You may be able to get National Insurance credits if you鈥檙e not paying National Insurance, for example when you鈥檙e claiming benefits because you鈥檙e ill or unemployed. This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg) . Credits can help to fill gaps in your National Insurance record, to make sure you qualify for certain benefits including the State Pension. Check your National Insurance record for gaps. Get credits Check if you鈥檙e eligible for credits - you鈥檒l either get them automatically or you鈥檒l have to apply for them. You get one of these types of credits if you鈥檙e eligible: Class 1 - these count towards your State Pension and may help you qualify for some other benefits, for example New Style Jobseeker鈥檚 Allowance Class 3 - these count towards your State Pension only You can transfer your credits that you got from registering for Child Benefit to your spouse or partner who is living with you if you have paid a year鈥檚 National Insurance contributions (called a 鈥� qualifying year 鈥� for State Pension). Check your credits Check your National Insurance record to find out if you have credits. If you applied for credits but they鈥檙e wrong on your record, contact the office where you applied. Ask HMRC online if you have questions about National Insurance credits. You can phone the National Insurance helpline if you cannot ask HMRC online. If you disagree with a National Insurance credit decision You can challenge a decision about your National Insurance credits. This is called asking for mandatory reconsideration.

This guide shows if you might be eligible for National Insurance credits, for example if you鈥檙e on Working Tax Credit, Universal Credit or Carer鈥檚 Allowance. Looking for work Your situation How to get credits You鈥檙e on Jobseeker鈥檚 Allowance and not in education or working 16 hours or more a week You get Class 1 credits automatically You鈥檙e unemployed and looking for work, but not on Jobseeker鈥檚 Allowance Contact your local Jobcentre to claim Class 1 credits Ill, disabled or on sick pay Your situation How to get credits You鈥檙e on Employment and Support Allowance ( ESA ), or Unemployability Supplement or Allowance You get Class 1 credits automatically You鈥檙e not on Employment and Support Allowance but you satisfy the conditions for it Apply for New Style ESA to get Class 1 credits You鈥檙e on Statutory Sick Pay and you do not earn enough to make a qualifying year Apply for Class 1 credits. Write to: PT Operations North East England, HM Revenue and Customs, BX9 1AN, United Kingdom. Include your National Insurance number and say when the credits are for and why you鈥檙e eligible On maternity, paternity or adoption pay Your situation How to get credits You鈥檙e on Maternity Allowance You get Class 1 credits automatically You鈥檙e on Statutory Maternity, Paternity or Adoption Pay, or Additional Statutory Paternity Pay, and you do not earn enough to make a qualifying year Apply for Class 1 credits. Write to: PT Operations North East England, HM Revenue and Customs, BX9 1AN, United Kingdom. Include your National Insurance number and say when the credits are for and why you鈥檙e eligible Parents and guardians Your situation on or after 6 April 2010 How to get credits You鈥檙e a parent or guardian registered for Child Benefit for a child under 12 (even if you do not receive it) You get Class 3 credits automatically You want to transfer credits from a spouse or partner who got Child Benefit for a child under 12 Apply to transfer Class 3 credits between parents or guardians You鈥檙e a foster carer, or a kinship carer in Scotland Apply for Class 3 credits Your situation before 6 April 2010 How to get credits You鈥檙e a parent or guardian who got Child Benefit for a child under 16 between 6 April 1978 and 5 April 2010, but you did not get Home Responsibilities Protection ( HRP ) automatically Claim HRP to get Class 3 credits You want to transfer credits from a spouse or partner who got Child Benefit for a child under 16 Apply to transfer HRP between parents or guardians to get Class 3 credits You were a foster carer, or a kinship carer in Scotland, between 6 April 2003 and 5 April 2010 Claim HRP to get Class 3 credits Carers Your situation How to get credits You鈥檙e getting Carer鈥檚 Allowance payments or (in Scotland only) Carer Support Payment You get Class 1 credits automatically You鈥檙e on Income Support and providing regular and substantial care You get Class 3 credits automatically You鈥檙e caring for one or more sick or disabled person for at least 20 hours a week Apply for Class 3 carer鈥檚 credits if you鈥檙e not on Carer鈥檚 Allowance, Carer Support Payment or Income Support Grandparents and other family members caring for a child You can apply for Specified Adult Childcare Class 3 credits if all the following apply: you鈥檙e an eligible family member over 16 but under State Pension age you鈥檝e cared for a child under 12 at any time since 6 April 2011 and the child鈥檚 parent or guardian gets Child Benefit and agrees to transfer the credits to you On Working Tax Credit Your situation How to get credits You get Working Tax Credit with a disability premium and you are an employed earner with earnings below the Lower Earnings Limit (currently 拢6,396 per a tax year) or have profits of less than 拢6,725 if you鈥檙e self-employed You may get Class 1 credits automatically. Check your National Insurance record to see if you鈥檝e been given credits You get Working Tax Credit without a disability premium and you are an employed earner with earnings below the Lower Earnings Limit (currently 拢6,396 per a tax year) or have profits of less than 拢6,725 if you鈥檙e self-employed You may get Class 3 credits automatically. Check your National Insurance record to see if you鈥檝e been given credits You and your partner get Working Tax Credit - only one of you will get Class 3 credits You may get Class 3 credits automatically. Check your National Insurance record to see if you鈥檝e been given credits On Universal Credit If you receive Universal Credit, you get Class 3 credits automatically. On a training course Your situation How to get credits You鈥檙e over 18 and Jobcentre Plus sent you on a government-approved training course that lasts no longer than 1 year You get Class 1 credits automatically You鈥檙e over 18 and on a government-approved training course that lasts no longer than 1 year but you were not sent by Jobcentre Plus Apply for Class 1 credits. Write to: PT Operations North East England, HM Revenue and Customs, BX9 1AN, United Kingdom. Include your National Insurance number and say when the credits are for and why you鈥檙e eligible On jury service If you鈥檝e attended court and you鈥檙e not self-employed, you can write to HMRC to apply for Class 1 credits. Include your National Insurance number and say when the credits are for and why you鈥檙e eligible. PT Operations North East England HM Revenue and Customs BX9 1AN United Kingdom Partners of people in armed forces Your situation How to get credits You鈥檙e married to or a civil partner of a member of the armed forces, went with your partner on an overseas posting after 6 April 2010, and are returning to the UK Apply for Class 1 credits You鈥檙e married to or a civil partner of a member of the armed forces, went with your partner on an overseas posting after 6 April 1975, reach state pension age on or after 6 April 2016, and are not getting Class 1 credits Apply for Class 3 credits Wrongly imprisoned If your conviction was quashed by the Court of Appeal (or the Court of Criminal Appeal in Scotland) you can apply for Class 1 credits. Write to HMRC and include your National Insurance number and say when the credits are for and why you鈥檙e eligible. PT Operations North East England HM Revenue and Customs BX9 1AN United Kingdom Who cannot get credits You cannot usually get credits if you鈥檙e a married woman paying reduced rate National Insurance .

National Insurance credits: Overview

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National Insurance credits

Overview

You may be able to get National Insurance credits if you鈥檙e not paying National Insurance, for example when you鈥檙e claiming benefits because you鈥檙e ill or unemployed.

This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).

Credits can help to fill gaps in your National Insurance record, to make sure you qualify for certain benefits including the State Pension.

Check your National Insurance record for gaps.

Get credits

Check if you鈥檙e eligible for credits - you鈥檒l either get them automatically or you鈥檒l have to apply for them.

You get one of these types of credits if you鈥檙e eligible:

Class 1 - these count towards your State Pension and may help you qualify for some other benefits, for example New Style Jobseeker鈥檚 Allowance
Class 3 - these count towards your State Pension only

You can transfer your credits that you got from registering for Child Benefit to your spouse or partner who is living with you if you have paid a year鈥檚 National Insurance contributions (called a 鈥�qualifying year鈥� for State Pension).

Check your credits

Check your National Insurance record to find out if you have credits. If you applied for credits but they鈥檙e wrong on your record, contact the office where you applied.

if you have questions about National Insurance credits. You can phone the National Insurance helpline if you cannot ask HMRC online.

If you disagree with a National Insurance credit decision

You can challenge a decision about your National Insurance credits. This is called asking for mandatory reconsideration.

View a printable version of the whole guide

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National Insurance credits

Overview

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Check your credits

If you disagree with a National Insurance credit decision

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