Thousands of people - mostly mums - are due money back from historic State Pension errors, as HMRC has sent out 311,000 letters to people who could be missing out.
The letters are aimed at parents and carers who may be missing Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) from their National Insurance records, potentially leaving them with a lower State Pension than they should receive.
HMRC says the latest mailout will run until the end of March 2027, with 215,000 letters going to people who have already reached State Pension age.
The department says the letters will include a claim form for the first time, making it easier for people to apply for HRP without having to download or print the paperwork themselves.
Official figures show that more than 25,000 people have had HRP added to their National Insurance records since HMRC began sending letters in September 2023. Nearly all were above State Pension age, and they have received a share of more than £100million in pension arrears.
The average arrears payment has been around £8,000, although the amount an individual receives depends on their circumstances and whether they are eligible.
Who could be owed State Pension arrears?
Home Responsibilities Protection was introduced to help protect the State Pension entitlement of parents and carers who took time away from paid employment to raise children or care for others.
People who claimed Child Benefit between 1978 and May 2000 may be affected if HRP is missing from their National Insurance records.
During this period, people claiming Child Benefit were not always required to provide their National Insurance number. HMRC says that while HRP was automatically added to the records of people who supplied their NI number, some people who did not provide it may have missed out.
HRP reduced the number of qualifying years a person needed on their National Insurance record to receive a full basic State Pension.
The scheme was replaced by National Insurance credits in 2010, meaning people who started claiming Child Benefit after that date will not be affected by this particular issue.
HMRC sends 311,000 new letters
HMRC and the Department for Work and Pensions have been contacting people who may be missing HRP for the past three years.
The department says it has already sent 340,000 letters inviting people to check whether they qualify. Following a successful trial of a revised letter, a further 311,000 are being sent out by next March.
The latest letters will include the CF411 claim form, which recipients can complete with their personal details and return by post.
HMRC says checking eligibility online remains the quickest option for people who can use the service. Claimants can use the GOV.UK eligibility tool to check whether they may be missing HRP and submit a claim online.
Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC's chief customer officer, said: “We're hopeful that by including the claim form in the letter, people are more likely to fill it in, send it back and find out quickly and easily whether their entitlement will increase on retirement or, if they've reached State Pension age, they're owed a payout.”
Pensioners with income up to the value of the full new state pension (to be £13,040 from April 2027) will not pay tax. Mechanism not stated, I suspect there will be an effective increased pensioner allowance with a clawback for income above that. More when I know more. #Budget2026
— Martin Lewis (@MartinSLewis) October 28, 2026
Making a claim for HRP is free
HMRC says people do not need to use a third-party company to check their eligibility or submit an application, meaning they can avoid paying a firm a share of any arrears they receive.
Anyone who needs help can call the National Insurance Helpline on 0300 200 3500. Further support is also available online.
Why some people did not respond to earlier letters
Research published by the Department for Work and Pensions in May 2025, based on work carried out by Verian, examined why some people did not respond to the earlier campaign.
The research identified several possible reasons, including fears that letters could be scams, confusion about the terminology used and uncertainty about whether the recipient was eligible for money.
Some people struggled to understand how HRP related to their own circumstances. Others were concerned that making a claim could leave them worse off or lacked confidence in completing the process online.
The findings highlight the challenge of reaching people who may be entitled to arrears but do not realise that the letters apply to them.
Elaine Walker, director of AskRose, said: “The government's own research tells us exactly why so many people didn't respond last time.
"Letters didn't arrive, people didn't think they applied to them, they couldn't see what they stood to gain, and many understandably feared the letter was a scam.”
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How to check your National Insurance record
HMRC is encouraging people who have retired or are approaching retirement to check their National Insurance records for gaps that could affect their State Pension entitlement.
The main steps are:
- Check your National Insurance record through GOV.UK.
- Use HMRC's online HRP eligibility tool to see whether you may be affected.
- If you receive an HMRC letter, complete and return the enclosed CF411 form, or submit a claim online.
- Contact the National Insurance Helpline on 0300 200 3500 if you need help.
Not everyone who checks their record will be entitled to arrears. The amount, if any, will depend on their National Insurance history and individual circumstances.
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