DWP state pension error sees tens of thousands of people owed £1,000s

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Pensioners across the country could be missing out on thousands of pounds due to a DWP error. Those affected by the issue who could be owed cash from their retirement include those who claimed Child Benefit before 2000 and have gaps in their National Insurance records as a result.

In an effort to track down those affected, mainly women, HMRC has issued hundreds of thousands of letters to those over the state pension age.

The DWP estimates it underpaid between £300 million and £1.5 billion of State Pension due to errors with the recording of Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP).

HRP was a scheme designed to help protect parents' and carers' entitlement to the State Pension and was replaced by NI credits from April 6, 2010.