HMRC has issued an urgent warning to thousands of Brits who may have been underpaid the state pension following a major administrative error – here’s how to check if you’re affected
HMRC is calling on thousands of older Brits to give their state pension records a once-over after uncovering a whopping clerical blunder. The gaffe revolves around missing Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) marks on some folks’ National Insurance histories.
This little-known nugget, HRP for short, was a nifty way for parents and carers to keep building their state pension stash while off the clock caring for kiddos or kin. But hold onto your hats – it turns out Child Benefit forms filled out pre-Y2K were missing crucial National Insurance digits, potentially leaving thousands in the lurch without the correct dosh.
If HRP isn’t dotting the i’s on your record, you might be owed more retirement wonga than what’s hitting your bank account, reports the Mirror.
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Remember, HRP made that qualifying year bar shrink to nab the state pension. Out with HRP and in with National Insurance credits came 2010, but the fuss is about those past slips.
Over on the social media relic formerly known as Twitter, HMRC’s giving a shout-out: “If you claimed Child Benefit before May 2000, you may be missing Home Responsibility Protection (HRP) from your National Insurance record. Claiming now may increase your State Pension. Complete our eligibility checker and see if you can claim.”
If you’re impacted by this mistake, you could be due an average of £5,000, with the DWP set to pay out over £1billion in back payments. HMRC is currently tracking down more than 180,000 pensioners who may have been underpaid – but it’s estimated that 43,000 of those affected have passed away.
The main criteria for qualifying for a year of HRP from 1978 are: You had to be receiving child benefit in your own name (not that of a spouse or partner), your child was under 16 for the entire financial year in question, and you were not paying the married woman’s ‘reduced stamp’.
If you suspect you’ve missed out, you should first check your state pension and your National Insurance record. For those who reached pension age after April 5, 2010, any year of HRP/credits should be showing as a complete year on your National Insurance record.
If not, then you may have missed out. The Government has also launched an online checker tool on GOV.UK to see if you’re likely to be eligible to make a claim.
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