Thousands of state pensioners across the UK could receive arrears up to £8,300 from the HMRC due to a major administrative oversight in the state pension system. According to the latest HMRC figures, over £100 million has already been paid to solve the historical mistakes involving National Insurance records, with an average payment of £8,377 per person.
A joint investigation conducted by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and HMRC uncovered more than 12,000 cases of state pension underpayments between early 2024 and March 2025, primarily affecting women. The issue stems from missing Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) credits on National Insurance records —credits that were intended to safeguard the pensions of parents and carers who paused their careers between 1978 and 2010. Due to gaps in record-keeping, many eligible years were not properly credited, leading to reduced state pension entitlements.
In response, more than 370,000 letters have been sent to potentially affected individuals, alerting them that they may be owed money.
However, according to the Government research, many of the beneficiaries have not claimed the amount, either because the letters were confusing, mistaken for scams, or because the online application process proved too difficult, reports GB News.
Government officials are currently examining National Insurance records from 1978 to 2010 to identify individuals who should have received HRP credits but are missing them.
According to the experts, several people have been left confused over the usage of technical jargon, such as “Home Responsibilities Protection” making it difficult to understand what it actually means.
Helen Morrissey, who specialises in retirement analysis at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: “Many people have decided not to take action because they fear doing so might actually reduce their state pension,or they were scared that they had been targeted by scammers. Encouraging people to check their State Pension record to see if there are any gaps is vital – if there are mistakes, then they have time to correct them.”
People who notice gaps in their National Insurance record that match periods when they received benefits like Child Benefit can apply to have those years added for free. Others may choose to make voluntary payments to increase their pension.
An online tool is available to help people check if they’re eligible to apply for Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) between 1978 and 2010.
The Government has set clear rules for who can claim, including those who received Child Benefit for children under 16, cared while their partner claimed the benefit, received Income Support for caring, or looked after someone who was sick or disabled and receiving certain benefits.