Getting Specified Adult Childcare Credits after retirement age

I will 66 in July 2025 and will take my state pension then. I have been getting Specified Adult Childcare Credits for looking after my Grandaughter. My question is; I hope to be able to get a credit for the tax year April 2024- April 2025. I will be able to complete a credit form in April 2025 but cannot submit this form until October 2025 (tax office directions) when I will already be claiming my pension. I need to top up my NI contributions to claim a full new pension so could I submit this form earlier (before my pension date) or if I submit it after I start to claim my pension will I be credited another years NI contribution and my pension increased accordingly. Many thanks

Hi Busyboy59 Senior,
Specified Adult Childcare Credits (SACCs) can only be awarded if the recipient of Child Benefit has enough Class 1 (employed) NICs on their record to make the relevant year a ‘qualifying year’ for pension purposes without the need for the NI credits associated with a claim to Child Benefit.
NI records are not updated with Class 1 (PAYE) NICs until after the end of the tax year and this process can take many months, which is why we suggest claims for SACC are not made until October following the end of the tax year.
You can apply before October, but if the Child Benefit recipient’s NI record has not been fully updated, your application would be rejected.
I can confirm that once SACCs are awarded, any pension increase is backdated to the date the recipient reached State Pension Age.
Thank you.