HMRC Contacts 311,000 People Over Missing Pension Credits

HM Revenue and Customs is sending letters to 311,000 people who may be missing Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) from their National Insurance records. The error affects parents and carers who took time away from work between 1978 and 2010, specifically those who claimed Child Benefit before May 2000 without providing a National Insurance number.

Of the recipients, 215,000 are already above State Pension age. To simplify the recovery process, the agency is now enclosing CF411 claim forms within the letters, which will be distributed through March 2027. Since September 2023, more than 25,000 people have corrected their records, receiving a combined total of over £100 million in arrears with an average payment of £8,000.

Martin Lewis of MoneySavingExpert.com has urged eligible individuals to proactively check their records online rather than waiting for government contact. He noted that missing credits could reduce State Pension entitlements by more than £100,000 for some individuals over the course of their retirement.