Carers: National Insurance Contributions

Mr. Harper
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate her Department has made of the number of people in receipt of carer's allowance who may have recourse to national insurance contribution credits in accordance with the provisions of the National Insurance Contribution Credits (Transfer of Functions) Order 2009; and what estimate she has made of the monetary value of such credits in 2009-10.

Jonathan Shaw
[holding answer 29 June 2009]: Since 1976, people receiving carer's allowance (formerly invalid care allowance) have normally been awarded National Insurance credits for weeks for which the allowance is paid unless they have a valid married women's election. The National Insurance Contributions Credits (Transfer of Functions) Order 2009 is an enabling instrument which allows HMRC to award and administer National Insurance credits on behalf of the Secretary of State. It does not provide for any new credits. However, it is anticipated that regulations will be introduced shortly which will extend the range of credits available for certain people engaged in caring from April 2010. These credits will have no monetary value in 2009-10 since they will not be available before 6 April 2010.