The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has given an update on back payments being made to pensioners, with the average retiree owed £11,905.
The payments are being issued to address errors identified through the Legal Entitlements and Administrative Practice (Leap) exercise.
Approximately 119,050 pensioners have been identified as having been underpaid their state pension entitlements.
The DWP is currently working through the affected cases, with officials confirming that progress is being made on resolving the historical payment errors.
The DWP has confirmed that payments have now been completed for two of the affected groups: married women and civil partnerships (category BL) and those over 80 (category D).
Officials have stated that “progress remains on track for the ‘widowed’ cases to be completed by the end of 2024”.
DWP is currently working through the affected cases, with officials confirming that progress is being made on resolving the historical payment errors
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The review has been systematically addressing different categories of pensioners affected by the underpayments.
Completion of payments for married women and over-80s groups marks a significant milestone in the DWP’s efforts to resolve these historical errors.
The department continues to process remaining cases for widowed pensioners according to their established timeline.
The Leap exercise was initiated to address systematic underpayments in the state pension system, affecting three specific categories of pensioners.
Categories include married women and those in civil partnerships, widowed pensioners, and those over 80 years old.
The review process has been ongoing since January 2021, with the DWP systematically examining cases to identify those eligible for back payments.
The scale of the issue is significant, with the 119,050 affected pensioners receiving substantial compensation for historical underpayments.
The average payment of £11,905 reflects the extent of the underpayments that occurred over extended periods.
The DWP has demonstrated its commitment to addressing these historical pension underpayments through its ongoing review process.
Officials are maintaining their focus on completing the remaining widowed cases within the established timeframe.
The systematic approach to reviewing and correcting these pension errors has already resulted in significant progress across all affected categories.
The department continues to process cases identified through the Leap exercise, ensuring eligible pensioners receive their correct entitlements.
With two categories now complete, resources can be concentrated on finalising the remaining widowed cases before the end of 2024.
The DWP’s structured approach aims to ensure all affected pensioners receive their rightful back payments.
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