State pensioners 'who took time off work' being handed £7,859 from DWP

State pensioners are set to be handed thousands from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) error. OAPs have been told they could receive a payout of thousands due to a Department of Work and Pensions error from the benefits department.

The DWP is correcting historic underpayments of state pensions worth around £8,000. Thousands of older people living in the UK could be owned £7,859 after the issue stemming from Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) errors was identified.

Those affected are individuals who took time off work to care for children or somebody with a disability between 1979 and 2010. Claims submitted before 2000 often didn't include a National Insurance (NI) number meaning the relevant HRP information wasn't transferred between both systems.

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HRP would have added credits that counted towards their state pension, much like NI credits work today. It means thousands missed out on state pension benefits worth an average of over £5,000 but some are being handed £7,859 in back payments.

Emma Reynolds, minister for Pensions, said: "The government's priority is to ensure pensioners have security and dignity in retirement. I strongly encourage anyone who thinks they are missing out to check their eligibility and apply for Home Responsibilities Protection – taking just a few minutes out of your day now could mean a boost to your retirement."

HRP reduced the number of qualifying years needed to receive the full basic State Pension by up to 22 years. For example, a woman needed 39 qualifying years and a man needed 44 qualifying years to receive the full basic State Pension.

You can check your eligibility and make a claim on GOV.UK. If you're a foster or kinship carer, you'll need to send a copy of an up-to-date letter of confirmation from the local authority or fostering agency with your application.