- Taxman allows reclaim specialists but advisers say thousands may have already died waiting for their fair share
It’s feared that thousands of mums and grandmas may have died before receiving state pension repayments they were entitled to following HMRC errors – as the taxman announces that more claims are now being processed.
The issue centres on Home Responsibilities Protection, a scheme introduced to protect the state pension rights of parents who left work or reduced their employment to care for children. Historic errors meant that some HRP entitlement was not correctly recorded, leaving thousands of women with lower state pensions than they should have received.
Pension reclaim specialists AskRose, which supports 100,000 women potentially affected by the issue, says that dozens of its clients have passed away since beginning the claims process.
It warns that many other claimants are elderly, in poor health or vulnerable and that timely resolution of outstanding cases is essential to ensure those entitled receive their pension corrections during their lifetime.
HMRC has now announced that claimants using reclaim specialists, like AskRose, will now be able to apply for their fair share of the pension pot, with the average claim value being £8,377*.
This follows the government tax body’s attempt in 2023 to write to every affected pensioner in the UK. They expected a 90% uptake in claims – but the letters gathered a response rate of just eight per cent. The Department for Work and Pensions set aside £1.2 billion for the claims.
AskRose is calling for the claims process to be as efficient as possible so that eligible women can receive the pension payments to which they are entitled without unnecessary delay.
Elaine Walker, Director of AskRose, said: “While we welcome HMRC’s belated decision to allow approved and vetted reclaims specialists to assist these elderly claimants, we really hope that they can keep the process as efficient as possible for the sake of the women involved.
“In the time it has taken for them to open this process up, too many of our clients have sadly passed away before being able to claim the money they were owed. They were left, in some cases, for more than 15 years without a fair pension and were then unable to even enjoy getting their recompense.
“These are the people who cared for the younger generations and are now suffering because of a government error. They brought us up; the least that we can do is make sure they don’t get punished for that in their dotage.”
The age of most of those able to claim is 60-79 years. Approximately one in 10 women (more than 55,000) in that age group die every year.
HRP explained: Before 2010, you needed 39 qualifying years of National Insurance contributions if you were a woman, or 44 years if you were a man, to receive a full basic State Pension. HRP reduced that number year by year. Each year of HRP removed one year from the total required, up to a maximum of 22 years.
You could qualify if you:
- Claimed Child Benefit for a child under 16.
- Were a partner of someone who claimed Child Benefit while you were the main carer.
- Received Income Support as a carer.
- Looked after someone who was sick or disabled and receiving certain benefits.
You can check your eligibility by calling HMRC on 0300 200 3500 or using the government’s online tool or by contacting AskRose who will complete the claims process for you for a small percentage of the ‘back-pay’ of the pension but none of the future payments.
NOTES TO EDITORS
AskRose is a UK pension reclaim specialist that helps individuals identify, investigate and pursue potential state pension underpayments arising from historic government administrative errors.
AskRose specialises in supporting women affected by issues linked to Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) and other state pension entitlement discrepancies, helping claimants navigate complex Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) correction processes.
AskRose provides independent administrative support, claim management and pension entitlement validation, helping eligible individuals challenge incorrect calculations and recover pension payments they may be legally owed.
AskRose was founded on the principle that the state pension is a legal right earned through work, childcare and caring responsibilities. They believe that no individual should be denied financial security because of administrative failures beyond their control.
The company is led by lawyer Elaine Walker, a pension claims professional, director and consumer rights advocate with more than 20 years’ experience working within legal and financial claims environments.
For media enquiries, interviews or further information, please contact Lewis Lowery Communications on caroline@lewislowerycommunications.com.
