HMRC 'you will get a letter' update over state pension underpayments - The Mirror

HMRC 'you will get a letter' update over state pension underpaymentsPeople could be owed thousands of pounds due to a mistake on their recordCommentsFeaturesNicholas Dawson04:53, 21 May

2025State pensioners have been urged to check if they are owed payments(Image: Getty) HMRC has said it will be writing to people who could be owed state pension payments. The issue came to

light after a person asked the tax authority over social media about the case of their mother, who was affected by a historical issue in the 1980s and 1990s relating to her child support.

They are likely referring to the issue Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP), as thousands of people are thought to be affected as they were missing this from their National Insurance (NI)

record. The problem affects mostly women, as HRP was put on people's record when they were out of work with caring responsibilities, such as caring for children, to ensure they had their NI

contributions towards their state pension.

‌ Previous Government estimates suggest the average underpayments payout is £7,800, and your current state pension entitlement could also be increased once your record is corrected with the

missing HRP. Responding to the customer, HMRC said: "We're writing to anyone affected by this so your mother should receive a letter in due course.

‌State pensioners have been urged to check if they are owed funds(Image: Getty) "Your mother needs to check her National Insurance record. If you need any further information you'll need to

contact the NI helpline."

Article continues below HMRC has already been sending out letters to people who may be affected, to invite them to apply for HRP so it can be added to their record. The HRP scheme ran from

1986 to 2010, after which it was replaced by NI credits. However, from 2000 it became mandatory to have a NI number on claims, so if you made a claim for HRP after this point you will not

have been affected.

The latest DWP figures show there was a total of £450million in underpayments in the 2024/2025 tax year, with most of these relating to the HRP issue. Fluer Iannazzo, money wellbeing expert

and coach at Aon, urged people to verify if they are owed payments. She said: "Anyone who thinks they might’ve been underpaid their state pension due to missing Home Responsibilities

Protection (HRP) years should act now.

HMRC is writing to people who may be owed cash(Image: Getty)Article continues below "The form to apply [for HRP] is CF411 and is found on the Government’s website, with help also available

online or through the Department for Work and Pensions’ helpline. It can also be a good idea to get a trusted friend or family member to support you with this process."

Another financial expert, Kristian Manton from Octopus Money, also urged people to check over their NI record to see if they are owed cash. He said: "If you suspect you’ve been underpaid -

or a relative has - the first step is to check your National Insurance record and state pension entitlement via your personal tax account on the Government Gateway.

"Compare this against what you’ve been receiving. If there’s a discrepancy, contact the DWP to have it reviewed."