From April 2022 National Insurance Contributions (NIC) for employed and self-employed workers will increase by 1.25%, meaning most working people will pay National Insurance at a rate of 13.25%.

In addition, the government will be introducing a Health and Social Care Levy of 1.25% that will be collected temporarily via the existing National Insurance Tax channels, before being separated into its own tax. From 2023, this health and social care levy element will be separated out from other national insurance contributions and the exact amount employees pay will be visible on their pay slips or tax returns.

As an example, the new National Insurance payments will have the following effect on the average salaries of:

Frequently asked questions about National Insurance:

What is National Insurance?

National Insurance is a tax levied by the government on the wages of employers, their workers and those who are self-employed. National Insurance is often abbreviated to NI, or NIC , where the ‘C’ stands for contributions. Different people pay different kinds, or ‘classes’, of National Insurance.

What do National Insurance Contributions pay for?

Your National Insurance contributions are paid into a fund, from which some state benefits are paid. This includes the state pension, statutory sick pay and maternity allowance, plus entitlement to some additional unemployment benefits. A percentage of National Insurance Contributions also go towards funding the NHS.

Do I have to pay National Insurance?

National Insurance is mandatory and payable if you’re 16 or over and are either an employee earning above £184 a week or self-employed and making a profit of £6,515 or more a year.

When will I pay National Insurance?

If you get paid through a Pay as You Earn (PAYE) system your National Insurance contributions will be automatically deducted from your salary by your employer, so you won’t need to do anything.

It applies to each pay period whether you get paid weekly, monthly, or a different time period.

If you are self-employed your National Insurance contributions will be calculated based on your Self-Assessment tax return and will be paid at the same time as your Income Tax.

How Many Years do I have to pay National Insurance to get full state pension?

Your State Pension will be calculated entirely under the new State Pension rules.

You’ll usually need at least 10 qualifying years on your National Insurance record to get any State Pension and you’ll need 35 qualifying years to get the full new State Pension.

You will get a proportion of the new State Pension if you have between 10 and 35 qualifying years.

For more information about qualifying years go to:
https://www.gov.uk/new-state-pension/how-its-calculated and
to obtain a forecast about your own state pension go to:
https://www.gov.uk/check-state-pension

If you have any other questions or would like a free no obligation chat about Payroll, call Julie
on: 0121 422 0550 or E-Mail: julie@jlpayroll.co.uk