UK. 140,000 carers miss out on £240-a-year boost to state pension
More than 140,000 carers could be missing out on hundreds of pounds a year in retirement as they have failed to take advantage of a government scheme to protect their state pension.
Those who spend more than 35 hours a week caring for someone, even a relative, are automatically given National Insurance credits that preserve their right to a full state pension. Those who spend fewer hours as a carer must apply for credits, and it appears many are missing out.
When the system was introduced in 2010 the Department for Work & Pensions estimated that 160,000 carers could benefit, but figures released under the Freedom of Information Act show that just 3,524 people made a successful claim in 2016-17.
Source: The Guardian
