I am an employee at a biotechnology startup in Epsom, England. I draw an annual salary of £44,000, am paid monthly and at present have accrued over 20 days of holiday entitlement. I hope to take 10 days (two working weeks) of these in a single block. Is there a formula for calculating the amount of notice I need to give before taking leave?

The general notice period for taking leave is at least twice as long as the amount of leave a worker wants to take, plus 1 day. For example, a worker would give 3 days’ notice for 1 day’s leave.

Holiday entitlement

Entitlement

Almost all workers are legally entitled to 5.6 weeks’ paid holiday a year (known as statutory leave entitlement or annual leave).

This includes:

agency workers

workers with irregular hours

workers on zero-hours contracts

An employer can include bank holidays as part of statutory annual leave.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) does not affect workers’ entitlement to holiday pay and leave, except for carrying over leave.

Statutory annual leave entitlement

Most workers who work a 5-day week must receive at least 28 days’ paid annual leave a year. This is the equivalent of 5.6 weeks of holiday.

Working part-time

Part-time workers are entitled to at least 5.6 weeks’ paid holiday, but this will amount to fewer than 28 days.

For example, if they work 3 days a week, they must get at least 16.8 days’ leave a year (3 × 5.6).

Use the holiday entitlement calculator to work out a part-time worker’s leave.

Irregular hours

People working irregular hours (like shift workers or term-time workers) are entitled to paid time off for every hour they work.

They might find it helpful to get an estimate of holiday entitlement by calculating leave based on days or hours worked in an average week.

Limits on statutory leave

Statutory paid holiday entitlement is limited to 28 days. For example, staff working 6 days a week are only entitled to 28 days’ paid holiday.

Bank holidays

Bank or public holidays do not have to be given as paid leave.

An employer can choose to include bank holidays as part of a worker’s statutory annual leave.

Extra leave

An employer can choose to offer more leave than the legal minimum. They do not have to apply all the rules that apply to statutory leave to the extra leave. For example, a worker might need to be employed for a certain amount of time before they become entitled to it.

Other aspects of holiday entitlement

Workers have the right to:

get paid for leave

build up (‘accrue’) holiday entitlement during maternity, paternity and adoption leave

build up holiday entitlement while off work sick

request holiday at the same time as sick leave

Disputes

Paid annual leave is a legal right that an employer must provide. If a worker thinks their right to leave and pay are not being met there are a number of ways to resolve the dispute.

Calculate leave entitlement

Annual leave begins to build up (‘accrue’) as soon as a worker starts their job.

An employer can use a ‘leave year’ or an ‘accrual’ system to work out how much leave their staff should get.

Use the holiday entitlement calculator to work out how much leave someone should get.

Leave year

An employer should tell their staff the dates of their statutory leave year as soon as they start working, for example, it might run from 1 January to 31 December.

Workers must take their statutory leave during this time. If a leave year is not set out in a contract then it will start:

on the first day of a new job (if started after 1 October 1998)

on 1 October (if started on or before 1 October 1998)

The leave year and holiday entitlement is not affected by maternity, paternity or adoption leave. The employee still builds up (‘accrues’) holiday over these periods.

Leave entitlement when starting a new job

If a worker starts their job part-way through a leave year, they’re only entitled to part of their total annual leave for the current leave year. What they get depends on how much of the year is left.

Use the holiday entitlement calculator to work out how much leave someone has left.

Accrual system

An employer can use an accrual system to work out a worker’s leave during the first year of the job. Under this system, a worker gets one-twelfth of their leave in each month.

Carrying over leave

The worker’s contract says how many days’ leave they can carry over into the next year.

If a worker gets 28 days’ leave, they can carry over a maximum of 8 days.

If a worker gets more than 28 days’ leave, their employer may allow them to carry over any additional untaken leave. Check the employment contract, company handbook or intranet to see what the rules say.

Leave affected by coronavirus (COVID-19)

Workers may be able to carry over untaken leave into the next 2 years if they cannot take it because their work is affected by coronavirus.

They could do this if, for example:

they need to provide cover for their co-workers and have no other opportunity to take holiday in their leave year

there will be staff shortages if too many workers take their leave before the end of the leave year

they’re classed as critical workers, such as healthcare or supermarket workers

If a worker is able to take leave, the standard rules for carrying over leave still apply.

Workers on parental or sick leave

If a worker cannot take all of their leave entitlement because they’re already on a different type of leave (for example sick, maternity or parental leave), they can carry over some or all of the untaken leave into the next leave year.

An employer must allow a worker to carry over a maximum of 20 of their 28 days’ leave entitlement if the worker could not take annual leave because they were off sick.

Holiday pay

Workers are entitled to a week’s pay for each week of statutory leave that they take.

Most workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks’ paid holiday a year. You can use the holiday calculator to work out how much leave someone should get.

A week’s pay is worked out according to the kind of hours someone works and how they’re paid for the hours. This includes full-time, part-time, term-time and casual workers.

Working pattern | How a week’s pay is calculated

Fixed hours and fixed pay (full- or part-time) | A worker’s pay for a week

Shift work with fixed hours (full- or part-time) | The average number of weekly fixed hours a worker has worked in the previous 52 weeks, at their average hourly rate

No fixed hours (casual work, including zero-hours contracts) | A worker’s average pay from the previous 52 weeks (only counting weeks in which they were paid)

Calculating average hourly or weekly rate

To calculate average hourly rate, only the hours worked and how much was paid for them should be counted. Take the average rate over the last 52 weeks.

A ‘week’ usually runs from Sunday to Saturday. Only use another 7-day period (like Thursday to Wednesday) if that’s how a worker’s pay is calculated.

If no pay was paid in any week, count back another week so the rate is based on 52 weeks in which pay was paid. You can count back a maximum of 104 weeks to find these.

If a worker has less than 52 weeks of pay, use the average pay rate for the full weeks they have worked.

Workers who are paid monthly

To work out a week’s pay for someone who’s paid monthly:

Calculate the worker’s average hourly pay for the last month. Do this by dividing the month’s pay by the number of hours worked in the month.

Calculate the weekly pay. Do this by multiplying the average hourly pay by the number of hours worked in a week.

Use the weekly pay calculation for each of the last 52 weeks to work out an average week’s pay.

Rolled-up holiday pay

Holiday pay should be paid for the time when annual leave is taken. An employer cannot include an amount for holiday pay in the hourly rate (known as ‘rolled-up holiday pay’).

If a current contract still includes rolled-up pay, it needs to be re-negotiated.

More information

There’s guidance for calculating holiday pay for workers without fixed hours or pay, which includes several examples.

You can also contact the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) with questions about general holiday pay issues.

Booking time off

An employer can refuse a leave request or cancel leave but they must give as much notice as the amount of leave requested, plus 1 day. For example, an employer would give 11 days’ notice if the worker asked for 10 days’ leave.

If the contract says something different about the notice a worker or employer should give, what’s in the contract will apply.

Although employers can refuse to give leave at a certain time, they cannot refuse to let workers take the leave at all.

Part leave days

Some workers may be entitled to a part leave day - for example if they’re part-time or have a half day’s leave to take. How a part day should be taken is up to the employer.

When leave can and cannot be taken

Employers can:

tell their staff to take leave, for example bank holidays or Christmas

restrict when leave can be taken, for example at certain busy periods

There may be rules about this in the employment contract or it may be what normally happens in the workplace.

The notice period for this is at least twice as long as the leave they want their staff to take. The employer must tell the worker before the notice period begins.

If an employer wants a worker to take leave, they need to make sure that the worker can relax, rest and enjoy leisure during their holiday. For example, an employer cannot force a sick worker to take leave.

Taking holiday before leaving a job

During their notice period the worker may be able to take whatever is left of their statutory annual leave.

Use the holiday entitlement calculator to work this out. How much they get depends on how much of the holiday year has passed.

Taking more leave than the entitlement

If a worker has taken more leave than they’re entitled to, their employer must not take money from their final pay unless it’s been agreed beforehand in writing. The rules in this situation should be outlined in the employment contract, company handbook or intranet.

Getting paid instead of taking holidays

The only time someone can get paid in place of taking statutory leave (known as ‘payment in lieu’) is when they leave their job. Employers must pay for untaken statutory leave, even if the worker is dismissed for gross misconduct.

If an employer offers more than 5.6 weeks’ annual leave, they can agree separate arrangements for the extra leave.

Zero-hours contracts

When a worker on a zero-hours contract has not worked for 4 weeks, this may be treated as the end of the employment. The employer will usually pay the worker for untaken leave, even if they’re going to offer them more work later.

Workers on furlough because of coronavirus (COVID-19)

Workers have the right to build up (‘accrue’) holiday entitlement while they’re on temporary leave (‘furloughed’) because of coronavirus (COVID-19). They can also take leave while on furlough.

Bank holidays

If a furloughed worker is not working on a bank holiday they usually take as paid leave, they can agree with their employer to either:

take it as normal

take it at a later date

An employer must give a worker at least 2 days’ notice if they want them to take a bank holiday as paid leave, unless the worker’s employment contract says something different.

The employer must tell the worker at least one day in advance of giving 2 days’ notice.

Holiday pay

An employer can continue to claim for a furloughed worker’s wages when the worker takes annual leave.

Calculate holiday pay as normal for any time the worker was furloughed. If the holiday pay turns out to be more than the worker was paid during this time, their employer must pay the difference.

Agency workers

Agency workers with ‘worker status’, including those who use an umbrella company, have their usual holiday entitlement when on furlough.

Their employer can claim a grant to help cover the cost of their wages.

Holiday entitlement for those without worker status remains the same and depends on their contract.

Agency workers may also be able to carry holiday into future leave years.

More information

There’s more guidance on holiday entitlement and pay during coronavirus.
You can also find out more about holiday entitlement during coronavirus on the Acas website.

If the contract says something different about the notice a worker or employer should give, what’s in the contract will apply.

Holiday entitlement

Entitlement

Almost all workers are legally entitled to 5.6 weeks’ paid holiday a year (known as statutory leave entitlement or annual leave).

This includes:

agency workers

workers with irregular hours

workers on zero-hours contracts

An employer can include bank holidays as part of statutory annual leave.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) does not affect workers’ entitlement to holiday pay and leave, except for carrying over leave.

Statutory annual leave entitlement

Most workers who work a 5-day week must receive at least 28 days’ paid annual leave a year. This is the equivalent of 5.6 weeks of holiday.

Working part-time

Part-time workers are entitled to at least 5.6 weeks’ paid holiday, but this will amount to fewer than 28 days.

For example, if they work 3 days a week, they must get at least 16.8 days’ leave a year (3 × 5.6).

Use the holiday entitlement calculator to work out a part-time worker’s leave.

Irregular hours

People working irregular hours (like shift workers or term-time workers) are entitled to paid time off for every hour they work.

They might find it helpful to get an estimate of holiday entitlement by calculating leave based on days or hours worked in an average week.

Limits on statutory leave

Bank holidays

Bank or public holidays do not have to be given as paid leave.

An employer can choose to include bank holidays as part of a worker’s statutory annual leave.

Extra leave

Other aspects of holiday entitlement

Workers have the right to:

get paid for leave

build up (‘accrue’) holiday entitlement during maternity, paternity and adoption leave

build up holiday entitlement while off work sick

request holiday at the same time as sick leave

Disputes

Calculate leave entitlement

Annual leave begins to build up (‘accrue’) as soon as a worker starts their job.

An employer can use a ‘leave year’ or an ‘accrual’ system to work out how much leave their staff should get.

Use the holiday entitlement calculator to work out how much leave someone should get.

Leave year

Workers must take their statutory leave during this time. If a leave year is not set out in a contract then it will start:

on the first day of a new job (if started after 1 October 1998)

on 1 October (if started on or before 1 October 1998)

Leave entitlement when starting a new job

Use the holiday entitlement calculator to work out how much leave someone has left.

Accrual system

Carrying over leave

The worker’s contract says how many days’ leave they can carry over into the next year.

If a worker gets 28 days’ leave, they can carry over a maximum of 8 days.

Leave affected by coronavirus (COVID-19)

Workers may be able to carry over untaken leave into the next 2 years if they cannot take it because their work is affected by coronavirus.

They could do this if, for example:

they need to provide cover for their co-workers and have no other opportunity to take holiday in their leave year

there will be staff shortages if too many workers take their leave before the end of the leave year

they’re classed as critical workers, such as healthcare or supermarket workers

If a worker is able to take leave, the standard rules for carrying over leave still apply.

Workers on parental or sick leave

Holiday pay

Workers are entitled to a week’s pay for each week of statutory leave that they take.

Working pattern | How a week’s pay is calculated

Fixed hours and fixed pay (full- or part-time) | A worker’s pay for a week

Calculating average hourly or weekly rate

If a worker has less than 52 weeks of pay, use the average pay rate for the full weeks they have worked.

Workers who are paid monthly

To work out a week’s pay for someone who’s paid monthly:

Calculate the weekly pay. Do this by multiplying the average hourly pay by the number of hours worked in a week.

Use the weekly pay calculation for each of the last 52 weeks to work out an average week’s pay.

Rolled-up holiday pay

If a current contract still includes rolled-up pay, it needs to be re-negotiated.

More information

There’s guidance for calculating holiday pay for workers without fixed hours or pay, which includes several examples.

You can also contact the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) with questions about general holiday pay issues.

Booking time off

If the contract says something different about the notice a worker or employer should give, what’s in the contract will apply.

Although employers can refuse to give leave at a certain time, they cannot refuse to let workers take the leave at all.

Part leave days

When leave can and cannot be taken

Employers can:

tell their staff to take leave, for example bank holidays or Christmas

restrict when leave can be taken, for example at certain busy periods

There may be rules about this in the employment contract or it may be what normally happens in the workplace.

Taking holiday before leaving a job

During their notice period the worker may be able to take whatever is left of their statutory annual leave.

Use the holiday entitlement calculator to work this out. How much they get depends on how much of the holiday year has passed.

Taking more leave than the entitlement

Getting paid instead of taking holidays

If an employer offers more than 5.6 weeks’ annual leave, they can agree separate arrangements for the extra leave.

Zero-hours contracts

Workers on furlough because of coronavirus (COVID-19)

Bank holidays

If a furloughed worker is not working on a bank holiday they usually take as paid leave, they can agree with their employer to either:

take it as normal

take it at a later date

The employer must tell the worker at least one day in advance of giving 2 days’ notice.

Holiday pay

An employer can continue to claim for a furloughed worker’s wages when the worker takes annual leave.

Agency workers

Agency workers with ‘worker status’, including those who use an umbrella company, have their usual holiday entitlement when on furlough.

Their employer can claim a grant to help cover the cost of their wages.

Holiday entitlement for those without worker status remains the same and depends on their contract.

Agency workers may also be able to carry holiday into future leave years.

More information


I am only seventeen but will be eighteen by the time of the next election (both general and local) and would like to be able to vote for the first time but I do not know how to go about this. Will I be automatically added to the electoral roll when I turn eighteen?

You need to be registered to vote before you can vote in UK elections or referendums.

How to vote

Overview

If you’re eligible, you can vote in person on the day of the election at a named polling station. You can also apply for a postal or proxy vote instead.

Find out about voting safely during coronavirus (COVID-19).

Ways of voting

You can vote:

in person at a polling station

by post

by asking someone else to vote for you (voting by proxy)

You cannot vote online in any elections.

Eligibility to vote

You can vote when you’re:

18 years old in England and Northern Ireland

16 years old in Scottish Parliament and local elections (and other elections when you’re 18)

16 years old in Welsh Parliament elections (and other elections when you’re 18)

Elections you can vote in

Different elections have different rules on who can vote.

Voting and coronavirus (COVID-19)

Elections and referendums are going ahead during coronavirus (COVID-19), though you may see changes to some processes. You can still vote in person at a polling station.

If you’re self-isolating, clinically extremely vulnerable, or do not want to go to the polling station, you can vote by post or vote by proxy.

You may also be able to get an emergency proxy vote at short notice if you need to self-isolate shortly before or on election day.

At the polling station

Because of COVID-19, there will be safety measures in place at polling stations to help you vote safely (for example, a one-way system or restrictions on the number of people allowed in).

If you choose to vote in person, make sure you:

wear a face covering (unless you’re exempt)

bring your own pen or pencil (there will be clean pencils available at the polling station if you forget to bring your own)

use the hand sanitiser provided when entering and leaving the polling station

keep to social distancing guidelines

If you have COVID-19 symptoms or have been asked to self-isolate

Do not visit the polling station. Apply for an emergency proxy vote instead. Your proxy can also apply if they develop symptoms.

You can apply until 5pm on election day. There are different forms to:

apply for an emergency proxy vote in England

apply for an emergency proxy vote in Scotland

apply for an emergency proxy vote in Wales

Voting in person

You vote in person at a polling station (usually in a public building, such as a school or local hall).

Your poll card

You’ll be sent a poll card just before an election telling you when to vote and at which polling station. You can only vote at the polling station location on your card.

If you have not received a poll card but think you should, contact your local Electoral Registration Office.

You can still vote if you’ve lost your card.

When you can vote

Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm on the day of an election (‘polling day’).

When you get to the polling station

Give your name and address to the staff inside the polling station when you arrive.

You’ll be given a ballot paper containing a list of the people, parties or options you can vote for.

ID you need to bring

If you live in England, Wales or Scotland you do not need to bring any identification to vote.

You will need to show photo ID to vote in Northern Ireland (your passport, driving licence, Electoral Identity Card or certain kinds of Translink Smartpass).

You do not have to take your poll card with you.

Filling in your ballot paper

Follow the instructions on the notices in the polling booth and on the top of the ballot paper to vote.

Voting if you have a disability

If you have a disability, your local Electoral Registration Office can tell you about:

physical access, for example wheelchair ramps and disabled parking spaces

low-level polling booths

equipment for voters with a visual impairment

Every polling station must provide at least one large print display version of the ballot paper and a special tactile voting device (TVD) to help people with sight loss.

Voting by post

You must apply for a postal vote if you want to vote by post, for example if:

you’re away from home

you’re abroad and want to vote in England, Scotland or Wales

You do not need to give a reason unless you’re voting in Northern Ireland.

Apply for a postal vote

You can apply to vote by post for one of the following:

a single election on a specific date

permanently

Arrange to vote by proxy if there are under 2 weeks until election day and you have not made arrangements.

There’s a different form to apply to vote by post in Northern Ireland.

Change where your postal vote card is sent

Make a new application for a postal vote if you move house or you’ll be away from home when the postal vote is sent out.

There’s a different form for Northern Ireland.

Completing and returning your postal vote

When voting by post, you should:

mark your vote on your ballot paper in secret

fill in the postal voting statement

put the ballot and statement in the envelope provided

seal the envelope yourself

Post your ballot back as quickly as possible to make sure it’s counted.

If you’re too late to post your ballot paper

Take it to your local polling station by 10pm on election day, or Electoral Registration Office before they close.

In Northern Ireland, take it to your local Area Electoral Office before they close.

Replace a lost or damaged ballot paper

Your ballot paper needs to clearly display your details and voting choice. If it has been damaged you need to get another one.

You can either:

ask your local Electoral Registration Office to post a replacement

collect a replacement from your local Electoral Registration Office up to 5pm on election day (or the day before in Northern Ireland)

You cannot vote at a polling station if you registered to vote by post but your ballot paper was lost or damaged.

Voting by proxy

If you’re unable to vote in person you can ask someone to vote on your behalf. This is called a proxy vote.

You can only apply for a proxy vote under certain circumstances, including:

being away on polling day

having a medical issue or disability

not being able to vote in person because of work or military service

Your proxy should be someone you trust to vote on your behalf. You’ll need to tell them which candidate (or referendum outcome) you want to vote for.

How to apply for a proxy vote

Apply for a proxy vote using a paper form. You need to send it to your local Electoral Registration Office.

Usually, you need to apply for a proxy vote at least 6 working days before election day if you want to vote in England, Scotland or Wales.

There’s a different form to apply to vote by proxy in Northern Ireland. Apply at least 14 working days before election day.

Apply for an emergency proxy vote

If the proxy vote deadline has passed you may be able to apply for an emergency proxy vote if you both:

cannot vote in person because of your employment or a disability

became aware of this reason after the proxy deadline

You can apply until 5pm on the day of the election. Fill in a paper form to:

apply to vote by emergency proxy based on your employment

apply to vote by emergency proxy based on your disability

An ‘appropriate person’ (for example your employer or a doctor) must sign the application form. Send it to your local Electoral Registration Office.

You can also apply for an emergency proxy vote if you or your proxy need to self-isolate because of COVID-19.

How long your proxy vote is for

You can apply to vote by proxy:

for a single election on a specific date

for a specific period if you want to vote in England, Scotland or Wales

permanently

Who can act as a proxy

You can ask anyone to act as your proxy - as long as they:

are registered to vote

are allowed to vote in the type of election taking place

can vote in the polling station stated on your poll card

If they cannot get to your polling station, they will need to contact your local Electoral Registration Office to arrange to cast their proxy vote by post.

Change or cancel your proxy vote

To change who acts as your proxy or to start voting in person, contact your local Electoral Registration Office.

If you want to vote by post instead, complete a postal vote application.

Voting from abroad

How you vote when you’re abroad depends on:

whether you’ll be abroad temporarily or living abroad

where you want to vote

If you’ll be abroad temporarily

You can vote by post or proxy if you’ll be abroad temporarily on election day, for example on holiday or a work trip.

Voting in England, Scotland or Wales

You can arrange:

to vote by post

for someone else to vote for you (vote by proxy)

If you’re abroad on election day you need to make arrangements in advance. Apply to vote by proxy if the election is less than 2 weeks away and you have not made arrangements yet.

Your postal ballot will be sent to the address you’ve chosen no earlier than 16 days before the election. You need to return your ballot before 10pm on polling day.

Voting in Northern Ireland

There’s a different process to apply to vote by post or proxy if you live in Northern Ireland and will be abroad temporarily on election day.

If you will not have time to receive and return your postal ballot in Northern Ireland before going abroad you’ll need to vote by proxy. You cannot apply to have your postal vote sent outside the UK.

If you’re moving or living abroad

You can only vote in UK Parliament elections. You may be able to vote in referendums. Each referendum has different rules on who can vote in it.

You need to register as an overseas voter.

You can vote by post or proxy, if you’re eligible. You’ll be asked to make this choice when you register.

You’ll then need to apply by filling in and posting one of the following:

the paper form to apply for a postal vote

the paper form to apply for a proxy vote

You can also ask for the form to be emailed or posted to you when you register online.

If you’re registered in Northern Ireland, you cannot vote by post from abroad.

Get help voting

You can contact your Electoral Register Office to find out when postal votes might be sent. This could help you decide whether to vote by proxy or by post.


We are a IT company and recently we are investing on the Artificial Intelligence. There is a patent registered on Machine learning that we are interested in buying and seller is happy to sell it. Is it possible to buy a patent when someone sells it ?

Contact the owner of the patent to see if they’ll:

Using somebody else's intellectual property

Overview

You can usually get permission to use someone else’s intellectual property (IP) by buying the rights from them or getting their permission to use it.

Using someone’s trade mark, patent, copyright or design without their permission is known as ‘IP infringement’ and could lead to a fine, prison or both.

Read about IP crime and enforcement for more information on the penalties.

Trade marks

To use an existing trade mark you should contact the current owner.

Find the owner of a registered trade mark by searching the trade marks database.

Licensing

A licence is a formal agreement to use someone else’s trade mark. You and the owner must agree the terms of the licence, for example the cost or how long it will last.

When you’ve agreed a licence to use the trade mark, fill in the form to record a licensee and post it. The address is on the form.

Post an application to remove or amend the record of a licence when the licensing agreement ends or if you need to change it.

The owner must sign any form you send, or you must send proof of the agreement with your application.

Each application costs £50.

Buying

You must tell IPO if you become the new owner of a trade mark, for example by buying it or as the result of a company merger.

In some cases the owner may only sell you one part of a trade mark, for example they may not sell the right to register derivative marks. This is known as a ‘partial assignment’.

Use either:

‘Application to record a change of ownership’ form

‘Application to record a partial assignment of goods and/or services’ form

Each application costs £50.

Fill in the form and post it. The address is on the form.

Coexistence agreements

You may be able to use an identical trade mark (for example company name, logo) as someone else by making a coexistence agreement.

This means you agree that both of you can continue to use the trade mark.

Patents

Contact the owner of the patent to see if they’ll:

license it to you

sell it to you

Search the patent databases to find the current owner.

Licensing

Any licence arrangement, including cost, is made directly between you and the patent owner.

You can ask Intellectual Property Office (IPO) for help to resolve patent disputes if you can’t reach an agreement.

IPO can’t decide the exact terms of the licence (for example the price) but can decide:

what can and can’t be part of a licence

if the patent owner must grant you a licence (known as a ‘compulsory licence under a patent’)

Licence of right

A patent with ‘licence of right’, means that the patent owners will give anyone a licence to use it.

You must still agree with the owner on the terms of the licence before you can use the patent.

You can ask IPO for help if you can’t reach agreement.

Registering your licence

Register a licence agreement (or changes to an existing licence, for example cancellation) by filling in Patents form 21. Send it to the address on the form.

You can use the form to record licences on more than one patent. It costs £50 for each form you submit.

Buying a patent

When someone sells you a patent they must transfer ownership to you.

You need a written document to record the transfer. This is known as an ‘assignment’ and must be signed by the person selling the patent.

A solicitor can help you draw up this document.

Fill in Patents form 21 and return it to the address on the form. Include a copy of your assignment.

Copyright

You can’t copy or use copyright material without permission. For example, you can’t buy a painting and then use copies of it for a book cover, or buy a CD and use a track from it in a film.

To use something protected by copyright you must either:

agree a licence with the owner to use it

buy or acquire the copyright

confirm that your intended use falls within the exceptions to copyright

Finding a copyright owner

A person can give permission if they are:

the person who made it (the creator), or their family or heirs

the creator’s employer, if it was created it as part of the creator’s job

a person who bought, acquired or licensed the rights

an organisation representing the copyright owner

You may be able to find out who owns copyright from Writers, Artists and their copyright holders (WATCH).

If you can’t find out who the copyright owner is check if you need a licence to use the work.

Licensing

You must agree the terms of an agreement with the current owner to use all or part of copyright works.

The licence agreement may allow you to use it for one or more specified purposes and may apply only for a limited time or in specific places.

Exclusive use

You’ll be the only person able to use something for the duration of the agreement.

This includes the copyright owner, who won’t be able to use it themselves while the agreement is in place.

Limited use

You’ll only be given permission to use something for one or more specific reasons, for example publishing a photograph in one edition of a magazine or using a song as the theme for one series of a TV show.

You need to agree another licence if you want to use the material for something else.

Creative Commons licence

Some copyright owners release work under a Creative Commons licence.

You must check what kind of use the licence allows.

Buying copyright

When you buy copyright the person you’re buying from transfers the copyright to you.

Once you own the copyright to something you can use it for anything you like, without the creator’s express permission, as long as you respect their moral rights.

You must have a written agreement, signed by the copyright owner, stating that they have transferred ownership of the copyright to you.

Moral rights

The creator may still have certain rights regarding how their work is used even if you’ve bought the copyright.

Authors, playwrights, composers, artists and film directors have the moral right:

to be recognised as the creator of the work when copies are made available to the public

to object to the work being altered in a way that has negative effect on their reputation

to not have someone else’s work falsely attributed to them

Performers, such as actors or dancers, have the moral right:

to be recognised as the performer of the piece

to object to the performance being altered in a way that is damaging to their reputation

The creator or performer of a piece of work to which you own the copyright must tell you if they want to exercise these rights.

They can choose whether or not to use their moral rights.

Moral rights can’t be sold or transferred in the same way as copyright. They last for as long as the piece of work is covered by copyright.

Performers’ rights

Performers, for example in films or broadcasts, may still have ‘economic rights’ to some copyright material, even if you’ve bought the copyright.

For example, if you’ve bought the copyright to a filmed recording of a play you may still have to pay the actors if you broadcast it.

Permitted use of copyright works

You may not need permission if you’re using a copyright work for the following reasons:

non-commercial research and private study

criticism, review and reporting current events

teaching in educational establishments

helping disabled people

recording for use at a later date

You may not need permission if you only want to use a ‘less than a substantial’ part of a copyright protected work. This is decided on a case by case basis.

Generally something won’t be less than a substantial part if it could be seen as an important part of the work, for example a frame from a film or the conclusions of a report.

Get legal advice from an intellectual property professional before using copyrighted material, if you’re in any doubt.

Read the guidance on exceptions to copyright for detailed information.

Designs

To use a registered design you must contact the current owner and either agree a licence to use the design or buy it from them.

The licence between you and the design’s owner will tell you:

what you can do with the design

how long your licence will last

what you have to pay - if anything

You can do anything with a design that you’ve bought.

Fill in and send form DF12A to register a licence or transfer ownership of the design - the address is on the form.

There’s no fee.

sell it to you

Overview

Read about IP crime and enforcement for more information on the penalties.

Trade marks

To use an existing trade mark you should contact the current owner.

Find the owner of a registered trade mark by searching the trade marks database.

Licensing

The owner must sign any form you send, or you must send proof of the agreement with your application.

Each application costs £50.

Buying

Use either:

‘Application to record a change of ownership’ form

‘Application to record a partial assignment of goods and/or services’ form

Each application costs £50.

Fill in the form and post it. The address is on the form.

Coexistence agreements

This means you agree that both of you can continue to use the trade mark.

Patents

Contact the owner of the patent to see if they’ll:

license it to you

sell it to you

Search the patent databases to find the current owner.

Licensing

Any licence arrangement, including cost, is made directly between you and the patent owner.

You can ask Intellectual Property Office (IPO) for help to resolve patent disputes if you can’t reach an agreement.

IPO can’t decide the exact terms of the licence (for example the price) but can decide:

what can and can’t be part of a licence

if the patent owner must grant you a licence (known as a ‘compulsory licence under a patent’)

Licence of right

A patent with ‘licence of right’, means that the patent owners will give anyone a licence to use it.

You must still agree with the owner on the terms of the licence before you can use the patent.

You can ask IPO for help if you can’t reach agreement.

Registering your licence

You can use the form to record licences on more than one patent. It costs £50 for each form you submit.

Buying a patent

When someone sells you a patent they must transfer ownership to you.

A solicitor can help you draw up this document.

Fill in Patents form 21 and return it to the address on the form. Include a copy of your assignment.

Copyright

To use something protected by copyright you must either:

agree a licence with the owner to use it

buy or acquire the copyright

confirm that your intended use falls within the exceptions to copyright

Finding a copyright owner

A person can give permission if they are:

the person who made it (the creator), or their family or heirs

the creator’s employer, if it was created it as part of the creator’s job

a person who bought, acquired or licensed the rights

an organisation representing the copyright owner

You may be able to find out who owns copyright from Writers, Artists and their copyright holders (WATCH).

If you can’t find out who the copyright owner is check if you need a licence to use the work.

Licensing

You must agree the terms of an agreement with the current owner to use all or part of copyright works.

Exclusive use

You’ll be the only person able to use something for the duration of the agreement.

This includes the copyright owner, who won’t be able to use it themselves while the agreement is in place.

Limited use

You need to agree another licence if you want to use the material for something else.

Creative Commons licence

Some copyright owners release work under a Creative Commons licence.

You must check what kind of use the licence allows.

Buying copyright

When you buy copyright the person you’re buying from transfers the copyright to you.

Moral rights

The creator may still have certain rights regarding how their work is used even if you’ve bought the copyright.

Authors, playwrights, composers, artists and film directors have the moral right:

to be recognised as the creator of the work when copies are made available to the public

to object to the work being altered in a way that has negative effect on their reputation

to not have someone else’s work falsely attributed to them

Performers, such as actors or dancers, have the moral right:

to be recognised as the performer of the piece

to object to the performance being altered in a way that is damaging to their reputation

They can choose whether or not to use their moral rights.

Performers’ rights

Permitted use of copyright works

You may not need permission if you’re using a copyright work for the following reasons:

non-commercial research and private study

criticism, review and reporting current events

teaching in educational establishments

helping disabled people

recording for use at a later date

Get legal advice from an intellectual property professional before using copyrighted material, if you’re in any doubt.

Read the guidance on exceptions to copyright for detailed information.

Designs

The licence between you and the design’s owner will tell you:

what you can do with the design

how long your licence will last

what you have to pay - if anything

You can do anything with a design that you’ve bought.

Fill in and send form DF12A to register a licence or transfer ownership of the design - the address is on the form.

There’s no fee.

When someone sells you a patent they must transfer ownership to you.

Overview

Read about IP crime and enforcement for more information on the penalties.

Trade marks

To use an existing trade mark you should contact the current owner.

Find the owner of a registered trade mark by searching the trade marks database.

Licensing

Post an application to remove or amend the record of a licence when the licensing agreement ends or if you need to change it.

The owner must sign any form you send, or you must send proof of the agreement with your application.

Each application costs £50.

Buying

You must tell IPO if you become the new owner of a trade mark, for example by buying it or as the result of a company merger.

Use either:

‘Application to record a change of ownership’ form

‘Application to record a partial assignment of goods and/or services’ form

Each application costs £50.

Fill in the form and post it. The address is on the form.

Coexistence agreements

This means you agree that both of you can continue to use the trade mark.

Patents

Contact the owner of the patent to see if they’ll:

license it to you

sell it to you

Search the patent databases to find the current owner.

Licensing

Any licence arrangement, including cost, is made directly between you and the patent owner.

You can ask Intellectual Property Office (IPO) for help to resolve patent disputes if you can’t reach an agreement.

IPO can’t decide the exact terms of the licence (for example the price) but can decide:

what can and can’t be part of a licence

if the patent owner must grant you a licence (known as a ‘compulsory licence under a patent’)

Licence of right

A patent with ‘licence of right’, means that the patent owners will give anyone a licence to use it.

You must still agree with the owner on the terms of the licence before you can use the patent.

You can ask IPO for help if you can’t reach agreement.

Registering your licence

You can use the form to record licences on more than one patent. It costs £50 for each form you submit.

Buying a patent

When someone sells you a patent they must transfer ownership to you.

A solicitor can help you draw up this document.

Fill in Patents form 21 and return it to the address on the form. Include a copy of your assignment.

Copyright

To use something protected by copyright you must either:

agree a licence with the owner to use it

buy or acquire the copyright

confirm that your intended use falls within the exceptions to copyright

Finding a copyright owner

A person can give permission if they are:

the person who made it (the creator), or their family or heirs

the creator’s employer, if it was created it as part of the creator’s job

a person who bought, acquired or licensed the rights

an organisation representing the copyright owner

You may be able to find out who owns copyright from Writers, Artists and their copyright holders (WATCH).

If you can’t find out who the copyright owner is check if you need a licence to use the work.

Licensing

You must agree the terms of an agreement with the current owner to use all or part of copyright works.

Exclusive use

You’ll be the only person able to use something for the duration of the agreement.

This includes the copyright owner, who won’t be able to use it themselves while the agreement is in place.

Limited use

You need to agree another licence if you want to use the material for something else.

Creative Commons licence

Some copyright owners release work under a Creative Commons licence.

You must check what kind of use the licence allows.

Buying copyright

When you buy copyright the person you’re buying from transfers the copyright to you.

Moral rights

The creator may still have certain rights regarding how their work is used even if you’ve bought the copyright.

Authors, playwrights, composers, artists and film directors have the moral right:

to be recognised as the creator of the work when copies are made available to the public

to object to the work being altered in a way that has negative effect on their reputation

to not have someone else’s work falsely attributed to them

Performers, such as actors or dancers, have the moral right:

to be recognised as the performer of the piece

to object to the performance being altered in a way that is damaging to their reputation

They can choose whether or not to use their moral rights.

Performers’ rights

Permitted use of copyright works

You may not need permission if you’re using a copyright work for the following reasons:

non-commercial research and private study

criticism, review and reporting current events

teaching in educational establishments

helping disabled people

recording for use at a later date

Get legal advice from an intellectual property professional before using copyrighted material, if you’re in any doubt.

Read the guidance on exceptions to copyright for detailed information.

Designs

The licence between you and the design’s owner will tell you:

what you can do with the design

how long your licence will last

what you have to pay - if anything

You can do anything with a design that you’ve bought.

Fill in and send form DF12A to register a licence or transfer ownership of the design - the address is on the form.

There’s no fee.


I am self employed. In the previous seven years, I only made £5,000 profit per year. I paid no national insurance during this time. Can I voluntarily pay for national insurance for the whole seven year gap?

You may get gaps in your record if you do not pay National Insurance or do not get National Insurance credits. This could be because you were:

Voluntary National Insurance

Gaps in your National Insurance record

employed but had low earnings

unemployed and were not claiming benefits

self-employed but did not pay contributions because of small profits

living abroad

Gaps can mean you will not have enough years of National Insurance contributions to get the full State Pension (sometimes called ‘qualifying years’).

You may be able to pay voluntary contributions to fill any gaps if you’re eligible.

Check your record for gaps

Check your National Insurance record to find out:

if you have any gaps

if you’re eligible to pay voluntary contributions

how much it will cost

You may also be eligible for National Insurance credits if you claim benefits because you cannot work, are unemployed or caring for someone full time.

Contact HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) if you think your National Insurance record is wrong.

Decide if you want to pay voluntary contributions

Voluntary contributions do not always increase your State Pension. Contact the Future Pension Centre to find out if you’ll benefit from voluntary contributions.

You may also want to get financial advice before you decide to make voluntary contributions.

Why you might want to pay voluntary contributions

You may want to pay voluntary contributions because:

you’re close to State Pension age and do not have enough qualifying years to get the full State Pension

you know you will not be able to get the qualifying years you need to get the full State Pension during your working life

you’re self-employed and do not have to pay Class 2 contributions because you have low profits

you live outside the UK, but you want to qualify for some benefits

Self-employed people with specific jobs

Some people do not pay Class 2 contributions through Self Assessment, but may want to pay voluntary contributions. These are:

examiners, moderators, invigilators and people who set exam questions

people who run businesses involving land or property

ministers of religion who do not receive a salary or stipend

people who make investments for themselves or others - but not as a business and without getting a fee or commission

Eligibility

You must be eligible to pay voluntary National Insurance contributions for the time that the contributions cover.

You can usually only pay for gaps in your National Insurance record from the past 6 years.

You can sometimes pay for gaps from more than 6 years ago depending on your age.

Who can pay voluntary contributions

These tables explain who’s eligible to pay Class 2 or Class 3 contributions.

Your situation | Which class to pay

Employed but earning under £120 a week and not eligible for National Insurance credits | Class 3

Self-employed with profits under £6,515 | Class 2 or Class 3 - they count towards different benefits

Both employed and self-employed, with low earnings and small profits | Contact HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to check if you have a gap and how much you need to pay

Self-employed as an examiner, minister of religion or in an investment or land and property business | Class 2 or Class 3 - they count towards different benefits

Living and working abroad | Class 2 - but only if you worked in the UK immediately before leaving, and you’ve previously lived in the UK for at least 3 years in a row or paid at least 3 years of contributions

Living abroad but not working | Class 3 - but only if at some point you’ve lived in the UK for at least 3 years in a row or paid at least 3 years of contributions

Unemployed and not claiming benefits | Class 3

Married woman or widow who stopped paying reduced rates | Class 3

You cannot pay voluntary contributions if:

you’re eligible for National Insurance credits

you’re a married woman or widow paying reduced rates

If you’re over State Pension age

Your situation | Which class to pay

You’ve reached State Pension age and want to fill in gaps in your National Insurance record | Class 3

Rates

The rates for the 2021 to 2022 tax year are:

£3.05 a week for Class 2

£15.40 a week for Class 3

You usually pay the current rate when you make a voluntary contribution.

If you’re a man born after 5 April 1951 or a woman born after 5 April 1953

You can pay voluntary contributions by 5 April 2023 to make up for gaps between 6 April 2006 and 5 April 2016.

You’ll pay the current rate.

When you pay different rates

If you’re paying Class 2 contributions for the previous tax year or Class 3 contributions for the previous 2 tax years, you pay the original rate for those tax years.

Call HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) if you have questions about voluntary National Insurance.

How and when to pay

Find out how to:

pay Class 2 voluntary contributions

pay Class 3 voluntary contributions

If you’re living abroad, read leaflet NI38 and fill in form CF83 (found at the end). Send it back to HMRC using the address on the form.

Deadlines

You can usually pay voluntary contributions for the past 6 years. The deadline is 5 April each year.

You can sometimes pay for gaps from more than 6 years ago, depending on your age.

You’re a man born after 5 April 1951 or a woman born after 5 April 1953

You have until 5 April 2023 to pay voluntary contributions to make up for gaps between April 2006 and April 2016.

self-employed but did not pay contributions because of small profits

Voluntary National Insurance

Gaps in your National Insurance record

You may get gaps in your record if you do not pay National Insurance or do not get National Insurance credits. This could be because you were:

employed but had low earnings

unemployed and were not claiming benefits

living abroad

You may be able to pay voluntary contributions to fill any gaps if you’re eligible.

Check your record for gaps

Check your National Insurance record to find out:

if you have any gaps

if you’re eligible to pay voluntary contributions

how much it will cost

Contact HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) if you think your National Insurance record is wrong.

Decide if you want to pay voluntary contributions

You may also want to get financial advice before you decide to make voluntary contributions.

Why you might want to pay voluntary contributions

You may want to pay voluntary contributions because:

you’re close to State Pension age and do not have enough qualifying years to get the full State Pension

you know you will not be able to get the qualifying years you need to get the full State Pension during your working life

you’re self-employed and do not have to pay Class 2 contributions because you have low profits

you live outside the UK, but you want to qualify for some benefits

Self-employed people with specific jobs

Some people do not pay Class 2 contributions through Self Assessment, but may want to pay voluntary contributions. These are:

examiners, moderators, invigilators and people who set exam questions

people who run businesses involving land or property

ministers of religion who do not receive a salary or stipend

people who make investments for themselves or others - but not as a business and without getting a fee or commission

Eligibility

You must be eligible to pay voluntary National Insurance contributions for the time that the contributions cover.

You can usually only pay for gaps in your National Insurance record from the past 6 years.

You can sometimes pay for gaps from more than 6 years ago depending on your age.

Who can pay voluntary contributions

These tables explain who’s eligible to pay Class 2 or Class 3 contributions.

Your situation | Which class to pay

Employed but earning under £120 a week and not eligible for National Insurance credits | Class 3

Self-employed with profits under £6,515 | Class 2 or Class 3 - they count towards different benefits

Unemployed and not claiming benefits | Class 3

Married woman or widow who stopped paying reduced rates | Class 3

You cannot pay voluntary contributions if:

you’re eligible for National Insurance credits

you’re a married woman or widow paying reduced rates

If you’re over State Pension age

Your situation | Which class to pay

You’ve reached State Pension age and want to fill in gaps in your National Insurance record | Class 3

Rates

The rates for the 2021 to 2022 tax year are:

£3.05 a week for Class 2

£15.40 a week for Class 3

You usually pay the current rate when you make a voluntary contribution.

If you’re a man born after 5 April 1951 or a woman born after 5 April 1953

You can pay voluntary contributions by 5 April 2023 to make up for gaps between 6 April 2006 and 5 April 2016.

You’ll pay the current rate.

When you pay different rates

Call HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) if you have questions about voluntary National Insurance.

How and when to pay

Find out how to:

pay Class 2 voluntary contributions

pay Class 3 voluntary contributions

If you’re living abroad, read leaflet NI38 and fill in form CF83 (found at the end). Send it back to HMRC using the address on the form.

Deadlines

You can usually pay voluntary contributions for the past 6 years. The deadline is 5 April each year.

You can sometimes pay for gaps from more than 6 years ago, depending on your age.

You’re a man born after 5 April 1951 or a woman born after 5 April 1953

You have until 5 April 2023 to pay voluntary contributions to make up for gaps between April 2006 and April 2016.

You may be able to pay voluntary contributions to fill any gaps if you’re eligible.

Voluntary National Insurance

Gaps in your National Insurance record

You may get gaps in your record if you do not pay National Insurance or do not get National Insurance credits. This could be because you were:

employed but had low earnings

unemployed and were not claiming benefits

self-employed but did not pay contributions because of small profits

living abroad

Check your record for gaps

Check your National Insurance record to find out:

if you have any gaps

if you’re eligible to pay voluntary contributions

how much it will cost

Contact HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) if you think your National Insurance record is wrong.

Decide if you want to pay voluntary contributions

You may also want to get financial advice before you decide to make voluntary contributions.

Why you might want to pay voluntary contributions

You may want to pay voluntary contributions because:

you’re close to State Pension age and do not have enough qualifying years to get the full State Pension

you know you will not be able to get the qualifying years you need to get the full State Pension during your working life

you’re self-employed and do not have to pay Class 2 contributions because you have low profits

you live outside the UK, but you want to qualify for some benefits

Self-employed people with specific jobs

Some people do not pay Class 2 contributions through Self Assessment, but may want to pay voluntary contributions. These are:

examiners, moderators, invigilators and people who set exam questions

people who run businesses involving land or property

ministers of religion who do not receive a salary or stipend

people who make investments for themselves or others - but not as a business and without getting a fee or commission

Eligibility

You must be eligible to pay voluntary National Insurance contributions for the time that the contributions cover.

You can usually only pay for gaps in your National Insurance record from the past 6 years.

You can sometimes pay for gaps from more than 6 years ago depending on your age.

Who can pay voluntary contributions

These tables explain who’s eligible to pay Class 2 or Class 3 contributions.

Your situation | Which class to pay

Employed but earning under £120 a week and not eligible for National Insurance credits | Class 3

Self-employed with profits under £6,515 | Class 2 or Class 3 - they count towards different benefits

Unemployed and not claiming benefits | Class 3

Married woman or widow who stopped paying reduced rates | Class 3

You cannot pay voluntary contributions if:

you’re eligible for National Insurance credits

you’re a married woman or widow paying reduced rates

If you’re over State Pension age

Your situation | Which class to pay

You’ve reached State Pension age and want to fill in gaps in your National Insurance record | Class 3

Rates

The rates for the 2021 to 2022 tax year are:

£3.05 a week for Class 2

£15.40 a week for Class 3

You usually pay the current rate when you make a voluntary contribution.

If you’re a man born after 5 April 1951 or a woman born after 5 April 1953

You can pay voluntary contributions by 5 April 2023 to make up for gaps between 6 April 2006 and 5 April 2016.

You’ll pay the current rate.

When you pay different rates

Call HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) if you have questions about voluntary National Insurance.

How and when to pay

Find out how to:

pay Class 2 voluntary contributions

pay Class 3 voluntary contributions

If you’re living abroad, read leaflet NI38 and fill in form CF83 (found at the end). Send it back to HMRC using the address on the form.

Deadlines

You can usually pay voluntary contributions for the past 6 years. The deadline is 5 April each year.

You can sometimes pay for gaps from more than 6 years ago, depending on your age.

You’re a man born after 5 April 1951 or a woman born after 5 April 1953

You have until 5 April 2023 to pay voluntary contributions to make up for gaps between April 2006 and April 2016.

You can usually only pay for gaps in your National Insurance record from the past 6 years.

Voluntary National Insurance

Gaps in your National Insurance record

You may get gaps in your record if you do not pay National Insurance or do not get National Insurance credits. This could be because you were:

employed but had low earnings

unemployed and were not claiming benefits

self-employed but did not pay contributions because of small profits

living abroad

You may be able to pay voluntary contributions to fill any gaps if you’re eligible.

Check your record for gaps

Check your National Insurance record to find out:

if you have any gaps

if you’re eligible to pay voluntary contributions

how much it will cost

Contact HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) if you think your National Insurance record is wrong.

Decide if you want to pay voluntary contributions

You may also want to get financial advice before you decide to make voluntary contributions.

Why you might want to pay voluntary contributions

You may want to pay voluntary contributions because:

you’re close to State Pension age and do not have enough qualifying years to get the full State Pension

you know you will not be able to get the qualifying years you need to get the full State Pension during your working life

you’re self-employed and do not have to pay Class 2 contributions because you have low profits

you live outside the UK, but you want to qualify for some benefits

Self-employed people with specific jobs

Some people do not pay Class 2 contributions through Self Assessment, but may want to pay voluntary contributions. These are:

examiners, moderators, invigilators and people who set exam questions

people who run businesses involving land or property

ministers of religion who do not receive a salary or stipend

people who make investments for themselves or others - but not as a business and without getting a fee or commission

Eligibility

You must be eligible to pay voluntary National Insurance contributions for the time that the contributions cover.

You can usually only pay for gaps in your National Insurance record from the past 6 years.

You can sometimes pay for gaps from more than 6 years ago depending on your age.

Who can pay voluntary contributions

These tables explain who’s eligible to pay Class 2 or Class 3 contributions.

Your situation | Which class to pay

Employed but earning under £120 a week and not eligible for National Insurance credits | Class 3

Self-employed with profits under £6,515 | Class 2 or Class 3 - they count towards different benefits

Unemployed and not claiming benefits | Class 3

Married woman or widow who stopped paying reduced rates | Class 3

You cannot pay voluntary contributions if:

you’re eligible for National Insurance credits

you’re a married woman or widow paying reduced rates

If you’re over State Pension age

Your situation | Which class to pay

You’ve reached State Pension age and want to fill in gaps in your National Insurance record | Class 3

Rates

The rates for the 2021 to 2022 tax year are:

£3.05 a week for Class 2

£15.40 a week for Class 3

You usually pay the current rate when you make a voluntary contribution.

If you’re a man born after 5 April 1951 or a woman born after 5 April 1953

You can pay voluntary contributions by 5 April 2023 to make up for gaps between 6 April 2006 and 5 April 2016.

You’ll pay the current rate.

When you pay different rates

Call HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) if you have questions about voluntary National Insurance.

How and when to pay

Find out how to:

pay Class 2 voluntary contributions

pay Class 3 voluntary contributions

If you’re living abroad, read leaflet NI38 and fill in form CF83 (found at the end). Send it back to HMRC using the address on the form.

Deadlines

You can usually pay voluntary contributions for the past 6 years. The deadline is 5 April each year.

You can sometimes pay for gaps from more than 6 years ago, depending on your age.

You’re a man born after 5 April 1951 or a woman born after 5 April 1953

You have until 5 April 2023 to pay voluntary contributions to make up for gaps between April 2006 and April 2016.

You can sometimes pay for gaps from more than 6 years ago depending on your age.

Voluntary National Insurance

Gaps in your National Insurance record

You may get gaps in your record if you do not pay National Insurance or do not get National Insurance credits. This could be because you were:

employed but had low earnings

unemployed and were not claiming benefits

self-employed but did not pay contributions because of small profits

living abroad

You may be able to pay voluntary contributions to fill any gaps if you’re eligible.

Check your record for gaps

Check your National Insurance record to find out:

if you have any gaps

if you’re eligible to pay voluntary contributions

how much it will cost

Contact HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) if you think your National Insurance record is wrong.

Decide if you want to pay voluntary contributions

You may also want to get financial advice before you decide to make voluntary contributions.

Why you might want to pay voluntary contributions

You may want to pay voluntary contributions because:

you’re close to State Pension age and do not have enough qualifying years to get the full State Pension

you know you will not be able to get the qualifying years you need to get the full State Pension during your working life

you’re self-employed and do not have to pay Class 2 contributions because you have low profits

you live outside the UK, but you want to qualify for some benefits

Self-employed people with specific jobs

Some people do not pay Class 2 contributions through Self Assessment, but may want to pay voluntary contributions. These are:

examiners, moderators, invigilators and people who set exam questions

people who run businesses involving land or property

ministers of religion who do not receive a salary or stipend

people who make investments for themselves or others - but not as a business and without getting a fee or commission

Eligibility

You must be eligible to pay voluntary National Insurance contributions for the time that the contributions cover.

You can usually only pay for gaps in your National Insurance record from the past 6 years.

You can sometimes pay for gaps from more than 6 years ago depending on your age.

Who can pay voluntary contributions

These tables explain who’s eligible to pay Class 2 or Class 3 contributions.

Your situation | Which class to pay

Employed but earning under £120 a week and not eligible for National Insurance credits | Class 3

Self-employed with profits under £6,515 | Class 2 or Class 3 - they count towards different benefits

Unemployed and not claiming benefits | Class 3

Married woman or widow who stopped paying reduced rates | Class 3

You cannot pay voluntary contributions if:

you’re eligible for National Insurance credits

you’re a married woman or widow paying reduced rates

If you’re over State Pension age

Your situation | Which class to pay

You’ve reached State Pension age and want to fill in gaps in your National Insurance record | Class 3

Rates

The rates for the 2021 to 2022 tax year are:

£3.05 a week for Class 2

£15.40 a week for Class 3

You usually pay the current rate when you make a voluntary contribution.

If you’re a man born after 5 April 1951 or a woman born after 5 April 1953

You can pay voluntary contributions by 5 April 2023 to make up for gaps between 6 April 2006 and 5 April 2016.

You’ll pay the current rate.

When you pay different rates

Call HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) if you have questions about voluntary National Insurance.

How and when to pay

Find out how to:

pay Class 2 voluntary contributions

pay Class 3 voluntary contributions

If you’re living abroad, read leaflet NI38 and fill in form CF83 (found at the end). Send it back to HMRC using the address on the form.

Deadlines

You can usually pay voluntary contributions for the past 6 years. The deadline is 5 April each year.

You can sometimes pay for gaps from more than 6 years ago, depending on your age.

You’re a man born after 5 April 1951 or a woman born after 5 April 1953

You have until 5 April 2023 to pay voluntary contributions to make up for gaps between April 2006 and April 2016.

Voluntary National Insurance

Gaps in your National Insurance record

You may get gaps in your record if you do not pay National Insurance or do not get National Insurance credits. This could be because you were:

employed but had low earnings

unemployed and were not claiming benefits

self-employed but did not pay contributions because of small profits

living abroad

You may be able to pay voluntary contributions to fill any gaps if you’re eligible.

Check your record for gaps

Check your National Insurance record to find out:

if you have any gaps

if you’re eligible to pay voluntary contributions

how much it will cost

Contact HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) if you think your National Insurance record is wrong.

Decide if you want to pay voluntary contributions

You may also want to get financial advice before you decide to make voluntary contributions.

Why you might want to pay voluntary contributions

You may want to pay voluntary contributions because:

you’re close to State Pension age and do not have enough qualifying years to get the full State Pension

you know you will not be able to get the qualifying years you need to get the full State Pension during your working life

you’re self-employed and do not have to pay Class 2 contributions because you have low profits

you live outside the UK, but you want to qualify for some benefits

Self-employed people with specific jobs

Some people do not pay Class 2 contributions through Self Assessment, but may want to pay voluntary contributions. These are:

examiners, moderators, invigilators and people who set exam questions

people who run businesses involving land or property

ministers of religion who do not receive a salary or stipend

people who make investments for themselves or others - but not as a business and without getting a fee or commission

Eligibility

You must be eligible to pay voluntary National Insurance contributions for the time that the contributions cover.

You can usually only pay for gaps in your National Insurance record from the past 6 years.

You can sometimes pay for gaps from more than 6 years ago depending on your age.

Who can pay voluntary contributions

These tables explain who’s eligible to pay Class 2 or Class 3 contributions.

Your situation | Which class to pay

Employed but earning under £120 a week and not eligible for National Insurance credits | Class 3

Self-employed with profits under £6,515 | Class 2 or Class 3 - they count towards different benefits

Unemployed and not claiming benefits | Class 3

Married woman or widow who stopped paying reduced rates | Class 3

You cannot pay voluntary contributions if:

you’re eligible for National Insurance credits

you’re a married woman or widow paying reduced rates

If you’re over State Pension age

Your situation | Which class to pay

You’ve reached State Pension age and want to fill in gaps in your National Insurance record | Class 3

Rates

The rates for the 2021 to 2022 tax year are:

£3.05 a week for Class 2

£15.40 a week for Class 3

You usually pay the current rate when you make a voluntary contribution.

If you’re a man born after 5 April 1951 or a woman born after 5 April 1953

You can pay voluntary contributions by 5 April 2023 to make up for gaps between 6 April 2006 and 5 April 2016.

You’ll pay the current rate.

When you pay different rates

Call HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) if you have questions about voluntary National Insurance.

How and when to pay

Find out how to:

pay Class 2 voluntary contributions

pay Class 3 voluntary contributions

If you’re living abroad, read leaflet NI38 and fill in form CF83 (found at the end). Send it back to HMRC using the address on the form.

Deadlines

You can usually pay voluntary contributions for the past 6 years. The deadline is 5 April each year.

You can sometimes pay for gaps from more than 6 years ago, depending on your age.

You’re a man born after 5 April 1951 or a woman born after 5 April 1953

You have until 5 April 2023 to pay voluntary contributions to make up for gaps between April 2006 and April 2016.

Voluntary National Insurance

Gaps in your National Insurance record

You may get gaps in your record if you do not pay National Insurance or do not get National Insurance credits. This could be because you were:

employed but had low earnings

unemployed and were not claiming benefits

self-employed but did not pay contributions because of small profits

living abroad

You may be able to pay voluntary contributions to fill any gaps if you’re eligible.

Check your record for gaps

Check your National Insurance record to find out:

if you have any gaps

if you’re eligible to pay voluntary contributions

how much it will cost

Contact HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) if you think your National Insurance record is wrong.

Decide if you want to pay voluntary contributions

You may also want to get financial advice before you decide to make voluntary contributions.

Why you might want to pay voluntary contributions

You may want to pay voluntary contributions because:

you’re close to State Pension age and do not have enough qualifying years to get the full State Pension

you know you will not be able to get the qualifying years you need to get the full State Pension during your working life

you’re self-employed and do not have to pay Class 2 contributions because you have low profits

you live outside the UK, but you want to qualify for some benefits

Self-employed people with specific jobs

Some people do not pay Class 2 contributions through Self Assessment, but may want to pay voluntary contributions. These are:

examiners, moderators, invigilators and people who set exam questions

people who run businesses involving land or property

ministers of religion who do not receive a salary or stipend

people who make investments for themselves or others - but not as a business and without getting a fee or commission

Eligibility

You must be eligible to pay voluntary National Insurance contributions for the time that the contributions cover.

You can usually only pay for gaps in your National Insurance record from the past 6 years.

You can sometimes pay for gaps from more than 6 years ago depending on your age.

Who can pay voluntary contributions

These tables explain who’s eligible to pay Class 2 or Class 3 contributions.

Your situation | Which class to pay

Employed but earning under £120 a week and not eligible for National Insurance credits | Class 3

Self-employed with profits under £6,515 | Class 2 or Class 3 - they count towards different benefits

Unemployed and not claiming benefits | Class 3

Married woman or widow who stopped paying reduced rates | Class 3

You cannot pay voluntary contributions if:

you’re eligible for National Insurance credits

you’re a married woman or widow paying reduced rates

If you’re over State Pension age

Your situation | Which class to pay

You’ve reached State Pension age and want to fill in gaps in your National Insurance record | Class 3

Rates

The rates for the 2021 to 2022 tax year are:

£3.05 a week for Class 2

£15.40 a week for Class 3

You usually pay the current rate when you make a voluntary contribution.

If you’re a man born after 5 April 1951 or a woman born after 5 April 1953

You can pay voluntary contributions by 5 April 2023 to make up for gaps between 6 April 2006 and 5 April 2016.

You’ll pay the current rate.

When you pay different rates

Call HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) if you have questions about voluntary National Insurance.

How and when to pay

Find out how to:

pay Class 2 voluntary contributions

pay Class 3 voluntary contributions

If you’re living abroad, read leaflet NI38 and fill in form CF83 (found at the end). Send it back to HMRC using the address on the form.

Deadlines

You can usually pay voluntary contributions for the past 6 years. The deadline is 5 April each year.

You can sometimes pay for gaps from more than 6 years ago, depending on your age.

You’re a man born after 5 April 1951 or a woman born after 5 April 1953

You have until 5 April 2023 to pay voluntary contributions to make up for gaps between April 2006 and April 2016.

Voluntary National Insurance

Gaps in your National Insurance record

You may get gaps in your record if you do not pay National Insurance or do not get National Insurance credits. This could be because you were:

employed but had low earnings

unemployed and were not claiming benefits

self-employed but did not pay contributions because of small profits

living abroad

You may be able to pay voluntary contributions to fill any gaps if you’re eligible.

Check your record for gaps

Check your National Insurance record to find out:

if you have any gaps

if you’re eligible to pay voluntary contributions

how much it will cost

Contact HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) if you think your National Insurance record is wrong.

Decide if you want to pay voluntary contributions

You may also want to get financial advice before you decide to make voluntary contributions.

Why you might want to pay voluntary contributions

You may want to pay voluntary contributions because:

you’re close to State Pension age and do not have enough qualifying years to get the full State Pension

you know you will not be able to get the qualifying years you need to get the full State Pension during your working life

you’re self-employed and do not have to pay Class 2 contributions because you have low profits

you live outside the UK, but you want to qualify for some benefits

Self-employed people with specific jobs

Some people do not pay Class 2 contributions through Self Assessment, but may want to pay voluntary contributions. These are:

examiners, moderators, invigilators and people who set exam questions

people who run businesses involving land or property

ministers of religion who do not receive a salary or stipend

people who make investments for themselves or others - but not as a business and without getting a fee or commission

Eligibility

You must be eligible to pay voluntary National Insurance contributions for the time that the contributions cover.

You can usually only pay for gaps in your National Insurance record from the past 6 years.

You can sometimes pay for gaps from more than 6 years ago depending on your age.

Who can pay voluntary contributions

These tables explain who’s eligible to pay Class 2 or Class 3 contributions.

Your situation | Which class to pay

Employed but earning under £120 a week and not eligible for National Insurance credits | Class 3

Self-employed with profits under £6,515 | Class 2 or Class 3 - they count towards different benefits

Unemployed and not claiming benefits | Class 3

Married woman or widow who stopped paying reduced rates | Class 3

You cannot pay voluntary contributions if:

you’re eligible for National Insurance credits

you’re a married woman or widow paying reduced rates

If you’re over State Pension age

Your situation | Which class to pay

You’ve reached State Pension age and want to fill in gaps in your National Insurance record | Class 3

Rates

The rates for the 2021 to 2022 tax year are:

£3.05 a week for Class 2

£15.40 a week for Class 3

You usually pay the current rate when you make a voluntary contribution.

If you’re a man born after 5 April 1951 or a woman born after 5 April 1953

You can pay voluntary contributions by 5 April 2023 to make up for gaps between 6 April 2006 and 5 April 2016.

You’ll pay the current rate.

When you pay different rates

Call HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) if you have questions about voluntary National Insurance.

How and when to pay

Find out how to:

pay Class 2 voluntary contributions

pay Class 3 voluntary contributions

If you’re living abroad, read leaflet NI38 and fill in form CF83 (found at the end). Send it back to HMRC using the address on the form.

Deadlines

You can usually pay voluntary contributions for the past 6 years. The deadline is 5 April each year.

You can sometimes pay for gaps from more than 6 years ago, depending on your age.

You’re a man born after 5 April 1951 or a woman born after 5 April 1953

You have until 5 April 2023 to pay voluntary contributions to make up for gaps between April 2006 and April 2016.


I am 48, live in England and hold a full driving license. I have recently been diagnosed with mild angina by my GP, but this is asymptomatic unless I am exercising vigorously. Do I need to tell the DVLA about my angina?

You must tell DVLA if you have a driving licence and:

Medical conditions, disabilities and driving

Telling DVLA about a medical condition or disability

you develop a ‘notifiable’ medical condition or disability

a condition or disability has got worse since you got your licence

Notifiable conditions are anything that could affect your ability to drive safely. They can include:

diabetes or taking insulin

syncope (fainting)

heart conditions (including atrial fibrillation and pacemakers)

sleep apnoea

epilepsy

strokes

glaucoma

How to tell DVLA

Check if you need to tell DVLA about your condition to find the forms or questionnaires you need. The address you need is on the forms.

If you’re in Northern Ireland you must contact the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA).

There are different forms for different conditions and disabilities.

Contact DVLA if you’re not sure what to do.

You could be fined up to £1,000 if you do not tell DVLA about a condition that might affect your ability to drive safely. You could also be prosecuted if you have an accident.

Surrendering your licence

You must surrender your licence to DVLA if any of the following are true:

your doctor tells you to stop driving for 3 months or more

your medical condition affects your ability to drive safely and lasts for 3 months or more

you do not meet the required standards for driving because of your medical condition

You can apply to get your licence back when you meet the medical standards for driving again.

First licence or renewal if you’re 70 or over

You must also tell DVLA about notifiable conditions if you:

apply for your first licence

renew your licence (if you’re 70 or over)

You’ll be asked for this information in your application form. You do not need to contact DVLA separately.

What happens after you tell DVLA

You’ll usually get a decision within 6 weeks. You’ll get a letter from DVLA if it’s going to take longer.

DVLA might:

contact your doctor or consultant

arrange for you to be examined

ask you to take a driving assessment, or an eyesight or driving test

You can usually keep driving while DVLA are considering your application.

If you’ve told DVLA about a condition when applying to renew your licence, follow the guidance about driving that’s in the form.

Contact DVLA if you need advice or to check on your case.

What DVLA will decide

DVLA will assess your medical condition or disability and decide if:

you need to get a new driving licence

you can have a shorter licence - for 1, 2, 3 or 5 years

you need to adapt your car by fitting special controls

you must stop driving and give up your licence

You need to adapt your vehicle

If you’ve been told that you must adapt your car, you get an independent assessment of your adaptation needs through Driving Mobility.

Find out more about adapting your vehicle and where to get special controls fitted through the Research Institute for Disabled Consumers.

You must stop driving

You’ll be given a medical reason why you must stop driving, and be told if and when you can reapply for your licence.

If you disagree with DVLA’s decision

You can write to DVLA if you disagree with the decision to stop you driving. You must be able to provide relevant information that was not included in the original assessment.

You must also include:

proof that you meet the required standards for driving (these are explained in the decision letter DVLA sent you)

the reference number from your decision letter

You can also appeal the decision if you contact your local magistrate’s court within 6 months, or your local sheriff’s court in Scotland within 21 days.

You may want to get legal advice before you appeal - you might be able to get legal aid to pay for it.

You must tell DVLA in writing if you choose to appeal.

Make a complaint

You can make a complaint if you’re unhappy with the service you get from DVLA.

Renewing or reapplying for your licence

How you reapply for or renew your licence depends on if you had to give up your licence, or if you have a short-term licence.

You’ve got a short-term licence

DVLA will send you a renewal letter 90 days before your 1, 2, 3 or 5-year licence is due to expire.

Renew your licence online, or send the renewal reminder back by post.

You gave up your licence and stopped driving

The letter DVLA sends you when your licence is taken away tells you if you have to wait before you can reapply.

You must check with your doctor that you’re fit to drive before you reapply for your licence, if it was taken away because of a medical condition.

you develop a ‘notifiable’ medical condition or disability

Telling DVLA about a medical condition or disability

You must tell DVLA if you have a driving licence and:

a condition or disability has got worse since you got your licence

diabetes or taking insulin

syncope (fainting)

heart conditions (including atrial fibrillation and pacemakers)

sleep apnoea

epilepsy

strokes

glaucoma

How to tell DVLA

If you’re in Northern Ireland you must contact the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA).

There are different forms for different conditions and disabilities.

Contact DVLA if you’re not sure what to do.

Surrendering your licence

You must surrender your licence to DVLA if any of the following are true:

your doctor tells you to stop driving for 3 months or more

your medical condition affects your ability to drive safely and lasts for 3 months or more

you do not meet the required standards for driving because of your medical condition

You can apply to get your licence back when you meet the medical standards for driving again.

First licence or renewal if you’re 70 or over

You must also tell DVLA about notifiable conditions if you:

apply for your first licence

renew your licence (if you’re 70 or over)

What happens after you tell DVLA

DVLA might:

contact your doctor or consultant

arrange for you to be examined

ask you to take a driving assessment, or an eyesight or driving test

You can usually keep driving while DVLA are considering your application.

Contact DVLA if you need advice or to check on your case.

What DVLA will decide

DVLA will assess your medical condition or disability and decide if:

you need to get a new driving licence

you can have a shorter licence - for 1, 2, 3 or 5 years

you need to adapt your car by fitting special controls

you must stop driving and give up your licence

You need to adapt your vehicle

You must stop driving

If you disagree with DVLA’s decision

You must also include:

the reference number from your decision letter

You must tell DVLA in writing if you choose to appeal.

Make a complaint

You can make a complaint if you’re unhappy with the service you get from DVLA.

Renewing or reapplying for your licence

You’ve got a short-term licence

DVLA will send you a renewal letter 90 days before your 1, 2, 3 or 5-year licence is due to expire.

Renew your licence online, or send the renewal reminder back by post.

You gave up your licence and stopped driving

Telling DVLA about a medical condition or disability

You must tell DVLA if you have a driving licence and:

you develop a ‘notifiable’ medical condition or disability

a condition or disability has got worse since you got your licence

diabetes or taking insulin

syncope (fainting)

heart conditions (including atrial fibrillation and pacemakers)

sleep apnoea

epilepsy

strokes

glaucoma

How to tell DVLA

If you’re in Northern Ireland you must contact the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA).

There are different forms for different conditions and disabilities.

Contact DVLA if you’re not sure what to do.

Surrendering your licence

You must surrender your licence to DVLA if any of the following are true:

your doctor tells you to stop driving for 3 months or more

your medical condition affects your ability to drive safely and lasts for 3 months or more

you do not meet the required standards for driving because of your medical condition

You can apply to get your licence back when you meet the medical standards for driving again.

First licence or renewal if you’re 70 or over

You must also tell DVLA about notifiable conditions if you:

apply for your first licence

renew your licence (if you’re 70 or over)

What happens after you tell DVLA

DVLA might:

contact your doctor or consultant

arrange for you to be examined

ask you to take a driving assessment, or an eyesight or driving test

You can usually keep driving while DVLA are considering your application.

Contact DVLA if you need advice or to check on your case.

What DVLA will decide

DVLA will assess your medical condition or disability and decide if:

you need to get a new driving licence

you can have a shorter licence - for 1, 2, 3 or 5 years

you need to adapt your car by fitting special controls

you must stop driving and give up your licence

You need to adapt your vehicle

You must stop driving

If you disagree with DVLA’s decision

You must also include:

the reference number from your decision letter

You must tell DVLA in writing if you choose to appeal.

Make a complaint

You can make a complaint if you’re unhappy with the service you get from DVLA.

Renewing or reapplying for your licence

You’ve got a short-term licence

DVLA will send you a renewal letter 90 days before your 1, 2, 3 or 5-year licence is due to expire.

Renew your licence online, or send the renewal reminder back by post.

You gave up your licence and stopped driving

heart conditions (including atrial fibrillation and pacemakers)

Telling DVLA about a medical condition or disability

You must tell DVLA if you have a driving licence and:

you develop a ‘notifiable’ medical condition or disability

a condition or disability has got worse since you got your licence

diabetes or taking insulin

syncope (fainting)

sleep apnoea

epilepsy

strokes

glaucoma

How to tell DVLA

If you’re in Northern Ireland you must contact the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA).

There are different forms for different conditions and disabilities.

Contact DVLA if you’re not sure what to do.

Surrendering your licence

You must surrender your licence to DVLA if any of the following are true:

your doctor tells you to stop driving for 3 months or more

your medical condition affects your ability to drive safely and lasts for 3 months or more

you do not meet the required standards for driving because of your medical condition

You can apply to get your licence back when you meet the medical standards for driving again.

First licence or renewal if you’re 70 or over

You must also tell DVLA about notifiable conditions if you:

apply for your first licence

renew your licence (if you’re 70 or over)

What happens after you tell DVLA

DVLA might:

contact your doctor or consultant

arrange for you to be examined

ask you to take a driving assessment, or an eyesight or driving test

You can usually keep driving while DVLA are considering your application.

Contact DVLA if you need advice or to check on your case.

What DVLA will decide

DVLA will assess your medical condition or disability and decide if:

you need to get a new driving licence

you can have a shorter licence - for 1, 2, 3 or 5 years

you need to adapt your car by fitting special controls

you must stop driving and give up your licence

You need to adapt your vehicle

You must stop driving

If you disagree with DVLA’s decision

You must also include:

the reference number from your decision letter

You must tell DVLA in writing if you choose to appeal.

Make a complaint

You can make a complaint if you’re unhappy with the service you get from DVLA.

Renewing or reapplying for your licence

You’ve got a short-term licence

DVLA will send you a renewal letter 90 days before your 1, 2, 3 or 5-year licence is due to expire.

Renew your licence online, or send the renewal reminder back by post.

You gave up your licence and stopped driving