NI - please help, I think I have well and truly screwed up!

[Chloe55]

Please don't give me a lecture or jump down my throat, I am very emotional right now and will not take it well.

I am 6wks pg, self-employed and haven't paid my NI conctributions which have now amounted to just over £200. To be honest I keep remembering to do it then either don't have the money or forget 2 mins later and it doesn't get done again.

Last month dh and I agreed that this month it would be our priority to get them paid as soon as his wage comes through...and it will.

However, I think I am pretty much fucked anyway as I have just found out I am pg, am feeling sick as a dog have been up since 4am hugging a toilet only to have children arriving at 7am (I am a childminder), I feel physically unable to cope to day as I am so tired and feel so ill and it's times like this I wish I was employed to make use of the statutory sick pay - me taking time off is not an option as we can't afford it so I looked into what else I might be entitled to.

Had I paid my NI quarterly as asked I may have been entitled to some sort of benfit to give me a rest and certainly Stat Mat Allowance, now I am terrified that dues to the gap in payments (although I will pay full amount owed) that I won't be entitled to any of this and if this is the case the future is looking very bleak. I have worked since I was 16, employed as a vet nurse until I had ds 4yrs ago then back to vet nursing for a year then childminding for 2 years.

I can't stop crying at how bloody stupid I am. Please help. What can I do? Do you think I will be entitled to anything?

Don't beat yourself up

As long as the back payments are made in full then I don't see why you won't be entitled to your full MA

Hope you feel better soon, good luck getting some rest!

Thaks for your reply Yorky. I am feeling somewhat calmer this aft, I do fear that may not be the case those. I think having a gap in payment affects claims, even when I pay up - does anyone know if this is the case?

I'm not certain but I thought as long as you get them fully paid up you're entitled to MA. I seem to remember (from when I applied for MA) that the form says something about it. Cos you can pay NI in more than one way (i.e. doesn't have to be quarterly) I think they can bill you for the amount that should be paid up to your claim date and as long as it's paid you get MA.

As long as the payments have been 'clocking up' as due and are paid now there won't be any gaps that count against MA.

This is what I suggest you do:

Phone HMRC's self employment helpline on 0845 915 4655 and explain apologetically what has happened: you don't need to mention your pregnancy, but you do need to check that you are actually registered as self employed and should be paying Class 2 NI. Ask them to confirm the sum that needs to paid to bring you up to date and pay that as soon as you can. Make sure you keep up with the payments from now on - it is only £31.20 a quarter and you can pay it in cash over a bank or post office counter if you find that you never have any money in the bank.

Once you are up to date, call them again and tell them you are pregnant and plan to stop childminding on X date. They will send you the necessary information and form.

Thank you so much. Will be calling them today. Have lost so much sleep over this I aim to organise myself better