DWP urge to check £8,300 to State Pensioners – Payments are potentially worth thousands of pounds

State pensioners have been advised to check whether they are owed back payments from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), potentially worth thousands of pounds.

This follows a report from the charitable group Independent Age, which has raised awareness about historical underpayments. Some pensioners may have had their payments “miscalculated and underpaid.”

Historical State Pension Underpayments: Who Could Be Affected?

According to the guidance from Independent Age, some state pensioners—especially women who paid reduced National Insurance (NI) rates—could be affected by these underpayments.

The group explained that although most people who qualify for the basic state pension and state pension top-ups have these calculated automatically, some have experienced issues. Specifically, women who had reduced NI rates due to various reasons might have been underpaid.

The guidance recommends that if you believe your state pension may have been miscalculated or underpaid, you should contact the Pension Service and ask them to recalculate your state pension.

This applies whether you’re currently claiming your state pension or have delayed your claim. Additionally, you can contact a helpline to speak to an advisor who can assist you with the process.

What is Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP)?

The issue of underpayment primarily affects individuals who were missing Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) from their National Insurance (NI) record.

HRP was a scheme that allowed people to receive National Insurance credits when they were not in paid work, such as when they were caring for children or other family members. The missing HRP has led to underpayments for some pensioners, particularly women.

HMRC is actively reaching out to individuals who may have been affected by this missing HRP. Between January 8, 2024, and March 31, 2025, approximately 12,379 underpayments due to incorrect NI records are expected to be corrected, with around £104 million in arrears already paid out. The average amount received per person has been reported at £8,377.

Who May Be Affected by Missing HRP?

HRP was available to eligible individuals between 1978 and 2010. If your NI record is missing this information from those years, you may have been underpaid.

Those who claimed HRP after May 2000 and included their NI number in their claim were not impacted by this issue. However, if you are unsure whether you were affected, you can apply for HRP for the missing years via the gov.uk website.

You may still be eligible for HRP if you meet any of the following conditions during the tax years between 1978 and 2010:

• 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 receiving Income Support because you were caring for a sick or disabled person.
• You were caring for a sick or disabled person who was claiming certain benefits.
• You were a foster carer or a kinship carer (caring for a family member’s or friend’s child) in Scotland during the years between 2003 and 2010.

If you are a pensioner and believe you may have been underpaid due to miscalculated state pension payments or missing HRP, it is important to take action and contact the Pension Service.

With HMRC working to identify affected individuals, there is a possibility that you could be entitled to back payments worth thousands of pounds. Make sure to check your records and apply for any missing payments to ensure you receive what you are owed.

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