Child Benefit claimants could be missing out on full state pension entitlement
If you claimed Child Benefit prior to May 2000 you may have missed out on valuable qualifying state pension years due to nuances in HMRC’s systems. How can you correct your NI record?
Entitlement to certain benefits can preserve your entitlement to the state pension, as since 2010, NI credits are automatically awarded to provide qualifying years on your NI record. Before 2010 this was known as home responsibilities protection (HRP). However, Child Benefit claimants who did not include their NI number on the application form before May 2000 may not have had their NI record credited with HRP. This means that there are potentially tens of thousands of people receiving a lower state pension than they should be. HMRC is therefore working with the DWP and urging individuals who may be affected to check whether they can make a claim to update their NI record.
Related Topics
-
Taking advantage of the employment allowance
If you’re worried about the cost to your business of the hike in employers’ NI from April 2025, the higher employment allowance (EA) might alleviate some of the pain. But will you qualify and are there any traps to avoid?
-
Welsh government increases charge on some residential property purchases
The Welsh government published its Budget for 2025/26 last week. This included a number of tax announcements. What are the key points?
-
Need extra cash? Borrow from your company tax free
As a company owner manager if you borrow cash from your company HMRC applies tax charges on you and your business. However, it’s possible to legitimately avoid these and benefit from a tax-free loan indefinitely. What’s involved?