Overview

• Only 12,379 pensioners have successfully reclaimed arrears, with the DWP paying out £104 million since the correction exercise ended in April.
• The department cut its compensation estimate from £1.2 billion to £29.8 million after projected uptake plunged from 90% to 8%.
• HMRC wrote to 370,000 individuals, including 257,000 already past state pension age, inviting them to correct their records.
• The DWP cites scam worries, complex online processes and low awareness for the low response rate.
• Women in their 60s and 70s, the main recipients of Home Responsibilities Protection credits, have been hit hardest by the underpayments.