Women may be owed State Pension back payments due to DWP errors

Women may be owed State Pension back payments due to DWP errors Older women in the UK may be owed State Pension back payments following historical DWP errors linked to Home Responsibilities Protection records Older women across the UK could be entitled to payments following historical Department for Work and Pensions mistakes. This matter predominantly impacts women who claimed Child Benefit prior to 2000 and whose National Insurance number wasn't correctly linked to their claim. As reported by the Daily Record, historical errors concerning Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) continue to account for the majority of State Pension underpayments stemming from National Insurance (NI) record problems, based on recent figures published by the DWP. The latest Fraud and Error in the Benefit System report for the financial year ending 2026 found that National Insurance contribution errors remained the leading cause of State Pension underpayments. The report highlighted that the "main error" within this category continued to involve the historic recording of HRP, with such instances representing "£6 in every £10 underpaid due to Contributions". State Pension underpayments stood at 0.3 per cent (£390 million) in the year to April 2026, broadly consistent with £430m in the previous year. The DWP confirmed NI contributions errors remained at 0.1 per cent of total State Pension expenditure. HRP was a scheme created to protect the State Pension entitlement of parents and carers between 1978 and 2010. It reduced the number of qualifying years needed to receive a full Basic State Pension while individuals were absent from work caring for children or disabled people. However, certain qualifying years were not properly recorded on National Insurance records, impacting State Pension entitlements for numerous people. The issue primarily affects women who applied for Child Benefit before May 2000 and whose National Insurance number wasn't correctly linked to their claim. The DWP said: "Some people have not had all eligible years of HRP recorded on their National Insurance records and so have an incomplete record affecting their State Pension entitlement." The report also confirmed that the DWP and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) are continuing with the Legal Entitlements and Administrative Practice (LEAP) correction exercise to locate those potentially impacted, correct records and issue backdated payments alongside updated ongoing State Pension payments. HMRC has sent out more than 370,000 letters - mainly to women - encouraging recipients to check their State Pension payments, as they may be getting less than they're entitled to. HMRC is using NI records to trace as many people as possible who may have qualified for HRP between 1978 and 2010 but have no HRP shown on their NI record. The DWP confirmed that the proportion of State Pension claims that were underpaid stayed at five in every 100 claims throughout the financial year ending 2026. Total State Pension spending soared to £146.1 billion in the year ending April 2026, up from £136.4bn the year before. Anyone who suspects they may have missing National Insurance contributions linked to HRP is urged to check their State Pension forecast and National Insurance record through GOV.UK. How to use the online HRP tool You can apply for HRP, for full tax years (6 April to 5 April) 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 Who qualified automatically for HRP The guidance on GOV.UK explains most people got HRP automatically if they were: - getting Child Benefit in their name for a child under the age of 16 and they had given the Child Benefit Office their National Insurance number - getting Income Support and they did not need to register for work because they were caring for someone who was sick or disabled If your partner claimed Child Benefit instead of you If you reached State Pension age before April 6, 2008, you cannot transfer HRP. However, you may be able to transfer HRP from a partner you lived with if they claimed Child Benefit while you both cared for a child under 16 and they do not need the HRP. They can transfer the HRP to you for any ‘qualifying years’ they have on their National Insurance record between April 1978 and April 2010. This will be converted into National Insurance credits. Married women or widows You cannot get HRP for any complete tax year if you were a married woman or a widow and: - you had chosen to pay reduced rate Class 1 National Insurance contributions as an employee (commonly known as the small stamp) - you had chosen not to pay Class 2 National Insurance contributions when self-employed If you were caring for a sick or disabled person You can only claim HRP for the years you spent caring for someone with a long-term illness or disability between April 6, 1978 and April 5, 2002. You must have spent at least 35 hours a week caring for them and they must have been getting one of the following benefits: - Attendance Allowance - Disability Living Allowance at the middle or highest rate for personal care - Constant Attendance Allowance The benefit must have been paid for 48 weeks of each tax year on or after April 6, 1988 or every week of each tax year before April 6, 1988. You can still apply if you are over State Pension age. You will not usually be paid any increase in State Pension that may have been due for previous years. If you were getting Carer’s Allowance You do not need to apply for HRP if you were getting Carer’s Allowance. You’ll automatically get National Insurance credits and would not usually have needed HRP. If you were a foster carer or caring for a friend or family member’s child You have to apply for HRP 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 All of the following must also be true: - you were not getting Child Benefit - you were not in paid work - you did not earn enough in a tax year for it to count towards the State Pension If you reached State Pension age on or after 6 April 2010 Any HRP you had for full tax years before April 6, 2010 was automatically converted into National Insurance credits, if you needed them, up to a maximum of 22 qualifying years. A full overview of HRP can be found on GOV.UK here.