Boost Your State Pension Whilst Looking After Your Grandchildren

Thousands of grandparents that are caring for their grandchildren are missing out on National Insurance (NI) credits that can boost their state pension by thousands of pounds.

This little known scheme is available to working-age grandparents looking after grandchildren that are under 12 years old. Officially known as ‘Specified Adult Childcare’ credits; the scheme works by allowing mothers who are going back to work after the birth of their child to sign a form allowing a grandparent or other family member to receive NI credits for looking after their child.

Many working-age grandparents are missing out on a proportion of their state pension because of gaps in their NI record due to looking after their grandchildren, instead of doing paid work. Just a year of not working can cost grandparents £231 per year of their state pension.

This scheme enables grandparents who are helping their children go back to work or those looking after their grandchildren in school holidays, get more than just quality time with their grandchildren.

It is predicted that over 200,000 grandparents are missing out on the scheme. If you would like further information or help with the application process, contact neill@raffingers.co.uk.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/money/2017/jan/18/grandparents-childcare-miss-tax-credits-boost-state-pension