Rachel Reeves says ‘we will turn our attention to pensions’
This year, hundreds of thousands of older women could receive a letter from HM Revenue and Customs informing them that their National Insurance (NI) record may contain missing periods of Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP), which has subsequently affected the level of Basic or New State Pension they are entitled to.
The Treasury began issuing these letters nearly a year ago and is collaborating with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to rectify any administrative errors as swiftly as possible.
Approximately 210,000 older individuals – predominantly women – are due a share of underpayments totalling £1.5 billion, equating to around £5,000 each.
Those affected by the error are expected to receive any back payments by the end of next year. The DWP has previously stated that those closest to the State Pension age in their 60s and 70s are being issued letters first.
However, anyone who believes they may have been impacted can check their eligibility online using the self-identification tool on GOV.UK.
The DWP estimates it underpaid between £300 million and £1.5 billion of State Pension due to errors with the recording of HRP. HRP was a scheme designed to protect parents’ and carers’ entitlement to the State Pension and was replaced by NI credits from April 6, 2010, reports the Daily Record.
HMRC is utilising NI records to identify as many people as possible who might have been entitled to HRP between 1978 and 2010 and have no HRP on their NI record.
After May 2000, it became compulsory to include a National Insurance (NI) number on claims, meaning those who claimed after this point will not have been affected. It is believed that tens of thousands of individuals are due an average of £5,000 in back payments.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) stated that personal representatives can claim on behalf of deceased customers. For more information on eligibility and how to claim, visit the dedicated Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) page on GOV.UK.
HMRC and DWP are also running a broader campaign to ensure everyone potentially eligible is aware of the corrections exercise.
The Treasury began issuing these letters nearly a year ago (Image: Getty)
How to use the online HRP tool
Before starting the HRP check, you will be asked if there are gaps in your National Insurance record. If you cannot locate your National Insurance record online or do not know the answers to any of the questions, you can select ‘Do not know’, and guidance on obtaining this information will be provided.
To use the online HRP tool, you may still be able to apply for HRP for full tax years (6 April to 5 April) between 1978 and 2010, if certain conditions were met:
- you were claiming Child Benefit for a child under 16
- you were caring for a child with your partner who claimed Child Benefit instead of you
- you were getting Income Support because you were caring for someone who was sick or disabled
- you were caring for a sick or disabled person who was claiming certain benefits
You can also apply if, for a full tax year between 2003 and 2010, you met certain criteria:
- a foster carer
- caring for a friend or family member’s child (‘kinship carer’) in Scotland
The GOV. UK guidance explains that most people automatically received HRP if they met certain conditions:
- getting Child Benefit in their name for a child under the age of 16 and they had given the Child Benefit Office their National Insurance number
- getting Income Support and they did not need to register for work because they were caring for someone who was sick or disabled
If your partner claimed Child Benefit instead of you
If you reached State Pension age before April 6, 2008, you cannot transfer HRP.
However, it may be possible to transfer HRP from a partner you cohabited with if they claimed Child Benefit while both of you cared for a child under 16 and they do not require the HRP.
They can assign the HRP to you for any ‘qualifying years’ they have on their National Insurance record between April 1978 and April 2010. This will be converted into National Insurance credits.
Married women or widows
You are ineligible for HRP for any complete tax year if you were a married woman or a widow and:
- you had chosen to pay reduced rate Class 1 National Insurance contributions as an employee (commonly known as the small stamp)
- you had chosen not to pay Class 2 National Insurance contributions when self-employed
If you were caring for a sick or disabled person
You can only claim HRP for the years you spent caring for someone with a long-term illness or disability between April 6, 1978 and April 5, 2002.
You must have dedicated at least 35 hours a week to their care and they must have been receiving one of the following benefits:
The benefit must have been paid for 48 weeks of each tax year on or after April 6, 1988 or every week of each tax year before April 6, 1988.
You can still apply if you are over State Pension age. You will not usually be paid any increase in State Pension that may have been due for previous years.
Approximately 210,000 older individuals – predominantly women – are due a share (Image: Getty)
If you were getting Carer’s Allowance
There is no need to apply for HRP if you were receiving Carer’s Allowance. You’ll automatically get National Insurance credits and would not usually have needed HRP.
If you were a foster carer or caring for a friend or family member’s child
You must apply for HRP if, for a full tax year between 2003 and 2010, you were either:
- a foster carer
- caring for a friend or family member’s child (‘kinship carer’) in Scotland
The following conditions must also be met:
- you were not getting Child Benefit
- you were not in paid work
- you did not earn enough in a tax year for it to count towards the State Pension
If you reached State Pension age on or after 6 April 2010.
Any HRP you had for full tax years before April 6, 2010 was automatically converted into National Insurance credits, if you needed them, up to a maximum of 22 qualifying years.
A comprehensive guide to HRP can be found on the GOV.UK website.
