If you’re a woman in your 60s or 70s, you might be owed a hefty sum from your State Pension – and you may not even know it.
The UK government recently discovered that hundreds of thousands of people – mostly women – were underpaid for their state pension due to missing records of something called Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP).
HRP was a system used between 1978 and 2010 to protect parents (especially mothers) and carers from losing out on their pensions while they were out of work looking after children or vulnerable people. But for many, this information wasn’t properly recorded by HMRC (Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs), which led to lower pension payments.
Who Is Affected?
- Mainly women aged between 60 and 79.
- Especially those who took time off work to raise children or care for family members between 1978 and 2010.
- People who claimed Child Benefits without including a National Insurance (NI) number before May 2000.
- Those who are already receiving their State Pension or are nearing pension age.
How Much Money Could You Get?
On average, people who were underpaid are owed £7,859 each. Some could receive even more, depending on how long the HRP error lasted on their record.
So far:
- Over 42,000 people have received a total of £42 million in back payments.
- More than 370,000 letters have already been sent out by HMRC to notify affected individuals.
How Did This Happen?
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and HMRC started looking into this problem in 2022. They launched a corrections project known as LEAP (Legal Entitlements and Administrative Practice) to fix pension records and send out the money owed.
Many National Insurance records were missing HRP details due to outdated systems, especially before May 2000, when NI numbers were not required on claims.
How Can You Check If You’re Owed Money?
You don’t have to wait for a letter. You can use the official online tool provided by the UK government to check if you’re affected.
If you’re found to be eligible, you can apply to have your NI record corrected, and the DWP will recalculate your pension and pay you the backdated amount.
When Will You Get the Money?
The DWP plans to complete all back payments by the end of this year (2025). Priority is being given to those closest to retirement age or already receiving a pension.
Why This Matters
For many older women – especially those who spent years raising families – this correction is a long-overdue recognition of their unpaid labor. It could make a big difference in their day-to-day finances.
How can I check if I’m eligible