Millions of state pensioners could be missing out on £221 a week extra from DWP

Millions of state pensioners could be missing out on £221 a week extra from DWP
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


Millions of Brits could be missing out on an extra £221 a week from their Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ) State Pension. By claiming Carer’s Credit, you can protect your National Insurance record which contributes to your State Pension.

Carer’s Credit can be helpful if you’re not receiving Carer’s Allowance or if you’re not earning anything or taking a break from caring. You could also claim it if the person you care for does not receive particular benefits which would otherwise help cover your record.

You do not get paid any extra money if you claim Carer’s Credit. However this benefit helps to protect your pension rights. It is very useful if you are caring for someone but not paying National Insurance (NI) contributions through paid work and if you are unable to claim Carer's Allowance.

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If you claim Carer's Credit, rather than receiving a payment, you get a NI contribution credit to help protect your record. If you already receive Carer's Allowance, you do not need to claim Carer's Credit as your pension is already protected. For each week that you receive Carer’s Allowance, you get a Class 1 NI credit to help protect your record. Over time, this will help to build up your pension.

You could benefit from Carer's Credit if you care for one or more people for 20 hours or more a week but miss out on Carer's Allowance because you don't care for any one of them for 35 hours or more a week, where there is more than one of you caring for someone, and someone else is getting the Carer's Allowance for that person, if you care for someone who can't or refuses to claim disability benefits, or if the disability benefits of the person you are caring for have stopped due to them being in hospital or residential care or if you are within 12 weeks of claiming Carer's Allowance and/or within 12 weeks of your claim for Carer's Allowance stopping.

The person you are looking after must normally be getting one of the following: the middle or the higher rate of the care component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA), the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) (at either rate) , Attendance Allowance (at either rate) or Constant Attendance Allowance or Armed Forces Independence Payment (AFIP).

If the person you’re caring for doesn’t get one of these benefits, you may still be able to claim Carer’s Credit. When you apply, fill in the Care Certificate part of the application form and ask a health or social care professional to sign it.

As mentioned, to claim Carer’s Credit you need to be looking after someone for a total of 20 hours or more a week, but see below for the rules on breaks in care.