Millions of women born between 1950s and 1960s to get £5k by end of 2025

Hundreds of thousands of older women could receive a crucial letter from HM Revenue and Customs before the end of this year - and it's important to take note of it.

The letter will inform them that their National Insurance (NI) record may contain missing periods of Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP), which has affected the level of Basic or New State Pension they are entitled to. The Treasury began issuing these letters over a year ago and is working with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to rectify any administrative errors as swiftly as possible.

Some 210,000 individuals - predominantly women - are due a share of underpayments totalling £1.5 billion, which is the equivalent 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 also 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 affected can check their eligibility online using the self-identification tool on

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

HMRC is using 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, so those claiming after this point will not have been affected. It's estimated that tens of thousands of people 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 HMRC and DWP are also conducting a wider campaign to ensure everyone who may be eligible is aware of the corrections exercise.

Before you start the HRP check, you'll be asked if you have gaps in your National Insurance record. If you're unsure, you can select 'Do not know' and you'll be guided on how to obtain this information.

How 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, under certain conditions.

• 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 were either:

• a foster carer
• caring for a friend or family member’s child (‘kinship carer’) in Scotland

The guidance on explains that most people automatically received HRP under certain circumstances.

• 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 and you reached State Pension age before April 6, 2008, you cannot transfer HRP.

However, you may be able to transfer HRP from a partner you lived with if they claimed Child Benefit while you both cared for a child under 16 and they do not need the HRP.

You can have the HRP transferred to you for any 'qualifying years' on their National Insurance record between April 1978 and April 2010. This will be converted into National Insurance credits.

However, if you were a married woman or a widow, you cannot receive HRP for any complete tax year if:

• 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 cared for them for at least 35 hours a week and they have to been getting one of the following benefits:

• Attendance Allowance
• Disability Living Allowance at the middle or highest rate for personal care
• Constant Attendance Allowance

They must have been receiving one of the following benefits for at least 48 weeks of each tax year after April 6, 1988 or every week of each tax year before that date.

You can still apply if you are over State Pension age, but you will not usually be paid any increase in State Pension that may have been due for previous years.

If you were receiving Carer's Allowance, you do not need to apply for HRP as 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 have to apply for HRP.

All of the following must also be true:

• 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 Home Responsibilities Protection (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 on HRP can be found on the website.

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