National Insurance credits
Eligibility
This guide shows if you might be eligible for National Insurance credits, for example if you’re on Working Tax Credit, Universal Credit or Carer’s Allowance.
Looking for work
| Your situation | How to get credits |
|---|---|
| You’re on Jobseeker’s Allowance and not in education or working 16 hours or more a week | You get Class 1 credits automatically |
| You’re unemployed and looking for work, but not on Jobseeker’s Allowance | Contact your local Jobcentre to claim Class 1 credits |
Ill, disabled or on sick pay
| Your situation | How to get credits |
|---|---|
| You’re on Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), or Unemployability Supplement or Allowance | You get Class 1 credits automatically |
| You’re not on Employment and Support Allowance but you satisfy the conditions for it | Apply for New Style ESA to get Class 1 credits |
| You’re 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’re eligible |
On maternity, paternity or adoption pay
| Your situation | How to get credits |
|---|---|
| You’re on Maternity Allowance | You get Class 1 credits automatically |
| You’re 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’re eligible |
Parents and guardians
| Your situation on or after 6 April 2010 | How to get credits |
|---|---|
| You’re 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’re 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’re 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’re getting Carer’s Allowance payments or (in Scotland only) Carer Support Payment | You get Class 1 credits automatically |
| You’re on Income Support and providing regular and substantial care | You get Class 3 credits automatically |
| You’re caring for one or more sick or disabled person for at least 20 hours a week | Apply for Class 3 carer’s credits if you’re not on Carer’s 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’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
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 £6,396 per a tax year) or have profits of less than £6,725 if you’re self-employed | You may get Class 1 credits automatically. Check your National Insurance record to see if you’ve 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 £6,396 per a tax year) or have profits of less than £6,725 if you’re self-employed | You may get Class 3 credits automatically. Check your National Insurance record to see if you’ve 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’ve 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’re 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’re 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’re eligible |
On jury service
If you’ve attended court and you’re 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’re 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’re 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’re 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’re 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’re a married woman paying reduced rate National Insurance.