Self employment and benefits - Self employed people and national insurance
If you or your partner are working, or thinking of starting work, as a self employed person you might qualify for welfare benefits to top up your income.
Self employed people and national insurance
National insurance is a scheme in which working people make payments that count towards certain benefits. If you are self employed, you are responsible for paying your own national insurance contributions. As a self-employed person, you will usually pay Class 2 national insurance contributions (NICs) and you will also have to pay Class 4 NICs if you earn above a certain amount.
For information about the benefits your contributions count towards, read our guide on National Insurance Contributions.
For more information, see the Low Incomes Tax Reform Group's Tax and National Insurance pages for people who are self employed.
Reviewed: April 2022
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