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£11,725 State Pension Boost: 5 Essential Steps To Claim Your Missing Payment From The DWP Correction Exercise

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The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is currently undertaking a massive correction exercise that is set to deliver a significant financial boost to over 400,000 people, primarily women, who were historically underpaid their State Pension. This issue, rooted in errors related to the recording of Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP), is one of the most significant administrative failures in the history of the UK benefits system, with the DWP and HMRC working together to rectify the mistakes. As of December 2025, the government is actively processing cases, with thousands of pensioners already receiving substantial lump sum arrears payments, which in some cases have averaged over £11,000.

The core of the issue lies in missing National Insurance (NI) credits that should have been automatically applied to the records of parents and carers between 1978 and 2010. For those affected, correcting this error means not only a higher weekly State Pension going forward but also a substantial back payment of arrears. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the essential steps to determine if you are one of the hundreds of thousands of people entitled to this crucial payment correction.

Understanding the State Pension Correction: HRP and the DWP Underpayments

The "boost" for 400,000 people is not a new government benefit but a rectification of a long-standing administrative error. This correction exercise, known as the Legal Entitlements and Administrative Practice (LEAP) exercise, is focused on ensuring that all eligible individuals receive the full State Pension they are entitled to.

What is Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP)?

Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) was a scheme that ran from 6 April 1978 to 5 April 2010. Its purpose was to help protect the State Pension entitlement of parents and carers who took time out of work. By receiving HRP, the number of qualifying years needed to receive the full Basic State Pension was reduced.

  • Automatic Qualification: HRP should have been automatically granted to individuals who received Child Benefit for a child under 16, or to those who cared for a sick or disabled person for at least 35 hours a week.
  • The Error: For many years, the DWP failed to correctly record HRP data on individuals' National Insurance (NI) records, particularly for mothers who claimed Child Benefit.
  • The Impact: Missing HRP means missing NI credits for those years, which directly results in a lower State Pension payment than the individual is legally entitled to.

The Scale of the Underpayment

The DWP and HMRC are actively working through a vast number of cases. The overall number of people potentially affected by HRP errors is estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands. As of the latest progress figures published in November 2024, the government has identified thousands of underpayments relating to HRP, with the total amount of arrears paid out reaching hundreds of millions of pounds.

The correction process is complex and involves matching DWP Child Benefit records with HMRC National Insurance records. The average lump sum payment for those whose State Pension has been corrected due to HRP is substantial, reflecting years of lost income. Some reports indicate that the average payout for a related group of underpaid women is around £11,725, highlighting the financial significance of this correction.

5 Essential Steps to Check if You Are Owed a State Pension Boost

While the DWP and HMRC are proactively reviewing records, it is crucial for potentially eligible individuals to take steps to check their entitlement, especially if they are already receiving the State Pension or are approaching State Pension age.

Step 1: Determine Your Eligibility Window

You are most likely to be affected if you are a woman who reached State Pension age before April 6, 2016, and were claiming Child Benefit between the tax years 1978 and 2010. This is the period during which HRP was in effect and the recording errors occurred. Men who were caring for a sick or disabled person during this time may also be eligible for HRP and should check their records.

Step 2: Check Your National Insurance (NI) Record Online

The simplest and most direct way to check for missing HRP is to review your National Insurance record. You can access this through the official GOV.UK website via the "Check your State Pension" service.

  • What to Look For: Review the tax years between 1978 and 2010. If you were a parent or carer during these years, you should see evidence of HRP or NI credits for caring responsibilities. If you see 'gaps' in your record for years when you should have been receiving HRP, this is a red flag.
  • Important Note: The absence of HRP on your NI record does not automatically mean your State Pension is wrong, but it is a strong indicator that a deeper check is required.

Step 3: Verify Your Child Benefit Claims

If your NI record shows gaps, you need to verify your Child Benefit history. HRP was linked to Child Benefit claims. If you claimed Child Benefit, but the HRP credit was not transferred to your NI record, you may be missing out on years of pension entitlement. This often happened if the father claimed the Child Benefit, or if the claim was made before the child’s birth.

Step 4: Contact HMRC to Correct Your Record (Form CF411)

If you believe you are missing HRP, you must contact HMRC, as they are responsible for National Insurance records. You can apply to have your National Insurance record corrected by filling out the official application form, Form CF411, which is available on the GOV.UK website.

  • Required Evidence: When submitting Form CF411, you will need to provide evidence of your Child Benefit claim, such as the Child Benefit number or the child’s birth certificate.
  • The Process: Once HMRC receives the form and verifies your eligibility, they will update your NI record. This change is then communicated to the DWP, which will recalculate your State Pension and issue any lump sum arrears payment you are owed.

Step 5: Contact the DWP for a State Pension Review

If you are already receiving your State Pension and have confirmed a missing HRP entry, you should contact the DWP directly to request a State Pension review. While the DWP is conducting the LEAP exercise automatically, proactively contacting them can ensure your case is addressed promptly.

You will need to ask the DWP to review your State Pension calculation in light of the missing National Insurance credits due to the Home Responsibilities Protection scheme. This action is crucial for securing both the increase in your weekly payment and the significant lump sum payment of arrears.

Topical Authority: Key Entities and Pension Policies

The ongoing State Pension underpayment scandal highlights the complexity of the UK's social security system, involving a number of key government departments and historical policies.

The Legal Entitlements and Administrative Practice (LEAP) Exercise

The LEAP exercise is the formal process established by the DWP to identify and correct all historic State Pension underpayments, not just those related to HRP. The exercise is structured into several categories, including:

  • Category 1: Married women who were automatically entitled to an increase based on their husband’s NI contributions.
  • Category 2: Widows who did not receive the correct increase after their husband’s death.
  • Category 3: Over-80s who did not receive the non-contributory State Pension.
The HRP correction is a separate, major stream of work being conducted jointly by DWP and HMRC, focusing on the National Insurance record errors.

The Shift to National Insurance Credits

It is important to note that the HRP scheme was replaced in April 2010 by a system of National Insurance credits for parents and carers. This replacement system is designed to automatically ensure that those with caring responsibilities continue to build up qualifying years towards their State Pension entitlement without the administrative failures of the past HRP scheme.

The Basic State Pension vs. New State Pension

The HRP correction primarily affects those receiving the Basic State Pension, which applies to individuals who reached State Pension age before April 6, 2016. Those who reached State Pension age after this date are on the New State Pension system, which uses a different calculation method based solely on a person's individual National Insurance record. However, even under the New State Pension, missing NI credits from the HRP years (1978-2010) could still impact the final calculation, making the NI record check essential for everyone.

Conclusion: Act Now to Secure Your Arrears Payment

The State Pension boost for the 400,000 affected individuals is a long-overdue rectification of a systemic error that has deprived parents and carers of their rightful retirement income for years. With average arrears payments reaching into five figures, the financial impact of this correction is life-changing for many pensioners. The responsibility rests with the government to complete the LEAP exercise efficiently, but it is also the responsibility of potentially affected individuals to actively check their National Insurance record and submit Form CF411 if they suspect a missing HRP credit. Do not wait for the DWP to contact you; take the five essential steps outlined above today to secure the full State Pension and lump sum arrears you are legally owed.

£11,725 State Pension Boost: 5 Essential Steps to Claim Your Missing Payment from the DWP Correction Exercise
state pension boost for 400000 people
state pension boost for 400000 people

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