NI credits and child benefit?

[FuckityFux]

I’ve been checking my NI contributions and it says I’ve a shortfall for 2010/11

I was on maternity leave in 2010 and received maternity pay from my employer for 12 months and my child was born in April. I claimed child benefit straightaway.

So I can’t understand how I can have a shortfall in NI contributions for that year?

Can any explain how they calculate NI and what should I be asking HMRC to check?

They also show a shortfall for the 2 years I was at college (early 1990’s) but it’s well before the 2006 cut off date so I don’t know if I can still query it, let alone prove I was studying.

I think you need to check with HMRC.

You can make a SAR for free for all the data HMRC has about you, including a full record of your NI records.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/hmrc-subject-access-request

They've never given credits for being in further education over the age of 18.

Until 2010 everyone was given credits for the years they turned 16, 17 and 18 (so that those staying in education weren't too disadvantaged) but this stopped in 2010 when the number of years required to qualify for the basic pension was reduced (from 44 years for men and 39 for women).

Thanks @openway I’ll do that.

@P00hsticks The years I was at FE college show me having varying NI credits each year from 39 to 12 but I can’t understand why the amount varies as my course was f/t so I’d expect the numbers to be the same for every year?

The last year of your course would have finished in June or July. Tax year runs April to April.

Part time work in summers may have clocked up some NI payments.