HMRC has issued an urgent warning to parents with adult children as they could be receiving less state pension than they are entitled to due to a system error.
The tax authority took to social media platform X to alert parents about potentially missing Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) from their National Insurance records.
This system fault could mean thousands of Britons are receiving reduced pension payments, with officials now urging people to check their eligibility using HMRC’s online checker.
The warning particularly affects those who claimed Child Benefit between 1978 and 2000.
Steve Webb, former Lib Dem Pensions Minister noted that HMRC has sent letters to over 250,000 people of retirement age who could be affected.
He said: “Anyone who has received such a letter should make sure that they respond so that their position can be checked.”
HRP was a crucial element of the previous benefit system, designed to protect the National Insurance records of parents who took career breaks to raise children.
HMRC has sent letters to over 250,000 people of retirement age who could be affected.
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The error in the system means some individuals may be missing HRP on their National Insurance record, potentially leaving them short of qualifying thresholds for their state pension.
HMRC stated on their social media: “If you claimed Child Benefit before May 2000, you may be missing Home Responsibility Protection (HRP) from your National Insurance record.
“Claiming now may increase your #StatePension. Complete our eligibility checker and see if you can claim.”
While missing HRP doesn’t automatically mean incorrect state pension calculations, it could significantly impact retirement income for those affected.
HRP was later replaced by National Insurance credits in 2010, with both systems designed to support parents who took time off work to raise children.
To claim any portion of the new state pension, individuals need a minimum of 10 years’ worth of National Insurance contributions.
For those seeking the full new state pension, 35 qualifying years of contributions are required.
For the full basic state pension, individuals need at least 30 qualifying years.
Prior to April 6, 2010, HRP could reduce the number of qualifying years needed for a full basic state pension by up to 22 years.
For women, this meant needing 39 qualifying years, while men required 44 qualifying years for a full basic state pension.
Parents who applied for Child Benefit between 1978 and 2000 may have omitted their National Insurance number from their application, preventing HRP from being added to their records.
Checking eligibility can be done quickly through the HMRC app or on the gov.uk website’s Home Responsibilities Protection eligibility checker.
The checker helps determine whether individuals are affected by the error and can identify any missing state pension payments.
Those eligible include parents who claimed Child Benefit for a child under 16, or those who shared childcare responsibilities with a partner who claimed the benefit instead.
If missing payments are discovered, individuals can claim HRP either online or through postal applications.
There’s also an option to transfer HRP from another person, particularly useful when Child Benefit was registered under a spouse’s name who already receives the full state pension. Those who reached state pension age before April 6, 2008 cannot transfer HRP.
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