Overview
- New figures show 19,621 successful claims in the past year, with 5,220 applications rejected and just over 109,000 approvals since 2011.
- Credits are available when a parent receives Child Benefit and pays National Insurance, for childcare provided by relatives such as grandparents, aunts, uncles or older siblings for children under 12.
- Each credited year adds £330 to the state pension, worth roughly £6,600 over a 20-year retirement, and the full new state pension is currently £230.25 a week with 35 qualifying years.
- Applications use HMRC form CA9176, require declarations from both the carer and the Child Benefit recipient, can be submitted online or by post, and can be tracked digitally.
- Claims can be backdated to 2011, while applications for the current tax year should wait until 31 October so the parent secures a qualifying NI year.