People such as unpaid carers who are at risk of not receiving the full amount they may be entitled to could be able to increase their state pension payments. To qualify for the full new state pension, recipients must be of state pension age and usually have 35 years of National Insurance contributions.
Unpaid carers with gaps in their National Insurance record could boost state pension payments by getting Carer’s Credit.
This is available for people who look after someone for at least 20 hours a week.
People who are eligible can continue with their caring responsibilities without being worried about how it will affect their state pension payments.
It should be noted that a carer’s income, savings or investments does not impact their eligibility for Carer’s Credit.
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Anyone who chooses to have a break from their caring responsibilities can still get Carer’s Credit but only up to 12 weeks in a row.
They can still be eligible for the benefit for 12 weeks even if they go on a short holiday or have to go to the hospital.
Claimants must be 16 or over but under the state pension age, which is currently 66 to qualify.
The person they’re looking after must get one of the following:
- Disability Living Allowance care component at the middle or highest rate
- Attendance Allowance
- Constant Attendance Allowance
- Personal Independence Payment daily living part
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
- Child Disability Payment (CDP) care component at the middle or highest rate
- Adult Disability Payment daily living component at the standard or enhanced rate.
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If the person they’re caring for does not get one of these benefits, people may still be able to get Carer’s Credit.
When they apply, they should fill in the ‘Care Certificate’ part of the application form and get a health or social care professional to sign it.
Carers who do not qualify for Carer’s Allowance may qualify for Carer’s Credit.
Individuals do not need to apply for Carer’s Credit if they get Carer’s Allowance as they’ll automatically get credits.
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Additionally, they don’t need to apply if they get Child Benefit for a child under the age of 12 as they will also automatically get credits.
Lastly, people don’t need to claim if they are a foster carer as they can apply for National Insurance credits instead.
Olivia Kennedy, a financial planner at Quilter explained that carers play an essential role in propping up this country so it’s important that they claim what they are entitled to.
She said: “It is only right that they at the very least receive a Pension Credit in return.
“But, despite the pandemic increasing the amount of people requiring care, the number of people applying for the credit continues to lag pre-pandemic levels.
“Unfortunately, many people fail to see themselves as carers and fail to apply for Carer’s Credit.
“Failing to do so can have a disastrous impact on someone’s financial wellbeing as many people begin being a carer later on in life and might need the credits to get the full state pension.”
For more information about Carer’s Credit, people can visit the Government website.
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