Overview

• A joint DWP–HMRC review has corrected 12,379 State Pension underpayments, distributing £104 million in arrears with an average award of £8,377 per claimant.
• Administrative failures between 1978 and 2010, including missing NI numbers on early Child Benefit forms, left hundreds of thousands of carers without Home Responsibilities Protection credits.
• HMRC has sent over 370,000 letters—predominantly to women—notifying them of potential underpayments, but most recipients have not submitted claims.
• Research attributes low uptake to confusing jargon in communications, fear of scams and reliance on digital application methods, prompting calls for clearer guidance.
• Eligible individuals can still claim missing HRP for qualifying years via the online GOV.UK service or by posting form CF411, with all cases due to be resolved by March 2027.