Home Responsibilities Protection

Home Responsibilities Protection is not a benefit, but a scheme which helps protect your basic Retirement Pension.

If you are unable to pay National Insurance contributions, or have not paid enough for any year because of caring responsibilities at home, you may be able to get Home Responsibilities Protection.

If you get Child Benefit in your name, you will usually get Home Responsibilities Protection automatically.

If you spend at least 35 hours a week looking after someone who is claiming Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance at the middle or highest rate for personal care, or Constant Attendance Allowance, you may be able to get Home Responsibilities Protection

If you get Income Support because you are caring for someone, you will usually get Home Responsibilities Protection automatically.

From April 2003, HRP is also available to registered foster parents. If you are not receiving Child Benefit and are not in paid work, or do not earn enough in a tax year for it to count towards the basic State Pension, you will need to apply for HRP. You will need to fill in form CF411 (included with leaflet CF411) and send it to Inland Revenue together with a letter of confirmation that you have been registered as a foster parent throughout the full 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 helps protect Bereavement Benefits for spouses.

If you are a woman, you cannot get Home Responsibilities Protection for any year you pay reduced National Insurance contributions.

You can get more information from leaflet CF411 - Home Responsibilities Protection (CF411). You can get this from your Social Security or Jobs & Benefits office.

Home Responsibilities Protection is usually awarded automatically if you have been awarded Child Benefit in your name and/or you are receiving Income Support because you are caring for someone, throughout the whole tax year, and you do not have sufficient 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 included with 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.

For your nearest Social Security or Jobs & Benefits office, look for the Social Security Agency display advert in the business numbers section of the phone book.

Filling in the form

Before you fill in your form, check that you are applying for everything you may be entitled to.

Proof of identity

It is important that we can be sure of your identity when you make a claim. We may need to ask you about your background and look at any official documents you have to support the information you give. This could be your original birth certificate, passport or other documents. You may need more than one.

If you are not sure about this, get leaflet GL25 "How to prove your identity" from your Social Security or Jobs & Benefits office.