Older women across the UK could be entitled to State Pension back payments due to historical errors by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The issue primarily affects women who claimed Child Benefit before May 2000 and whose National Insurance number was not correctly linked to their claim.
Historical HRP Errors Drive Underpayments
According to the DWP's latest Fraud and Error in the Benefit System report for the financial year ending 2026, National Insurance contribution errors remain the leading cause of State Pension underpayments. The report highlights that the main error within this category involves the historic recording of Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP), 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 £430 million in the previous year. The DWP confirmed that NI contributions errors remained at 0.1 per cent of total State Pension expenditure.
What Is Home Responsibilities Protection?
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 DWP stated: "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."
Corrective Actions Underway
The DWP and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) are continuing 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 are 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 £136.4 billion the year before.
How to Check and Apply for HRP
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. You can apply for HRP for full tax years 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 or a kinship carer in Scotland.
Automatic Qualification
Most people got HRP automatically if they were getting Child Benefit in their name for a child under 16 and had given the Child Benefit Office their National Insurance number, or if they were getting Income Support and did not need to register for work because they were caring for someone sick or disabled.
Transferring HRP from a Partner
If your partner claimed Child Benefit instead of you, you may be able to transfer HRP from them if they do not need it. However, if you reached State Pension age before April 6, 2008, you cannot transfer HRP.
Married Women or Widows
You cannot get HRP for any complete tax year if you were a married woman or widow who paid reduced rate Class 1 NI contributions (the small stamp) or chose not to pay Class 2 NI contributions when self-employed.
Caring for a Sick or Disabled Person
You can claim HRP for years spent caring for someone with a long-term illness or disability between April 6, 1978 and April 5, 2002, provided you spent at least 35 hours a week caring and the person received certain benefits, such as Attendance Allowance or Disability Living Allowance at the middle or highest rate.
If you were getting Carer's Allowance, you do not need to apply for HRP as you automatically get NI credits. Foster carers or kinship carers in Scotland must apply for HRP for tax years between 2003 and 2010.
If you reached State Pension age on or after April 6, 2010, any HRP you had for full tax years before April 6, 2010 was automatically converted into NI credits, up to a maximum of 22 qualifying years.
