Getting credits towards your State Pension
You may not be able to pay National Insurance, for example if you are ill or caring for someone. The government may give you credits so you can continue building up State Pension entitlement.
Protecting your State Pension with National Insurance credits
You may become entitled to some State Pension based on credits alone. Depending on your situation, your credits may also contribute to an additional State Pension.
There are different ways of getting credits. You often receive the credits automatically but in some cases you need to take action to get them.
You can find out more information on National Insurance credits
If you are in full-time training
If you are aged over 18 and in full-time training, you will get credits. This is provided the training is government approved and does not last longer than a year.
Government sponsored courses are approved automatically. This does not apply to university students.
These credits count towards State Pension only.
If the training course is government sponsored you do not need to take any action to get the credits. If it is not government sponsored, you will need to 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’re eligible
If you are caring for someone
You may get credits if you are:
- registered for Child Benefit for a child under 12
- a registered foster carer
- caring for one or more sick or disabled people for at least 20 hours a week
These credits count towards State Pension.
You do not normally need to take any action if you are already claiming:
- Carer's Allowance
- Child Benefit for a child under 12
If the above does not apply, you need to apply for the credits.
You can find out more information on Caring and your pension
Home Responsibilities Protection
Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) was a scheme to help protect parents' and carers' State Pension. It was replaced with National Insurance credits for parents and carers.
You may still be able to apply for HRP if, for full tax years (6 April to 5 April) between 1978 and 2010, you were either:
- sharing the care of a child under 16 with a partner you lived with and they claimed Child Benefit instead of you - you may be able to transfer their HRP
- caring for a sick or disabled person
You can also apply if, for a full tax year between 2003 and 2010, you were either:
- a foster carer
- caring for a friend or family member’s child (‘kinship carer’) in Scotland
Learn more about Home Responsibilities Protection.
Family members caring for a child under 12
You can apply for Specified Adult Childcare Class 3 credits if all the following apply:
- you’re an eligible family member over 16 but under State Pension age
- you’ve cared for a child under 12 at any time since 6 April 2011 and the child’s parent or guardian gets Child Benefit and agrees to transfer the credits to you
To find out if you're eligible for the credits, you can view or download:
To apply for Specific Adult Childcare credits, you can view or download:
How to apply for Carer’s Credit
You can request an application pack by telephone from:
You can also view or download a Carer's Credit claim form (CC1), guidance notes and care certificate
Fill in the application form and include any Care Certificates you need to support your application.
Carers can apply for Carer's Credit up to the end of the tax year following the tax year when caring took place.
If you are unemployed and looking for work
If you are unemployed and looking for work you can get credits. That's provided you are available for and actively searching for work but not in education or doing paid work for 16 hours or more a week.
These credits count towards State Pension.
If you have an illness, disability or on maternity leave
If you are unable to work because of illness, disability or maternity, you can get credits. You need to be claiming one of the following:
- Employment and Support Allowance
- Maternity Allowance
- Statutory Sick Pay
- unemployability Supplement or Allowance
This entitles you to State Pension. Depending on which benefit you are claiming, you may need to take action to get credits.
If you are getting Universal Credit
You will receive credits automatically.
Spouses of members of His Majesty's forces
Class 1 credits for postings after 6 April 2010
Apply for Class 1 credits if both of the following apply to you:
- you're married to or the civil partner of a member of the armed forces
- you went with them on an overseas posting after 6 April 2010 and are returning to the UK
Class 3 credits for postings after 6 April 1975
Apply for Class 3 credits if all the following apply to you:
- you're married to or a civil partner of a member of the armed forces
- you went with your partner on an overseas posting after 6 April 1975
- you reach state pension age on or after 6 April 2016
- are not getting Class 1 credits
Learn more about National Insurance credits for partners of armed forces personnel overseas.