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Caring for someone

Caring for someone

Caring and your pension

If you are on a low income or unable to work because you're caring for someone, you may be concerned about how this will affect your State Pension.

State Pension

The State Pension is made up of two parts - a flat-rate basic pension and an earnings-related additional pension, also called the State Second Pension.

Your entitlement to State Pension is based on the number of 'qualifying years', which are tax years in which you have paid, are treated as having paid or are credited with National Insurance contributions.

The number of qualifying years you normally need to qualify for a full basic State Pension is equal to about 90 per cent of your working life. This is calculated from the start of the tax year in which you reach 16 to the end of the tax year before the one in which you reach State Pension age.

State Second Pension

If you don't earn enough to pay National Insurance contributions, you can still build up an entitlement to State Second Pension (also known as additional State Pension) if:

  • you qualify for Home Responsibilities Protection, or
  • you're entitled to Carer's Allowance, even if you don't receive it because you get another benefit at the same or a higher rate
  • you get Child Benefit for a child under the age of six

Home Responsibilities Protection

Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) can protect your right to State Pension if you are caring for someone and you don't have enough National Insurance contributions or credits in a particular tax year. 

You should get HRP automatically if throughout a complete tax year:

  • you get Income Support and you don't need to register for work because you're caring for someone who is sick or disabled, or
  • you are paid Child Benefit for a child under 16

If you're looking after someone who is sick or disabled and you don't get Income Support or Child Benefit, you will need to apply for each tax year in which you need HRP. If you're entitled to Carer's Allowance, you'll be credited with National Insurance contributions automatically and will not need HRP.

Carer's Allowance and National Insurance contributions

For each week you receive Carer's Allowance you will normally get a National Insurance (NI) contribution credited to your NI record, unless you are a woman who has chosen to pay reduced rate NI contributions.

You will also normally be credited with an NI contribution for any week you are entitled to Carer's Allowance but it is not paid because you are also getting Widow's Benefit or Bereavement Benefits at the same or a higher weekly rate.

Receiving Carer's Allowance and State Pension

If you're receiving Carer's Allowance and you start receiving State Pension at a higher rate than Carer's Allowance, you may stop receiving Carer's Allowance but continue to have an 'underlying entitlement' to it. For more on this, see 'Carer's Allowance - effect on other benefits and entitlements'.

Pension Credit

Pension Credit is an entitlement for people aged 60 and over who are living in Great Britain. It could top up your weekly income to a guaranteed minimum level. If you are aged 65 or over and have saved towards your retirement you could receive extra money on top of this. 

You may also get extra money if you or your partner - if you have one - have caring responsibilities, are severely disabled or have housing costs, like a mortgage for example. 

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