The NI credit can only be transferred to one person and there is only one NI credit available per child benefit claimant. For example, if 2 grandparents are caring for their daughter’s 2 children, there is only one credit available for transfer and the Child Benefit recipient must decide who should have the credit. However, if the grandparents are caring for their daughter’s child and their son’s child, there are likely to be 2 Child Benefit recipients and therefore 2 credits available for transfer.

Specified Adult Childcare credits help to build up your National Insurance contributions. This means:

• you will receive a Class 3 NI credit for each week or part week you cared for the child (Class 3 NI credits help to build entitlement to the State Pension and, until April 2017, certain bereavement benefits)
  
  

• it can help to stop gaps in your National Insurance record

You should not apply for Specified Adult Childcare credits if you:

• already have a qualifying year of National Insurance – usually because you work or receive other NI credits (you can check your National Insurance record online to see if you have any gaps in contributions)

• are receiving Child Benefit for the child – you already get Parent’s credits automatically

• are the partner of, and live with, the Child Benefit recipient and you want to transfer the Parent’s credits from your spouse or partner to yourself – you apply to do this on form CF411A

You can apply for Specified Adult Childcare credits if:

• you are a grandparent, or other family member caring for a child under 12

• you were over 16, and under state pension age when you cared for the child

• you are ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom, meaning England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, but not the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man

• the child’s parent (or main carer) is entitled to Child Benefit and has a qualifying year for National Insurance without needing the parent’s class 3 NI credits which they receive automatically from Child Benefit (they can check their National Insurance record online to see if they have any gaps in contributions)

• the child’s parent (or main carer) agrees to your application by countersigning the form to confirm that:

  • • • you cared for their child for the period stated

      • you can have the Class 3 NI credit for the period stated

If you look after a relative under age 12:

1. Mother or father who does not live with the child (‘non-resident parent’) 

2. Grandparent, great-grandparent or great-great-grandparent 

3. Brother or sister

4. Aunt or uncle

5. Husband or wife or former husband or wife of anyone in 1 to 4

6. Civil partner or former civil partner of anyone in 1 to 4

7. Partner or former partner of anyone in 1 to 6

8. Son or daughter of anyone in 5 to 7

9. In respect of the son or daughter of anyone in 4, that person’s:

• husband or wife or former husband or wife

• civil partner or former civil partner, or

• partner or former partner

For 3 (in relation to the child) and for 4 (in relation to the parent) include:

• a half-brother or half-sister

• step-brother or step-sister

• an adopted brother or an adopted sister

For 7, a partner is the other member of a couple consisting of:

• a man and woman who are not married to each other but are living together as husband and wife, or

• two people of the same sex who are not civil partners of each other but are living together as if they were civil partners

To apply for Specified Adult Childcare credits you will need to complete an application form. The application requires the:

• personal details of the applicant – the family member caring for the child

• child’s details and the periods of care

• personal details of the child’s parent (or main carer) – the Child Benefit recipient

• applicant and the parent must both sign their declarations on the application

When to apply

Specified Adult Childcare credits can be awarded retrospectively, to 6 April 2011 at the earliest.

Applications cannot be accepted for a particular tax year until the following October at the earliest. For example, for the tax year 2018 to 2019 applications must not be made until October 2019. This is because HRMC need to check the parent already has a qualifying year for National Insurance purposes, and that can take until the October.

Call the helpline with any questions about Specified Adult Childcare credits.

National Insurance Helpline

T: 0300 200 3500

Textphone: 0300 200 3519

Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm, Saturday, 8am to 4pm