WOMEN’S PENSIONS
SINCE our investigation two weeks ago MONEY MAIL has been bombarded with queries from women worried about their pensions. Here JAMES HOPEGOOD and SYLVIA MORRIS tackle some of their concerns and opposite JUSTIN HARPER speaks to the new man at the top who c
■ Q
I LOOK after my elderly mother
so do not go out to work. Can I claim National Insurance credits to boost my pension?
A.C. Manchester. ■ A
IF you are getting Carer’s
Allowance you automatically get credited with National Insurance contributions. If not, you may need to claim Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP). But this applies only if your mother has a long-term illness or disability and you look after her for at least 35 hours a week.
You can claim it only if your mother gets Attendance Allowance, Constant Allowance or the highest or middle- rate care component of Disability Living Allowance for at least 48 weeks in the tax year. Married women and widows cannot get HRP for any tax year in which they have chosen to pay reduced rate National Insurance contributions.
If you are getting HRP, only a maximum of 19 years can count towards basic state pension for women. But there is no limit on the number of years of credits with Carer’s Allowance. ■ Q
HOW can I build up my state
pension if I do not qualify for Home Responsibilities Protection?
A. R., Watford, Herts. ■ A
AGAIN you can pay
voluntary Class 3 National Insurance Contributions. You can pay these if you don’t pay other National Insurance contributions and are not eligible for credits . But this does not apply if you have been paying the married women’s reduced stamp — once again you
contributions, currently £7.35 a are locked out. You cannot go
week. Contact HMRC’s National back for periods of more than six
Insurance Contributions Office years ago.
(NICO) which will send you a form ■ Q
I AM having a baby next year
to complete.
and plan to take a couple of
You can go back up to six years years off work. How can I protect my
and pay class 3 contributions at National Insurance contribution
those years’ rates. Contact NICO record?
on 0845 915 5996 or write to NICO,
Benton Park View, Newcastle Upon
C. B., London.
Tyne, NE9 1NG. ■ A
IF YOU are entitled to
■ Q
maternity allowance or
WHEN my husband reached 65, statutory maternity pay you will
I qualified for a pension based get National Insurance credits. You
on his National Insurance also get these credits automatically
contributions, but lost the £16 a week if you receive child benefit. These
which I was getting in my own right. credits will fill any gap in your
Is this right? contribution record.
M. F, Birmingham . ■ Q
■ A
I THINK I can pay voluntary
National Insurance
UNFORTUNATELY yes. The contributions to protect my basic
Department of Work and
Pensions says a married woman state pension. How do I do this?
with a basic pension less than the
N. C., Harrogate, North Yorks.
full amount at 60 can claim on her ■ A
IF this is the case you will pay
husband’s contributions when he
class 3 National Insurance
retires at 65 and add this to the state pension she received from age 60. But if you do this, the total cannot be more than the amount you get from your husband’s contributions. In other words, you can have one or the other. ■ Q
WHERE can I find out how
much state pension I am going to get?
U.M., Kendal, Cumbria. ■ A
THE Future Pension
Centre, which is part of the Department for Work and Pensions, can tell you how much you are in line to get.
Call on 0845 3000 168 between 8am and 8pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 1 pm on Saturday.
Or write to State Pension Forecasting Team, Future Pension Centre, The Pension Service, Tyneview Park, Whitley Rd, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE98 1BA, or alternatively log on to www.thepensionservice.gov.uk.