The DWP miscalculated some people’s state pension entitlement resulting in large underpayments
State pensioners have been urged to check if they are owed cash(Image: Getty)
State pensioners have been urged to check if they are owed back payments from the DWP that could be worth thousands of pounds. Charitable group Independent Age has shared some information about the historical underpayments, stating that some people’s payments have been “miscalculated and underpaid”.
The guidance explains: “If you qualify for basic state pension and can claim state pension ‘top-ups’, these are usually calculated for you. But some people – particularly women who paid reduced National Insurance (NI) rates – may have had their state pension miscalculated and underpaid.
“If you think this affects you, contact the Pension Service to ask them to recalculate your state pension. You can do this whether you’re claiming or delaying your State Pension. You can also contact our helpline to arrange to speak to an adviser.”
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HMRC is contacting people who may have been affected by an issue, mostly affecting women, where Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) was missing from their NI record. HRP was a previous scheme where this was marked on your record so you received NI credits while you were out of work, such as with caring responsibilities like looking after children.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), which is working with HMRC over the matter, says its figures show that between January 8, 2024 and March 31, 2025, there were 12,379 underpayments due to NI records being incorrect. Some £104million in arrears have been paid out to date, with an average payment of £8,377.
You may have been affected if you were entitled to HRP between 1978 and 2010, when the scheme was operating, and if it was missing from your record. HMRC is combing over NI records to try to identify those affected.
The Department for Work and Pensions(Image: Getty)
If you made a claims for HRP after May 2000, you had to include your NI number, so you will not have been impacted by this issue. You can put in a claim for HRP for the years you were missing it on the gov.uk website.
You may still be able to apply for HRP, for the full tax years (April 6 to 5) between 1978 and 2010, if any of the following were true:
- You were claiming Child Benefit for a child under 16
- You were caring for a child with your partner who claimed Child Benefit instead of you
- You were getting Income Support because you were caring for someone who was sick or disabled
- You were caring for a sick or disabled person who was claiming certain benefits
You can also apply if, for a full tax year between 2003 and 2010, you were either:
- a foster carer
- caring for a friend or family member’s child (‘kinship carer’) in Scotland