Are you a parent who took time off work to care for your children or a loved one with a long-term disability between 1978 and 2010? You may be entitled to a significant financial reward! Martin Lewis, the renowned founder of MoneySavingExpert, has brought to light a state pension error that could potentially net you a whopping £5,000. But here's where it gets controversial...
The error primarily affects women aged 40 to 90, especially those in their 60s and 70s, who took time off work during the specified period. It concerns a benefit called Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP), which is designed to prevent gaps in National Insurance contributions. Without HRP, these women may not receive their full state pension, even though they are entitled to thousands of pounds.
In the video, Lewis emphasizes the importance of checking for backpay. He shares a real-life example of a woman who received £31,000 from HMRC. "This is an important heads-up about a state pension error that mainly affects women between the ages of 40 and 90, and especially those in their 60s and 70s, because it's for people who took time off work between 1978 and 2010 to look after their children or to care for someone who is long-term disabled," he explains.
"You were meant to have got a thing called Home Responsibilities Protection, which should have given you National Insurance years to replace the ones you weren't getting by working, and you need those National Insurance years to get a full state pension. But it's possible over 100,000 women didn't. And whilst the government had been trying to contact those women, it has stopped doing so now, so the onus is on you. To show you how big this could be, Cilla got in touch with me and said, 'I've just received 15 years back pay from HMRC of £31,674 for underpayment of my pension, thank you,'" he said.
So, how can you claim this money? It's quite straightforward. Families were automatically entitled to HRP if they received child benefit for an under-16 child or income support while caring for a sick or disabled person between April 6, 1978, and April 5, 2010. However, if your National Insurance number wasn't linked to your Child Benefit claim at the time, you may have missed out.
To check and apply for HRP, you'll need to go online or apply by post, providing proof of your situation at the time. When applying online, you'll still need to print the application, sign the declaration, and send it to HMRC. The process should take around 15 minutes, and if approved, you may be eligible for a refund. Don't miss out on your well-deserved financial reward! But remember, the clock is ticking, so act now!
