Tens of thousands of people in the UK may be eligible for up to \u00a35,000 in backdated State Pension payments, linked to missing Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) records covering the years between 1978 and 2010. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This issue relates to potential gaps in pension credits, which were meant to safeguard entitlements for parents and carers during periods out of paid work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to DevonLive<\/a><\/em>, HMRC has begun contacting individuals it believes may have been affected, although many could remain unaware due to missing or incomplete data. The government is urging people to review their National Insurance history to ensure no entitlements have been overlooked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) estimates that between \u00a3300 million and \u00a31.5 billion in State Pension entitlements have been underpaid. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This stems from errors in recording HRP, a system which existed from 6 April 1978 to 5 April 2010, and was meant to protect the National Insurance (NI) records of parents and carers. HRP was replaced by NI credits starting 6 April 2010.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the Permanent Secretary, Peter Schofield, more than \u00a3700 million has already been repaid, and efforts to identify and compensate those affected are ongoing, though hindered by limited data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A spokesperson for Robson Laidler explained: <\/p>\n\n\n\n It is estimated tens of thousands of people are due an average of \u00a35,000 in back payments. HMRC and DWP are also conducting a wider campaign to ensure that everyone who may be eligible is aware of the corrections exercise.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Those most likely to be affected are people who claimed Child Benefit<\/a> before May 2000, when it was not mandatory to provide a National Insurance number. This often resulted in missing HRP credits, even if the claimant was eligible. Affected groups include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you reached State Pension age on or after 6 April 2010, HRP<\/a> credits for full years before that date should have been automatically converted into NI credits, up to a limit of 22 qualifying years. Still, incorrect or missing records remain a possibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to HMRC\u2019s policy of deleting Child Benefit claims after five years, there is no definitive list of affected individuals. HMRC<\/a> is contacting people based on the data that remains. As the department itself admits, some eligible individuals may never receive a letter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As HMRC explained:<\/p>\n\n\n\n HMRC will send you a letter if we think you may have missing Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP). <\/p>\n\n\n\n We want to help you make sure you receive the right amount of State Pension, so we\u2019re asking you to check if you were eligible for HRP between 1978 and 2010. You may have been eligible if you received Child Benefit for a child under 16.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The letter will tell you how you can check if you\u2019re eligible to claim missing Home Responsibilities Protection and how to make a claim.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nLarge-Scale Pension Underpayments Revealed<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Who Could Be Missing HRP Credits<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The Problem With Deleted Records<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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How to Check and Claim<\/h2>\n\n\n\n