We have made a claim for esa ni contribution. Received a letter saying cannot pay as 2021/22 no national insurance contributions have been paid for that year. My employer said I had enough years to qualify for my pension. And did not pay those contributions as I never reached the threshold of income. There was no “ticky box” to pay NI type 2. And if I was to pay contributions it would go to type 3 which is pension based. I was laid off in August 2023. So my NI contributions won’t be paid for 2022/23 and 2023/24. I will not qualify for benefits at all. But mainly esa national insurance contribution based. Can I pay my national insurance for those missed years. Mainly I want to claim so my national insurance will be accredited in the future.
There are two Contribution Conditions that you need to meet for a new claim for New Style ESA.
Both are based on the two Tax Years preceding the current Benefit year, for 2023 they are 2020-21 and 2021-22.
The Second Condition requires a minimum of 50 weeks of either NI Contributions and/or NI Credits, your current Credits Only award potentially covers this.
The First however requires a minimum of 26 weeks of NI Contributions in either of the two years, your current claim does not provide these, Contributions can only be acquired through paid employment, there are some exceptions but you don't mention any of these in your post.
Gary
Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems
