Home Responsibilities ProtectionThe information given on this page is based on pensions legislation currently in operation in Northern Ireland. However, the Department has recently introduced a Pensions Bill to the Northern Ireland Assembly which contains proposals for reform corresponding to reforms made by the Pensions Act 2007 for Great Britain.
More information is available at The Pension Service  website. This explains more about the reforms introduced in Great Britain under the Act which became law on 26 July 2007 and which the Pensions Bill aims to replicate for Northern Ireland.
Home Responsibilities Protection reduces the number of qualifying years needed for a basic pension at the standard rate.
It is intended to protect the basic Retirement Pension for people who do not qualify for a pension because of caring responsibilities at home.
What is Home Responsibilities Protection?Home Responsibilities Protection is intended to protect the basic Retirement Pension of men and women whose working patterns do not enable them to establish qualifying years for pension purposes because of caring responsibilities at home.
Home Responsibilities Protection can also help protect entitlement to Bereavement Benefits for a spouse.
Home Responsibilities Protection reduces the number of qualifying years needed for a basic Pension at the standard rate.
For a full basic pension, Home Responsibilities Protection cannot reduce the required number of qualifying years to less than 20, except for Bereavement Benefits purposes.
Home Responsibilities Protection is available for complete tax years throughout which a person has been:
- awarded Child Benefit as the main payee for a child under 16; or
- receiving Income Support and who does not have to be available for work and is caring for someone who sick and disabled; or
- regularly engaged for at least 35 hours per week in caring for someone who, for a minimum of 48 weeks in the year, receives Attendance Allowance, or the highest or middle rate of Disability Living Allowance care component or Constant Attendance Allowance; or
- covered by a combination of these conditions;
- registered as a foster parent. Foster parents first became eligible for Home Responsibilities Protection from the 2003/2004 tax year.
If you get Carer's Allowance you will get National Insurance credits and will not usually need Home Responsibilities Protection.
Home Responsibilities Protection cannot be given to married women or widows for any tax year containing periods of reduced liability.
How to get Home Responsibilities ProtectionHome Responsibilities Protection is awarded automatically if entitlement conditions 1 and / or 2 apply for the whole tax year and there have been insufficient contributions paid or credited to make the year a qualifying year for pension purposes.
In any other case the person must make an application at the end of each tax year for which Home Responsibilities Protection is required. Applications should be made by completing the application form which is contained in Leaflet CF411, available from your local Social Security or Jobs and Benefits Office. Where the applicant is a foster parent evidence of registration throughout the complete tax year must accompany form CF411.
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