Protecting your right to state benefits when you have cancer

During periods when you’re off work sick or you’re claiming state benefits because you’re ill or disabled, you usually continue to get national insurance credits. But in other situations, you may have a gap in your record if, for example:

• you work but you’re earning less than £102 a week in 2011-12, unless you’re also claiming benefits such as working tax credit because your income is low - in that case, you’ll get national insurance credits
• you no longer qualify for sickness and disability benefits but decide to take an extended, unpaid break from working
• you take early retirement and you’ve not yet reached the qualifying age.

You could choose to pay voluntary national insurance contributions to plug the gap and protect your State Pension and bereavement benefits. But working out if this is worth doing is complicated, because you can have quite large gaps without any loss of pension or benefits.

For advice on how to pay voluntary national insurance contributions and finding out whether it would be worthwhile, contact the HMRC National Insurance Deficiency Notice Helpline on 0845 915 5996 or textphone 0845 915 3296.