State pension errors and underpayments – are you owed money?

Thousands of parents and carers who took time out of work to look after children before 2010 could be missing out on state pension payments due to gaps in their National Insurance records – and only a small number have been paid so far.

New figures show that just 12,379 people have received back payments due to missing credits linked to Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP).

Here, Which? explains what’s gone wrong and how to check whether you’re affected.

What caused the HPR error?

HRP was introduced to help parents and carers build up state pension entitlement while they were out of work and looking after children or disabled adults between 1978 and 2010.

However, in many cases, these credits were never properly recorded on people’s National Insurance records, especially where child benefit claims made before May 2000 didn’t include a National Insurance number.

As a result, some people, mostly women, may now be receiving less state pension than they should.

In 2010, HRP was replaced by National Insurance credits, which now automatically protect your state pension entitlement if you’re claiming child benefit and provide your National Insurance number.

• Find out more: how much is the state pension?

What's being done to fix the error?

The correction work is being carried out jointly by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). It involves identifying people affected by missing HRP credits and updating their National Insurance records, so their state pension can be recalculated.

In its previous annual report, the DWP estimated that around 194,000 people could be affected by the HRP error and set aside £1.15bn to address the issue

As of 31 March this year, 12,379 people had been repaid a total of £104m, with an average repayment of £8,377. 

Letters have been sent to people already over state pension age, with HMRC continuing to contact others who may be eligible. 

In total, 370,018 letters had been issued as of March 2025. However, in many cases, a manual application is still needed before payments can be made.

The government expects the correction process to continue until at least 2027-28.

• Find out more: your state pension forecast explained.

Why many eligible people haven’t claimed

In a separate report published alongside the latest figures, the government explored why so few people contacted about the error have gone on to take action.

It found that many recipients didn’t understand the letters or recognise the term HRP, while others were concerned the communication might be a scam. 

The process also relied heavily on online tools, which some people found difficult to access or navigate. 

In many cases, people made assumptions about their eligibility and chose not to respond, rather than using the government’s online checker.

• Find out more: how you qualify for the state pension.

Make your money go further

Find the best deals, avoid scams, and grow your savings with our expert guidance. From only £4.99 a month.

Join Which? Money

Cancel anytime.

How to check if you're affected

If you spent time caring for children or disabled adults between 1978 and 2010, you may be missing National Insurance credits that should count towards your state pension.

Even if you haven’t received a letter, you can still check your record. The government has an online tool to help you find out whether you need to apply for missing HRP years. 

If you're eligible, HMRC can update your record, and the DWP will recalculate your state pension entitlement.

Those who are already over state pension age and unable to apply online can call the National Insurance helpline on 0300 200 3500 for support.

You can also check your National Insurance record and request a state pension forecast to see if you have any gaps.

• Find out more: should you top up your state pension?

What about other state pension errors?

The HRP issue is separate from another state pension correction programme that focused on specific groups who were underpaid due to historic government errors.

This wider review, known as the Legal Entitlements and Administrative Practices (LEAP) exercise, looked at married women, widows and people over the age of 80 whose state pension hadn't been updated correctly.

According to the latest government figures, the DWP has now completed this work. 

Between January 2021 and March 2025, it identified 130,948 underpayments, with a total of £804.7m repaid. The review covered three main groups:

• Married women who didn't receive the correct pension based on their husband's contributions
  Widow and widowers whose pension wasn't increased after bereavement
  People of the age of 80 who are entitled to a minimum weekly amount, regardless of their National Insurance record.

Widowed pensioners received the highest average payments – more than £11,700 each – while married women received around £5,500 and those over the age of 80 received just over £2,200.

• Find out more: National Insurance, benefits and the state pension.

Retirement newsletter

Free tips to help you make the right choices when planning for your future

Sign up