Claims for Specified Adult Childcare can be backdated to April 6, 2011. Older people providing care during term-time or summer school holidays for children under the age of 12 may be able to boost State Pension payments by more than £6,000 over a typical 20-year retirement period by claiming a National Insurance perk from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). A single extra National Insurance credit currently adds around £303-a-year on to the full, New State Pension.
The State Pension top-up is known as Specified Adult Childcare and works by transferring the National Insurance credit attached to Child Benefit from the Child Benefit recipient to a family member who is providing care for a related child under 12, or 17 if they have a disability. You will receive a Class 3 National Insurance credit for each week or part week you provided care for the child, but there is only one credit available for each Child Benefit claim - no matter how many children are on the claim itself. For example, if two grandparents provided care for their daughter’s two children, there is only one credit available for transfer and the Child Benefit recipient must decide who should have the credit.
However, if the grandparent’s also have a son and provide care for their daughter’s child and their son’s child, there are likely to be two Child Benefit recipients and therefore, two credits are available for transfer. If no one has claimed Child Benefit for the child there is no attached National Insur.