The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has issued an urgent call for individuals born between April 6, 1953, and April 5, 1960, to review their state pension entitlements. This comes after the government discovered that thousands of pensioners may have been underpaid, particularly those in certain vulnerable categories.
Understanding the Issue
The review focuses on individuals who reached state pension age before April 6, 2016. According to the DWP, administrative errors led to incorrect or missing pension increases for certain groups. These mistakes mainly affect married women, widows, and people over 80 years old, many of whom did not receive the automatic uplifts they were entitled to.
Some of these underpayments total thousands of pounds, and the DWP has committed to rectifying the issue by identifying and contacting affected pensioners.
Who Should Check?
The DWP is encouraging people in the following categories to check their pension records immediately:
- Married Women: Those who may not have received the correct spousal benefit based on their partner’s National Insurance contributions.
- Widows: Individuals who might not have received the correct pension entitlement after their spouse passed away.
- People Over 80: Those who may be entitled to a Category D pension, which is not dependent on National Insurance contributions.
Over 130,000 pensioners are estimated to have been affected by these underpayments.
How to Verify Your Entitlement
If you believe you may be affected, it is crucial to review your pension information. The DWP provides several tools and resources for doing this:
- State Pension Forecast: Use the State Pension Forecast tool to view your current entitlement.
- National Insurance Record: Check your record at Check your National Insurance record.
- Contact the Pension Service: If something looks wrong, reach out to the Pension Service.
Additionally, pension consultancy Lane Clark & Peacock (LCP) has developed a useful online calculator to help married women estimate if they might have been underpaid. You can access it at lcp.uk.com.
Importance of Prompt Action
While the DWP is already working through cases to correct the errors, individual action can speed up the process. Reviewing your pension now and contacting the relevant authorities could ensure you receive any money owed to you sooner.
According to reports from The Times and other outlets, some pensioners have already received back payments of up to £10,000 as part of the correction effort.
Conclusion
If you were born between April 6, 1953, and April 5, 1960, and fall into one of the affected groups, now is the time to act. By reviewing your state pension records and contacting the DWP if needed, you can help secure any owed payments and safeguard your financial future.