1<\/p>\n Thousands of grandparents could easily boost their state pensionCredit: Getty<\/p>\n Specified Adult Childcare credits are a type of National Insurance credit that can help you qualify for the full state pension<\/a>.<\/p>\n They can be claimed when a parent who receives child benefit<\/a> is paying National Insurance<\/a> and can work because another family member is looking after their child.<\/p>\n The child must be aged under 12.<\/p>\n This does not need to be full-time care and can include picking up a child from school or looking after them during the school holidays<\/a>.<\/p>\n Anyone with gaps in their National Insurance<\/a> record can claim the credits to help them qualify for the full state pension.<\/p>\n You need 35 years of National Insurance contributions to get the full new state pension<\/a>, which is worth \u00a3230.25 a week.<\/p>\n But only 104,433 people have successfully claimed the credits in the past five years, according to exclusive data from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) obtained by wealth manager Quilter.<\/p>\n Just 42,962 people applied for the credits last year, even though 78% of applications are successful.<\/p>\n Jon Greer, head of retirement policy at Quilter, said awareness of the credits \u201cremains far too low\u201d.<\/p>\n He added: \u201cMany eligible grandparents could be missing out on thousands of pounds simply because they don\u2019t realise they qualify or how to apply.\u00a0<\/p>\n How to track down lost pensions worth \u00a31,000s<\/p>\n \u201cWe would welcome a renewed effort by the government to raise awareness of these credits, particularly among lower-income families and communities where gaps in NI records are more common.\u201d<\/p>\n Every year of transferred credit will boost your state pension by \u00a3330 a year.<\/p>\n This could add nearly \u00a36,600 to the value of your state pension over the course of a 20 year retirement.<\/p>\n You can also backdate your claim to 2011, when the credits were introduced.<\/p>\n What are the different types of pensions?<\/p>\n WE round-up the main types of pension and how they differ:<\/p>\n Am I eligible?<\/strong><\/p>\n To qualify you must be an eligible family member, such as a grandparent, aunt, uncle or older sibling.<\/p>\n You need to be below the state pension age, which is currently 66.<\/p>\n There is no minimum number of hours you need to look after a child to qualify, so you should be able to claim even if you care for them just one day a week.<\/p>\n Only one credit is available per claim, regardless of how many children you are looking after.<\/p>\n For example, if you look after two of your grandchildren who live in the same household then you can only claim one credit.<\/p>\n How do I claim?<\/strong><\/p>\n You need to wait until October 31 to apply for the current tax year.<\/p>\n This is because HMRC<\/a> needs to check that the parent or main carer already has a qualifying year of National Insurance.<\/p>\n They should check their National Insurance record to make sure they have credits they can transfer.<\/p>\n Parents and carers can check their National Insurance record on the gov.uk<\/a> website.<\/p>\n Before you apply for the credits you will need the child\u2019s details and a record of the periods when you provided care for them.<\/p>\n You will also need the contact details of the child\u2019s parent or main carer who receives the child benefit.<\/p>\n Both you and the person who receives the child benefit must sign a declaration on the application form.<\/p>\n You then need to complete the CA9176 form online.<\/p>\n How does the state pension work?<\/p>\n AT the moment the current state pension is paid to both men and women from age 66 – but it’s due to rise to 67 by 2028 and 68 by 2046.<\/p>\n The state pension is a recurring payment from the government most Brits start getting when they reach State Pension<\/a> age.<\/p>\n But not everyone gets the same amount, and you are awarded depending on your National Insurance<\/a> record.<\/p>\n For most pensioners, it forms only part of their retirement income<\/a>, as they could have other pots from a workplace pension, earning and savings.\u00a0<\/p>\n The new state pension<\/a> is based on people’s National Insurance records.<\/p>\n Workers must have 35 qualifying years of National Insurance to get the maximum amount of the new state pension.<\/p>\n You earn National Insurance qualifying years through work, or by getting credits, for instance when you are looking after children and claiming child benefit<\/a>. <\/p>\n If you have gaps, you can top up your record by paying in voluntary National Insurance contributions.\u00a0<\/p>\n To get the old, full basic state pension, you will need 30 years of contributions or credits.\u00a0<\/p>\n You will need at least 10 years on your NI record to get any state pension.\u00a0<\/p>\n You cannot save your progress, so ensure you have all the information to hand before you get started.<\/p>\n You will then need to print and send the form to HMRC using the postal address on the application.<\/p>\n Once you have sent the form you can check when you should expect to receive a reply online.<\/p>\n For more information visit gov.uk\/guidance\/apply-for-specified-adult-childcare-credits<\/a>.<\/p>\n How can I make sure my application is approved?<\/strong><\/p>\n Around 9,289 applications were rejected last year, according to official figures.<\/p>\n Most applications are declined for one of two reasons.<\/p>\n The first is that the person claiming already has a qualifying year of National Insurance, for example if they are working or receiving other credits.<\/p>\n Or they could be receiving child benefit for the child themselves, so the National Insurance credits are applied automatically.<\/p>\n Errors on the application can also cause it to be rejected.<\/p>\n Double check your form for mistakes before you submit it to avoid being caught out.<\/p>\n Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n![\"Shot](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/shot-little-girl-grandmother-enjoying-914218334.jpg\")
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These so-called defined contribution (DC) pensions are usually chosen by your employer and you won’t be able to change it. Minimum contributions are 8%, with employees paying 5% (1% in tax relief) and employers contributing 3%. <\/li>\n