Partner's name on child benefit- can he transfer NI contributions to me

[StatePensionHelp]

Please don't anyone have a go!!
We know we've been feckless.

I'm 53, partner 55
I haven't worked since age 40
Prior to that I worked for 24 years- full time for about 10 years, 30 hours p/w for another 10 years, then 22.5 hrs p/w from age 35 until 40
Had first child at age 35 and second at 37
We qualified for child benefit and that was paid into my partner's account- so his name on it.
Obviously childcare was my jurisdiction, but my name's not on the child benefit.
We stopped being entitled to child benefit about 2 years ago- partner reached earning threshold.
I would very much like to work but have had my struggles and, as I say, haven't worked for 14 years.
I haven't claimed any benefits and have never sought an official "sicknote".
So, my issue is NI contributions and state pension.
We've buried our heads a bit with all this but I know I need to face it.
I do realise there's a govt website and a pension forecast that I can do but I'm just interested in any advice generally.

Thanks if you've read this far!

My concerns are:

1. Can I have the child benefit NI contributions- if there are any- transferred to me retrospectively as the mother of the children and chief carer

2. Can I pay 10 years' worth of national insurance over the next 10 years by hook or by crook (I have a currently defunct etsy shop but could probably restart and earn enough literally just to pay NI contributions- I'm seeing estimates of voluntary, gap-plugging contributions at around £70 per month.)

3. Can I over-pay and shorten the time frame for voluntary contributions if my shop does better than predicted?!

4. Should I seek out a professional financial advisor?

5. Probably goes without saying, but I don't have a private pension and my partner only started paying into his work pension in his forties, I think (can't clarify specifically as he's at work)

6. I'm thinking civil partnership might be a very good idea as we're just co-habitees in law- if that's even a legal definition

As before, please don't be harsh, I know we've fucked up! This is the first time I've taken my head out the sand and addressed it. I think partner has been looking into it but not sure how far he's got. I know it's worried him, it's gnawed away at me, and it's been the elephant in the room over the last few years.

Phew! That was unintentionally long.
Thanks for any help.

Yes I made the same mistake as the OP and I got three years of child benefit NI transferred back to me.

No idea where he got that idea from. You NI record should show every year since you were 16 (I think).Full years count towards your pension.

As you aren't married, your partner having a pension has no benefits to you if you split up at any point. That civil partnership should be a priority for you.

The 35 years only applies to people who didn't have a NI record before 2016 ie anyone born in this century. Someone of OPs age will need anywhere between 29 and 49 years contributions or credits depending on their personal circumstances. A calculation was done for everybody over the age of 16 when the New State Pension came into effect. OP needs to check her personal forecast on the government gateway.

Good news about the transferable NI credits, I didn't know that was possible.

OP I would advise doing your own research on accurate websites like Moneysavingexpert.com and gov.uk. also there a free government run pension advice service that you can find via the above when you can get individual help on your pension situation.

It sounds like your partner has given you duff advice and Internet forums, as well as ChatGPT can also be wrong, so always check things out for yourself.

Can the household afford pension contributions for you? You can put in nearly £3k per year even if you don't work.

Are you able to work? If so, you could look for something part time to ease yourself back into working.

If you have health problems are you able to claim benefits, which would have the added advantage of also paying your NI contributions.

Also you can buy old NI credits if you need to, which you might not if you transfer your CB related ones to add to those you have free working. If you have any part years, these might cost less to top up. But that's only if you need them.

Perhaps make learning more about personal finance a goal going forwards too. There's quite a lot you can do to improve your situation but it's something you need to take charge of.

You only get NI credits from child benefit until the youngest child is 12. If your kids were under 12 and your partner just cancelled the claim rather than keeping it open with no payments he wouldn’t have any credits to transfer for the over threshold period. If that’s the case you might be able to backdate a “credits only” claim but you’d have to research the backdating criteria.

Thanks again, everyone- I really appreciate the insights and information and know I need to do my own investigations.
Thanks to the poster who mentioned the civil partnership- discussed with partner- yep! no probs- God we're so romantic.
I would love to work- I'm embarrassed not to and have never claimed a thing- that would be a great end goal- I don't feel I could be reliable as I'm so up and down since having ovaries removed- I'm honestly a shell and sometimes bargain with the universe as to which healthy bits I'd give up in order to have my ovaries back!
Bit deep, sorry- it's also why having an online shop, which doesn't need to earn much to pay NI, and can be worked on at any time (day or night!) and left off at others- appeals to me.

@Bjorkdidit
Thank you- you've said some really interesting stuff which I will definitely look into. I did wonder if my partner could pay the contributions- we could definitely scrape that as it's so important- very exciting. And I will make personal finances my ongoing area of study now that I've looked it in the face.

So thank you all. I feel a lot better, as does my partner- we've each been living in our own private hell over this- not wanting to worry the other person too much.

Hard to believe I'm actually the once independent soul that bought a house in the late 90s and made a very tidy profit on it, thus setting us up for our family home. Very relieved I did and was lucky that houses were so cheap at the time.

"But really i think everyone is going to need a private pension to top up what the government gives people. Or its going to be a massive struggle"

It's certainly sobering @Needspaceforlego Luckily my partner has been paying one since age 30, so, not the beginning of his career but not too bad.
To be honest I feel very grateful. We will have paid off mortgage by the time of pensionable age- it's not a hugely expensive house in a northern town, but it's lovely and it's ours!
So hard for young people these days to get on the property ladder- we're envisioning prospect of kids bouncing back and forth to house- thinking about what tweaks we can make for an adult child to live more independently in the house if necessary- partner an excellent DIYer thank goodness as builders prohibitively expensive.

I know exactly what you mean, I really feel for young people who are also struggling to get entry level jobs on the career ladder as well as the housing ladder.

While your DH will be all pensioned up you need to look after YOU.
If he passed away a month after retirement leaving you with a 50% spouse pension, how comfortable would you be, between that and state pension?

thanks again @Needspaceforlego
I get what you're saying- I need to be less dependent where possible
I mean, in theory, I think I'd be fairly comfortable on a state pension plus half private- admittedly no idea how much that will be!
Again, it's down to not having a mortgage to pay at retirement- currently we pay a significant amount of partner's wage towards that.
Maybe I'm being unrealistic and I will of course dig into it all.
The other thing we were figuring out was just how much cheaper life will be if and when the children do go! Though I guess spending on kids doesn't always stop once they've left but you can only be generous if you have the money in the first place.

Not that I'm looking to kick the kids out...yet!

Thats it.
Is there a reason you don't want to or are unable to get back into work?

Is DH discouraging your independence?

My years are made up of working, home responsibilities protection and voluntary stamp, through a small business. It is very low and only gives credit for state pension but very much worth doing.

You need to claim CB and get the NI contributions and then your partner needs to pay the extra ££ at the end of the tax year or he can just pay it back every month as it’s his fault you haven’t claimed CB due to his income. Also either get married or have something legal put into place for the house you’re living in to protect you!!!

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

Every person can check their own record & it will show each year.
It will show a year as
Fully paid
Part paid
None paid

You can pay for I believe up to the last 6 missing years.

Each individual person should check this too

https://www.gov.uk/check-state-pension

If you claim child benefit in your name, you will receive National Insurance contributions which go towards your state pension & other benefits.

Also make sure that you are named as a beneficiary on your DP's pension and on his 'death in service' at work. Then get him to check with his pension provider if you carry on receiving anything if he should die before you.

Complete form CF411A and put the qualifying years on the form ( age 12 of the youngest child) You may need to explain why the credits weren't applied for before now.