Opted out of child benefit and now I have missed out on National Insurance for state pension. Please help!

[Nyli]

I haven't worked for several years (for various reasons, including looking after my 2 children, age 16 and 15). My partner is a higher rate tax payer.

Back in 2020 we opted out of child benefit to save him having to repay it via self assessment. But I didn't realise this meant I would lose my national insurance credits. I'm now 52 and have just checked my state pension forecast for the first time and I'm in a bit of a panic. The last 3 years are missing. I see that I can make a voluntary payment of about £800 for each year I've missed, but we don't have enough money to do that. I have no other pension and my relationship is very rocky, we may split up.

I have 2 questions. Is there any way I can get child benefit or get the NI credits backdated for the missing years? If not, can I restart child benefit now so I don't miss out on the next few years while my kids are still in education? Thank you for your help!

You can get the NI credits backdated if you pay the money.

How many qualifying years do you have as it is? And do you intend to work before you reach state retirement age?

I may be wrong but I think you only get the credits up till the age of 12 - the assumption I guess being that there's nothing preventing you working once they're that age. So in that respect opting out hasn't cost you anything. Can't you get a job, and aim to pay the shortfall in a few years? You're in an incredibly vulnerable position right now.

I think as a pp has said you only get them until the child is 12 now

How many years do you have? You need 35 years in total for the New State Pension, and you have 15 years left until you retire. So as long as you have 20 years already, you should be fine if you start work again.

You may not have got them even when claiming CB because of the age of your children.

The last three years aren’t missing : you’ve stopped getting the credit since your youngest turned 12. Accordingly, there’s nothing you can do to get the credits going forward either other than making the voluntary payments or working. I think they changed the law around 2011.

You might be able to make voluntary contributions: https://www.gov.uk/pay-voluntary-class-3-national-insurance

How many years do you have? a gap of 3 years over your working-age life won't stop you getting a full state pension as you only need 35 years in order to get the full amount.

As previous posters have said, you don't qualify for credits once your children are over the age of 12.

What the others said, but remember if touch did split you'll have a claim on his pension.

The kids are 15 and 16? So you could have been working the last few years. You don’t get the NI credits after they turn 12.
Why is your first thought to claim child benefit again to get credits (which you won’t get) instead of getting a job? You’re kids are grown. It’s time to go back to work, especially if you might split with your husband. You need a job!

You dont get the NI credits after the age of 12. You can opt out of payment and still get credits but again that stops when the youngest child turns 13.

You can get back pay for child benefit.

35 years is only for people starting work in the last few years.

everyone needs to check how many years they need for themselves as it can be as many as 42 years for people in their late 50’s now.

look up the government gateway and check your own state pension and how many years you need

and I also think you only get benefit til a child is 12.

you need a job

As others have said, NI credits for childcare stop when the child is 12.

£800 will pay back to you in about 4 years of being retired so worth doing if you won't otherwise have enough qualifying years. It may be worth prioritising, you don't have to do all missing years in one go. Also look back to see whether you have any partial paid years which will be cheaper to top up.

You talk of 'partner'. Are you married? if so then on divorce pension pots can be split so you can have a claim on your possible ex-DH's pension if his is much better. If not married then try to get your DP to fund your top ups as you will be well and truely shafted if you do split up.

You don't have to receive payments to get ni credits through Child Benefit, just register your children with hmrc . As pp said once your youngest turned 13 you ceased to get the ni credits, regardless.

How many qualifying years have you accrued OP? You need 35.

Assuming you worked from 21 to 52, that would give you 31 years. Take out the three years you haven't worked, means you have 28.

So you need to work another 7 years to get a full state pension (assuming you didn't opt out at any time.).

You can check here. https://www.gov.uk/check-national-insurance-record

You should get married or you’ll be well and truly fucked if you split up.

The exception is if your child gets DLA and you claim Carer's Allowance for them (or you qualify for Carer's Allowance for a different reason). Then the credits continue until you no longer get Carer's Allowance.

This is an example. I have 9 more years to contribute but I have 24 years in which to do it.

I'm sure you'd have missed them anyway as they stop in when children are in secondary school now

Tell me you're married and 'partner' was just a turn of phrase!

She wouldn't - they're not married.

Yes I realised I missed that detail. Why do women keep giving up everything to raise DC for men who won't marry them?

I hope you are married and you’ve just worded it badly OP. Why don’t you have a pension? Is it illness that’s stopped you from working?