According to the Department for Work and Pensions latest July 2022 annual report, more retirees, mainly women, may have been underpaid their state pension if they were out of work for any given period since 1978 due to raising their family.

This was initially brought to the public’s attention back in 2011 by the Former Minister of State for Pensions, Sir Steve Webb. A share of £83 million was then paid out to 36,000 people, meaning that some received an additional £10 increase to their weekly pension payments.

Since the 1978/79 financial year, the UK Government has had a system in place to protect the state pension entitlement for those who may not be earning enough through paid work because they have chosen to raise their family. This system primarily protects mothers across the UK and was originally deemed the ‘Home Responsibilities Protection’.

Since the 2010/11 financial year, those eligible have been able to accrue national insurance credits for the number of years they have been out of work because they have been raising their family (Source: Contract Eye). These credits are important since they count towards the amount of qualifying years needed before you are entitled to receive the state pension.

Last month’s report found however that some may not have reached the minimum number of years required, or have not received the national insurance credits that they should have been due.

For those concerned that this may affect them, it is worth having your national insurance records reviewed if:

• Between April 1978 to March 2010, you cared for a child under the age of 16
• Since April 2010, you cared for a child under the age of 12

In both instances, you must not have been paid, or have been eligible to receive, the reduced ‘married woman’s stamp’.

The easiest way to check if you have received the correct amount of national insurance credits is to look at your own NI record. This can be done by either checking your state pension or checking the record. Furthermore, you can also call the UK’s national insurance helpline on 0300 200 3500.

If you find after close evaluation that some national insurance credits are missing from your record, you must contact the national insurance helpline on 0300 200 3500 and fill in a CF411 form.

“To support your claim, you will need to provide details of the child or children that you have cared for,” explains Rosca.

“If your claim is accurate, the HMRC will update your record with the correct number of national insurance credits. If you have already reached state pension age, the Department for Work and Pensions will be notified. Your state pension will then be assessed and any back-payments will be paid to you.”

“As part of your claim, you’ll need to provide details of the child or children you looked after. HMRC will then update your NI record if you’re entitled. If you’ve already reached state pension age, DWP will be notified and your state pension should be reassessed with any back-payments paid to you.”