Guidance

Apply for Home Responsibilities Protection

Use the online service or postal form CF411 to apply for National Insurance Home Responsibilities Protection, or to transfer it from a spouse or partner.

• From: HM Revenue & Customs
• Published: 16 December 2022
• Last updated: 21 January 2025 — See all updates

You can use the online service or postal form to:

• apply for Home Responsibilities Protection
• transfer Home Responsibilities Protection from a spouse or partner

Before you apply, you must check if you are eligible.

Evidence you will need to provide

If you’re a foster or kinship carer

You need to send a copy of an up-to-date letter of confirmation from the local authority or fostering agency with your application.

If you’re a carer for a sick or disabled person

You need to send evidence with your application, showing the allowance or benefits the person you cared for was paid during the period you were caring for them.

The evidence must show that the allowance or benefit was paid to cover at least 48 weeks of each year that you’re claiming Home Responsibilities Protection.

Ways to apply

Apply online

You’ll need to sign in to use this service. If you do not already have sign in details, you’ll be able to create them.

You will get a reference number that you can use to track the progress of your form.

If you’re submitting a letter of confirmation or supporting evidence you’ll need to upload an image of it and send it with your application. The file you send should be:

• 5MB or less in size
• in PDF or JPEG format

Apply by post

To apply by post, you will need:

• the tax years you are applying for Home Responsibilities Protection
• the dates you claimed Child Benefit
• any dates that you lived outside the UK during the period you’re applying for

You should get all of your information together before you start as you cannot save your progress.

1. Fill in CF411.

2. Print the form.

3. Post it to HMRC, using the postal address shown on the form.

Get help with submitting your application

You can use these notes to help you complete your application for Home Responsibilities Protection.

Notes to help you apply for Home Responsibilities Protection

PDF, 275 KB, 2 pages

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After you’ve applied

After you’ve submitted your application you can check when you can expect a reply from HMRC.

Published 16 December 2022
Last updated 21 January 2025 + show all updates

1. 21 January 2025

   Guidance has been added on how to check when you can expect a reply from HMRC after you've submitted your application.

2. 30 August 2023

   The link to the eligibility checker tool has been moved and made more prominent.

3. 28 July 2023

   'Before you apply' has been updated to include that you must first check if you have any gaps in your National Insurance record and if you are eligible to apply for Home Responsibilities Protection. The instruction for parents or carers to check if they can apply for National Insurance credits using form CF411A has been removed. The 'You will need' section has been updated for clarification and to include only the things that you need.

4. 24 July 2023

   The apply by post form has been updated.

5. 13 February 2023

   A Welsh version of the form has been added.

6. 16 December 2022

   First published.