Tax

[WiccanKitten]

My father-in-law-to-be told me yesterday that as i don't work, money that would be being paid by my employer isn't being paid. It is apparently something called national insurance tax, and it goes towards covering me incase i need NHS hospital treatment at any point. He recons that at some point they will try to claim this money from me, as it is currently not being paid. Can anyone tell me any more about this please, I'd never heard anything about it before?
Has anyone been in a situation where they have not paid this, and have had a hefty bill later in life?

[kevb0444]

Hmm...Never come across that one before. I don't think they can....but you never know with this money grabbing government. Maybe they'll send you the bill for Mrs Blairs next hair cut.

[WiccanKitten]

hehehe! i wouldn't put it past them Kev.
I am aware that a certain amount of 'tax' goes to the NHS. Mark (F-I-L-T-B) says that because i have a national insurance card, they'll track me down!!! and apparently, thats why employers need your national insurance number. Sounds a little worrying doesn't it?!

[jon1968]

Hi Wiccan, If you�re not working and not �signing on the dole� then you won�t be credited for the relevant National Insurance contributions.
You�ll receive a letter sometime in the future asking you if you wish to bring your contributions up to date.
I work abroad a lot and have these letters all the time because I disappear from �the system� for months, sometimes years, on end. It�s up to you if you want to bring them up to date or not - you won�t be denied any treatment on the NHS but it may affect your state retirement pension (for what it�s going to be worth!).

I�d suggest you at least go to your job centre and �get your NI stamp' whilst you�re not working even if you don�t wish to claim unemployment benefits.
PS This is just my understanding, I�m not sure of the �legalese�!
J

[themas]

You say you don't work, then refer to money that would be paid by your employer. I assume you mean whoever employed you if you were working - not that you actually have an employer but are not working at the moment (for example, because of sickness).

I think you are referring to National Insurance Contributions. These have to be deducted from your pay by your employer and paid over to the Government, together with a contribution from the employer. The contributions build up an entitlement for you to benefits like Incapacity Benefit (if you are long term ill) and State Retirement Pension. They have nothing to do with NHS treatment, which is free.

If you are not working you do not have to pay these contributions and they cannot be demanded from you. However, you may be asked at some time whether you wish to pay them voluntarily so as to help build up your Retirement Pension entitlement.

[WiccanKitten]

Ahhhhh, that sounds about right Jon.....
(I have more questions!)

Is it right that Jobseekers Allowance and being on the dole are two different things?
It has been suggested to me that i claim jobseekers allowance, but i hear that involves travelling to the job centre once a week and providing evidence that you have been to interviews. (Seeing as i haven't been to interviews and can't travel up there each week, that seems a daft idea!)
Is the dole different to that?

In order to get the NI stamp, would i have to journey to the job centre every week, and does it cost?

Also, what exactly does 'the dole' pay you......and why?
I can understand that for people who phsically cannot work, it is a good idea.....But are you seriously saying that the government will pay me for deciding not to work?

[WiccanKitten]

Cheers Themas. Thats a relief.
(yes, what i meant to say was the money that WOULD be paid by my employer, were i actually working)

[Ethel]

The dole is just slang for jobseekers allowance.

While you are claiming this allowance you have certain obligations - you have already referred to some of these.

In return your National Insurance contribution is paid and kept up to date. This will entitle you to certain payments such as Incapacity Benefit (sick pay) and your old age pension.

What are you living on at the moment?

[jon1968]

Hi again Wiccan (what does that mean?)
�The dole� is just a colloquialism for claiming unemployment benefit in any form.
I don�t know how much you get, I think it depends on how old you are and if you have any dependents but to claim it you need to be looking for work.
I�m not sure how often you have to go but I think you can do it by post if you�re disabled or have to travel miles to get to the jobcentre.
It doesn�t cost anything to keep your NI contributions up to date if you�re not working, but you will have to �sign on� to have it credited whilst you�re unemployed.

And yes, our glorious Government will pay you to stay at home - but don�t get me started on that subject!!

Sorry I can�t be more help!

[WiccanKitten]

I'm living on my fiances income, Ethel. Bless his heart, he has the patience of a saint, and fortunately earns enough to mean that there is no need for me to work at the moment. I'm happy being a housewife, and will choose to be stay-home-mother at some point in the future.
I left work when my dad became ill, in order to help look after him. He is now hospitalised, but i have no wish, or plans to return to the rat-race!

Jon, you've been lots of help.
(("Wiccan" - Of or relating to Wicca and the Wiccan religion. alternatively, it is used to describe a believer or follower of Wicca.))
((.......which is a polytheistic Neo-Pagan nature religion inspired by various pre-Christian western European beliefs, whose central deity is a mother goddess and which includes the use of herbal magic and benign witchcraft.)) - Nothing whatsoever to do with basket-making!!

Many thanks to all of you, for all your help. xx

[Ethel]

As you are a 'kept woman' wiccan - you can make voluntary national insurance contributions - and I advise you very strongly to do this.

[jon1968]

Ahh I see!? I take it that you are the kitten in your name or do you have a pagan cat!!??!

Anyhoo, not sure how it works if you�re a housewife (or should that be housewiccan?) but I think the NI rules may be different, but I�d suggest you make some enquiries and as Ethel says try and keep it up to date if possible, it wont be muchper week if you're not working.

Sorry to be vague but my only experience of this is from when my Dad was made redundant and couldn�t claim any benefits and because I was paying my parents mortgage and bills etc (despite him having paid into the system all his life) and the only entitlement he had was to have his NI paid to keep it up to date.

[WiccanKitten]

Good idea Ethel, i shall look into that. Apparently, my fiance can opt to pay this via his employer. He is happy to do this, so we shall arrange that. :) xx

[WiccanKitten]

Both! I've only been on here a week, and AB is already full of posts that i have managed to squeeze the odd mention of my cats into!
Housewiccan - i like that!!!!! :) x

[jason1980]

Hi, I haven't read any of the replies in case its been mentioned.
When you work and you earn over �90 a deduction is made from your wages by your employer which is National Insurance (NI). Tax is called PAYE and is not anything to do with NI. As well as the tax you pay, employers have to contribute Employers National Insurance which gets paid with yours. When you do not work this is not paid, nobody will charge you for this either. National Insurance doesn't just cover the NHS, both PAYE Tax & NI go into a massive fund account with the government which covers Benefits, NHS, Schools....It's basically a contribution to pay for the country. If you do not claim benefits & you aren't working, you have the option to pay �90 a year (yes a year) to pay your contribution. It's optional.

[WiccanKitten]

Cheers Jas xx

[andrew1314]

If you are receiving benefit then your National Insurance will be paid for you.