also.
I realise I won’t be able to receive child benefit from the U.K. living here. My question was just really about receiving it if I were to move back and how things work in the U.K.
I was just interested after what my mum mentioned as we don’t have that system here, if I don’t work, nothing goes into my pension

I am a University student/mature student and full time lone parent. I had to pay for my Access Course and I'm also paying for university through student finance myself. So no, I highly doubt you'll get to go to uni for free.

I believe the NI credits started in the late 70s for women who stayed at home - that's what your mum was talking about. My mum certainly got the credits for the 7 years she was at home.

What changed in 2011 is that you can transfer those credits to a grandparent who was under state pension age and did the childcare for you.

Yes it’s a very different system . I’m originally from Portugal myself altough I love all my adult life in the U.K. and it’s dependable on how much you pay too and what sorteio work you do

@Nothingisblackandwhite Ahh ok, so if we’ve paid quite a lot in, we should receive a higher monthly pension 🙏
Do you know anything about being a Sahm mum here and having it paid into your pension as the U.K. does, do you know if that can happen? No one here seems able to confirm if it happens or not

Child benefit is £159.60 per month, for 2 DC

If you've got a government gateway ID you can just log on and check your state pension contributions very easily.
It's fairly straightforward to get the login set up - I got it for tax free childcare initially but it also works for state pension/NI contributions record and tax.

I have one child i get £96 every 4 weeks it pays for her clothes and school uniform, her pocket money and her phone and her youth group activites

Goodness. I wish I could stretch money as far as you do.

@ThickSkinnedSoWhat

Yes but you will get full maintenance loan, special support element or parents learning allowance as a single parent. As well as a child care grant or child tax credit/universal credit to help fund child care.

So going to Uni in your position is facilitated and supported more so than a typical undergrad who might be on minimum loan with no parental contribution.

For Scottish residents Uni is free….:

By the by do they still allow EU students to study for free in Scotland (on the basis that Scottish can study in EU) or did Brexit screw that?!

Ah just checked… Brexit screwed that… it’s now stopped.

I got credits towards my state pension through CB. I started working after the youngest DC turned 14, and the eldest had left school and was working. So it was credited certainly until mid noughties..my forecast is for full pension

@Starseeking €200 ish equivalent for me would be brilliant

This is a weird thread! All the info the OP is asking for is freely available on the web.

OP obviously has internet access and ability to read and write in English.

OP has worked for many years too, so obviously capable.

Some of the comments in reply are quite goady!

Weird. Weird. Weird.

Are you a journalist OP?

@Blossomtoes
£24 a week = £1248 a year
pocket monet @£10 per week = £520
clothes = £500
phone SIM only deal @£5 per month = £60
youth group £2 per week term time = £76
youth group weekend away £90
technically £2 left
she is 13 and has stopped growing, we are in Scotland so school uniform much cheaper as is black skirt/ trousers white shirts black cardi or jumper school tie black shoes or trainers, there are no rules about coats or bags so long as not sectarian or offensive PE kit is any trainers t shirt and black shorts or sports leggings, trackies joggers and hoodie ok in winter,

Yes, the clue is in the word loan... I will be paying it back alongside my tuition fees 🙄 it's not free. I also lost pretty much most of my Universal Credit despite the fact its a loan and not an income. Add that to having a child with a disability and it's not exactly the supported walk in the park you're making it out to be.

If you register for a Government Gateway account, your NI record and how many qualifying years you need/your state pension entitlement is all on there for you so you can check really easily.

@ThickSkinnedSoWhat
Being a student isn’t a walk in the park for anybody. Wasn’t suggesting it was. Just you were making out there’s no free help for you. And there is.

I also was a mature student. Got married after 2nd year and had my loan cut by 2k…. Still had to pay half the bills!! We didn’t qualify for the childcare grant due to husbands wage. But we were grateful for tax credits for childcare. And there’s usually a grant direct from the uni available, if you apply for it.

Our DC also disabled. Make sure you have DLA and apply for family fund annual grants if you haven’t. You should be eligible.

You already said earlier in the thread that child benefit in Portugal is tiny, so I’m not sure why it would help you. Isn’t there an expat local forum somewhere that could give you better advice on the Portuguese system?

If you’re a SAHP, your partner should be making contributions into a private pension for you. You lose out massively in that respect by not working, especially in some sectors where you get 20% employer contributions

@CaptainSeven Why?! A journalist why?
Yes I am a capable person, but I’ve been out of the country for a long time, considering returning, what is the matter with asking real people on a forum as opposed to government sites, which I’ve had a browse at and although capable, they do my head in!
Not trying to be goady at all? Wasn’t my intention at all and don’t see this as being a weird thread 🤷🏻‍♀️😬

@NoSquirrels Yes, it’s the first place I went to, but nobody knew about it at all.

You’d be better off though with a thread about ‘If I returned to the U.K., what would I be entitled to in pensions and benefits? Here are my circumstances’ rather than what you’re asking which is a bit confusing - do you want to know about being a SAHM in the U.K. or being a SAHM in Portugal?

I think what's quite weird about it @Nomoresundaynightdread is that it's really not a large sum of money in the context of how much everything has increased in cost in the UK lately. £40k isn't really enough for a family to live comfortably. The weather is worse. And in the context of moving expenses – for £160 a month when you might not have a better standard of living, to safeguard your entitlement to the State Pension which is really quite low... it's a bit odd from an economic perspective.

It also seems like you don't want to work? (which is fine, I don't love working either, but I wouldn't recommend the UK as the place to become a SAHP unless you earn much MUCH more than £40k)