Older women across the UK could be entitled to State Pension back payments due to historic Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) errors. The issue primarily affects women who claimed Child Benefit before May 2000 and whose National Insurance number was not properly linked to their claim.
Home Responsibilities Protection Errors Drive Underpayments
According to the DWP's latest Fraud and Error in the Benefit System report for the financial year ending April 2026, National Insurance contribution errors remain the leading cause of State Pension underpayments. The report highlights that the "main error" within this category concerns the historic recording of Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP), accounting for "£6 in every £10 underpaid due to Contributions". State Pension underpayments stood at 0.3% (£390 million) in the year to April 2026, largely consistent with £430 million the previous year. The DWP confirmed NI contribution errors stayed at 0.1% of total State Pension expenditure.
What Is Home Responsibilities Protection?
HRP was a scheme established between 1978 and 2010 to safeguard the State Pension entitlement of parents and carers. It reduced the number of qualifying years needed to receive a full Basic State Pension while individuals were away from work caring for children or disabled people. However, certain qualifying years were not properly recorded on National Insurance records, affecting State Pension entitlements for many individuals. The problem predominantly impacts women who submitted Child Benefit applications before May 2000 and whose National Insurance number was not accurately linked to their claim.
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."
LEAP Correction Exercise Underway
The DWP and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) are progressing with the Legal Entitlements and Administrative Practice (LEAP) correction exercise to identify those potentially affected, rectify records, and distribute backdated payments along with revised ongoing State Pension payments. HMRC has dispatched more than 370,000 letters—predominantly to women—urging recipients to verify their State Pension payments, as they may be receiving less than they are entitled to. HMRC is using NI records to locate as many individuals as possible who may have qualified for HRP between 1978 and 2010 but have no HRP displayed on their NI record.
Underpayment Rates and Expenditure
The DWP confirmed that the proportion of State Pension claims that were underpaid remained at five in every 100 claims throughout the financial year ending 2026. Total State Pension expenditure climbed to £146.1 billion in the year ending April 2026, up from £136.4 billion the year before. Anyone who believes they might have missing National Insurance contributions linked to HRP is encouraged to review their State Pension forecast and National Insurance record via 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; or 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.
Who Qualified Automatically for HRP
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. If your partner claimed Child Benefit instead of you, you may be able to transfer HRP from them if they do not need it. Married women or widows who paid reduced rate NI contributions (the "small stamp") cannot get HRP for any complete tax year.
If You Were Caring for a Sick or Disabled Person
You can only claim HRP for years 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 Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance at the middle or highest rate for personal care, or 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 before that date. You can still apply if you are over State Pension age, but you will not usually be paid any increase 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, as you automatically get NI credits. Foster carers or kinship carers in Scotland between 2003 and 2010 must apply for HRP if they were not getting Child Benefit, not in paid work, and did not earn enough in a tax year for it to count towards the State Pension. A full overview of HRP is available on GOV.UK.
