National Insurance: introduction

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What National Insurance is for

National Insurance contributions count towards the benefits and pensions in the table.

	Class 1: employees	Class 2: self-employed	Class 3: voluntary contributions
Basic State Pension	Yes	Yes	Yes
Additional State Pension	Yes	No	No
New State Pension	Yes	Yes	Yes
New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance	Yes	No	No
Contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance	Yes	Yes	No
Maternity Allowance	Yes	Yes	No
Bereavement Support Payment	Yes	Yes	No

If you’re self-employed and make a profit of more than £12,570 a year, you pay Class 4 contributions. These do not count towards state benefits or pensions.

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