Thousands of people who spent years raising children or caring for relatives could be due a significant State Pension boost because of an old administrative error. HM Revenue & Customs is still tracing cases linked to Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) - a scheme designed to protect carers’ entitlement - after some people’s National Insurance records were not updated correctly.
The issue, highlighted on BBC Morning Live, has already led to sizeable backdated payments for some pensioners once missing credits were found. By the end of March 2025, HMRC had identified 12,379 underpayments and paid around £104million in arrears - an average of £8,377 each - prompting fresh calls for anyone who may be affected to check their record.
What is HRP and who is affected?
HRP was introduced in 1978 and ran until 2010, when it was replaced by National Insurance credits for parents and carers. Under HRP, the rules could reduce the number of qualifying years someone needed to receive the full basic State Pension, recognising time spent out of paid work because of caring responsibilities.
However, HMRC says a particular problem cropped up for some Child Benefit claims made before May 2000. If a claimant did not provide their National Insurance number - which was not compulsory at the time - HRP entitlement may not have been properly transferred onto their National Insurance record. In plain terms, some people did exactly what the system intended, but later discovered those years were missing when their State Pension was worked out.
How much could be owed?
The Government has warned that women in their 60s and 70s are among those most likely to be affected. People who first claimed Child Benefit after May 2000 are not expected to be impacted by this specific issue, because giving a National Insurance number became mandatory from that point.
One case featured on BBC Morning Live showed how large the sums can become. A woman who spent 13 years at home caring for her child in the 1980s later had her record corrected and received more than £35,500. Her weekly pension also rose from £120 to £180.
Despite early estimates that the exercise could ultimately involve far more money, the amount paid so far remains well below the initial projections. The Government previously suggested around £1.15billion could be needed to deal with HRP-related underpayments, but DWP’s latest annual report said activity has been “substantially lower” than first forecast, with £104million paid out by March 2025.
Earlier figures suggested around 194,000 people might be affected, though the Government has stressed these were estimates and the final scale is still unclear. The Public Accounts Committee has previously put the number higher - around 210,000 - and estimated underpayments of about £1.3billion, saying it was “very concerned” that another historic issue had come to light.
Why take-up may be low
DWP-commissioned research has also pointed to reasons why take-up may be low. Some people did not understand letters they received, did not recognise the term Home Responsibilities Protection, or feared the contact could be a scam. Others may have assumed they wouldn’t qualify or found online checks difficult.
There is also a complication with historic records. HMRC says Child Benefit records were routinely deleted five years after a claim ended for data-protection reasons, meaning evidence may no longer exist for everyone who should have qualified. As a result, officials cannot simply identify every affected pensioner and automatically correct all cases.
Who should consider checking?
You may want to check if you:
- claimed Child Benefit for a child under 16 before 2010
- claimed Child Benefit before May 2000 and did not give your National Insurance number
- were the main carer for a child while your partner claimed Child Benefit
- received Income Support as a carer
- cared for someone who was sick or disabled and received certain qualifying benefits
Even if you have not received a letter, you can still check. HMRC provides an online eligibility checker, and applications can also be made using postal form CF411. People already over State Pension age who cannot use the online service can contact the National Insurance helpline on 0300 200 3500.
If missing HRP is confirmed, HMRC can amend the National Insurance record and DWP can recalculate the State Pension. Any underpaid amounts can be paid backdated, and the weekly pension rate may rise going forward.
The amounts can vary widely depending on how many years are missing and someone’s individual pension position, but the average arrears payment identified so far is £8,377. For context, the full new State Pension is £241.30 a week (around £12,548 a year), while the full basic State Pension is £184.90 a week. HMRC also warns tax may be due on higher State Pension payments and on arrears, depending on personal circumstances.
There may also be routes for families to check eligibility and claim arrears on behalf of someone who has died.
