Slight Panic- Benefits

Just wanted to make sure I understand everything before we send the form off and there is no going back....

My husband is a UKC and my son is a dual USC/UKC. My husband filled out the Child Benefit form and wants to send it off. He can claim it for our son as he is the UKC, correct? He filled out that I am not eligible for public funds and the claim would be in his name only. Do I have that right??

Just wanted to make sure I understand everything before we send the form off and there is no going back....

My husband is a UKC and my son is a dual USC/UKC. My husband filled out the Child Benefit form and wants to send it off. He can claim it for our son as he is the UKC, correct? He filled out that I am not eligible for public funds and the claim would be in his name only. Do I have that right??

Yes. Just make sure that the claim is in the British citizens name only (your husband). It's a public fund that you must not claim. Your husband is allowed to claim benefits.

The only reason they are asking for your details is because Child Beneift has been made an income based benefit (not everyone gets this now). If you earned 50k+, this would affect your partner's CB claim and you would then have to complete a yearly SA. HMRC handle Child Beneift claims and they check your earnings using their new(ish) Real Time system
https://www.gov.uk/child-benefit/overview

OK, that's what I thought. I'm not working and his salary isn't over 50K so we should be fine. The claim is definitely only in his name. They make it pretty clear only one parent at a time can claim it so we should be okay.

OK, that's what I thought. I'm not working and his salary isn't over 50K so we should be fine.

When you get ILR, if you aren't working then or are not earning enough to pay your NICs, put the Child Benefit in your name as it will give you a credit towards the UK state pension. The UK state pension is based on our own contributions.

Child Benefit and your State Pension

If your child is under 12 and you’re not working or don’t earn enough to pay National Insurance contributions, Child Benefit can help you qualify for National Insurance credits.

These credits count towards your State Pension. They protect it by making sure you don’t have gaps in your National Insurance record.
https://www.gov.uk/child-benefit/what-youll-get

do I start to qualify for a state pension from the time I started working or only from the time I get IRL or citizenship?

do I start to qualify for a state pension from the time I started working or only from the time I get IRL or citizenship?

The UK state pension it is nothing to do with settlement (ILR) or holding British citizenship. It is based solely on those who have contributed to the UK over the years, or those who have claimed certain UK benefits for a while. i.e. Child Benefit. There is no more piggy-backing allowed for a UK state pension (being given a 60% state pension based on the contributions of a partner, or ex spouse).

If you are earning enough to pay NICs, then you are already working towards a UK state pension.   

If you are working for an employer (PAYE - pay as you earn) you will be paying Type 1 NICs.

Type 1 NICs would allow you to claim Contribution Based JSA (job seeker's allowance) if you lost your job, or Contibution based ESA if you were too sick to work for a while, as long as you have contributed in the  previous two relevant tax years. Contribution based benefits are not public funds and you could claim these even though you didn't have ILR. These benefits are solely for those who have been contributing to the UK and they ignore the salary of their partner or any savings they have, but are usually time limited. They are a temporary help for those who have been contributing to the UK.

The UK has 4 types of NICs, Type 1, 2, 3 and 4 but they don't all give the same things. This chart shows what they each allow.
https://www.gov.uk/national-insurance/what-national-insurance-is-for


Type 2 and 4 are for the self employed. but Type 2 is ending and Type 4 is changing.
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-abolishing-class-2-national-insurance-and-introducing-a-contributory-benefit-test-to-class-4-national-insurance-for-the-self-employed/the-abolition-of-class-2-national-insurance-introducing-a-benefit-test-into-class-4-national-insurance-for-the-self-employed


And that National Insurance Number you have is called a NINo (knee-no)

Brilliant! Thanks for this! Here for good so just need to plan for the next 50 years hopefully.