National Insurance for SAHM

[spababe]

Well my youngest child is 12 so I think my childcare NI contributions have stopped. I am a SAHM and intend to stay that way so do I need to pay NI contributions now to be sure I get a pension in the long term?? I have tried to find out by googling but can't find the relevant info. I have tried ringing the NI office but they eventually say they are too busy to talk to me and cut me off! Does anyone know please

Take a look here the whole gov.uk site has a load of info on voluntary contributions.

It depend how many years you paid before you became a SAHM and what your plans are for the future. If you were born after 1950, you "only" need 30 years' contributions to qualify for the full state pension.

info here

I worked 20 years before becoming SAHM and then had 7 years before DS2 turned 12, so I only need to work 3 years between now and retirement to be all paid up.

depending how old you are, state pension will barely be worth the effort

the number of qualifying years is going up again to 35:

www.gov.uk/new-state-pension/how-its-calculated

I spoke to the pensions people last week to get my updated forecast. Even they aren't too sure and are recommending that everyone gets a new forecast in 2016. Brilliant, not.

I worked for 15 years before the first DS. I tried to get my NI record but they emailed back after about 4 weeks saying I had failed a security question (??) and I would have to write in with lots of information. I haven't done that yet and I suppose I better get on with it.

spababe
I'm not sure why you are worrying TBH : the state pension is a pittance even if you have all the years.
I'm not even including it in my calculations for later life

I was worried I might be denied NHS treatment in the future if I hadn't contributed sufficiently, or is that not correct?

I'm terrified about pensions as the state pension is all we are likely to have. I worked part time prior to becoming a SAHM - is it 12 then that it stops "counting". I'm not sure what the total of my hours would be before that as it varied.

Don't your contributions affect your entitlement to out of work benefits as well though Talkin?

I broadly agree that for most people not nearing retirement state pension will be neither here nor there but if you only have a small gay making up the contributions doesn't cost much and might turn out to be worthwhile.

Also, in these days of benefits cuts, I also wonder what other things we might not be entitled to in the future without full contributions.

sewcraft
Incorrect. If you are British you always get the NHS

littlerobots
I'm now paying into a pension for the first time age 49
but do not plan to retire anyway

XP Sew. No it's not the case ATM but I do think it's possible (not likely) that could happen in the future.

I was under the impression that it was continually counted until the youngest child is either 16 or 18. Hmm, need to clarify.

No, it's definitely only under 12s. It's never been made clear what happens to people who no longer claim CB because their partner earns over the threshold. I have continued to claim, knowing we will have to pay it back in DH's tax return, just to be sure.

here

it isn't being British that qualifies you for NHS treatment, it is being resident in the UK. Live here, no problem. It's nothing to do with tax, NI contributions or anything else.

until each government continues to wreck it

That's not true special? If it were, how do all the non-residents retired to the Costas get to come home for NHS treatment?

Also, there are overseas nationals resident here who aren't entitled to NHS treatment.

TheAlias, I don't think British people living abroad are entitled to the NHS after a certain number of years, although I don't think it's particularly well enforced.

The NI contributions won't make any difference for claiming ESA or JSA as you only get class 3 NI credits with child benefit. Class 3 credits are known as voluntary contributions and they'd count towards a pension and bereavement benefits, but won't help you if you're unemployed or ill.

special is correct : I've never had any problem accessing the NHS despite not having a UK passport till recently.

BUT
You do need an NHS number and they are clamping down on issuing those other than at birth
AND
those who live abroad are indeed restricted, but if UK citizens get NHS the day they come back to the UK

the Costa del pensioners are not entitled to use the NHS if living permanently abroad:

www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad/movingabroad/Pages/Introduction.aspx

you are supposed to deregister with your GP when you leave. I wonder if anyone does? GPs don't check to see if you still live where you say and you don't have to visit the practice to keep up your registration.

as Talkinpeace says, if you've been abroad and come back to live in the UK, you are then entitled to use the NHS. Living here means contributing to our economy even if you don't work because you buy things.

special
GPs do check now - they call pensioners in for annual checkups.
If they do not come then they are deregistered if other locality checks do not pan out.

Hello helpful people!
please can I check, my husband is a SAHD. We've just come back from Germany and haven't bothered to apply for child benefit because we would have to pay it back. From reading your thread, it seems as if we should apply for it, maybe pay it straight into a saving account so we don't accidentally spend it and then give it back at the end of the year in a tax return.

Does anyone know if it counts if I get it? Will I be able to pay it back monthly in my tax code and will my DH still get the points for the NI contributions??

You can claim CB (which gets NI contribution credit for the person claiming - your DH), but elect to not actually receive the payments. here is the gov.uk website.

TheAlias it is clear what happens if you elect to not receive CB payments because your partner earns too much - so long as you fill in the claim form you get the NI credits. The form is very clear on this. You just tick the box to say that you don't wish to receive the payments.

You should apply for a record of your contributions. I did this recently as was going self-employed and taking maternity leave.

It takes a good few weeks to arrive but just fill out the form in the first link on this page www.gov.uk/check-national-insurance-record

Once you see what you have you can decide if you want to pay voluntary contributions. Info here: www.gov.uk/voluntary-national-insurance-contributions

Very sraight forward, as I say, a bit slow but it all worked well for me.