Historical Home Responsibilities Protection errors account for most State Pension underpayments linked to National Insurance records.

10:04, 15 May 2026Updated 05:59, 16 May 2026

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Historical errors linked to Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) continue to account for the majority of State Pension underpayments caused by National Insurance (NI) record issues, according to new Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) figures released on May 14.

The latest Fraud and Error in the Benefit System report for the financial year ending 2026 found National Insurance contribution errors remained the biggest reason for State Pension underpayments.

The report stated the “main error” within this category continued to relate to the historic recording of HRP, with these cases accounting for “£6 in every £10 underpaid due to Contributions”.

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State Pension underpayments remained at 0.3 per cent (£390 million) in the year to April 2026, broadly unchanged from £430m in the previous year. The DWP said NI contributions errors remained at 0.1 per cent of total State Pension expenditure.

HRP was a scheme designed to protect the State Pension entitlement of parents and carers between 1978 and 2010.

It reduced the number of qualifying years someone needed to receive a full Basic State Pension while they were out of work caring for children or disabled people.

However, some eligible years were not correctly recorded on National Insurance records, affecting State Pension entitlement for some people.

The issue mainly affects women who claimed Child Benefit before May 2000 and whose National Insurance number was not properly linked to their claim.

The DWP said: “Some people have not had all eligible years of HRP recorded on their National Insurance records and so have an incomplete record affecting their State Pension entitlement.”

The report also confirmed the DWP and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) are continuing the Legal Entitlements and Administrative Practice (LEAP) correction exercise to identify potentially affected people, correct records and issue arrears payments alongside revised ongoing State Pension payments.

HMRC has sent out more than 370,000 letters – mostly to women – urging them to check their State Pension payments as they may be lower than they are entitled to.

HMRC is using NI records to identify as many people as possible who might have been entitled to HRP between 1978 and 2010 and have no HRP on their NI record.

The DWP said the proportion of State Pension claims underpaid remained at five in every 100 claims during the financial year ending 2026.

Overall State Pension spending rose to £146.1 billion in the year ending April 2026, up from £136.4bn the previous year.

People who think they may have gaps in their National Insurance record linked to HRP can check their State Pension forecast and National Insurance history through GOV.UK.

How to use the online HRP tool

You can apply for HRP, for full tax years (6 April to 5 April) between 1978 and 2010, if any of the following were true:

you were claiming Child Benefit for a child under 16you were caring for a child with your partner who claimed Child Benefit instead of youyou were getting Income Support because you were caring for someone who was sick or disabledyou were caring for a sick or disabled person who was claiming certain benefits

You can also apply if, for a full tax year between 2003 and 2010, you were either:

a foster carercaring for a friend or family member’s child (‘kinship carer’) in ScotlandWho qualified automatically for HRP

The guidance on GOV.UK explains most people got HRP automatically if they were:

getting Child Benefit in their name for a child under the age of 16 and they had given the Child Benefit Office their National Insurance numbergetting Income Support and they did not need to register for work because they were caring for someone who was sick or disabledIf your partner claimed Child Benefit instead of you

If you reached State Pension age before April 6, 2008, you cannot transfer HRP.

However, you may be able to transfer HRP from a partner you lived with if they claimed Child Benefit while you both cared for a child under 16 and they do not need the HRP.

They can transfer the HRP to you for any ‘qualifying years’ they have on their National Insurance record between April 1978 and April 2010. This will be converted into National Insurance credits.

Married women or widows

You cannot get HRP for any complete tax year if you were a married woman or a widow and:

you had chosen to pay reduced rate Class 1 National Insurance contributions as an employee (commonly known as the small stamp)you had chosen not to pay Class 2 National Insurance contributions when self-employedIf you were caring for a sick or disabled person

You can only claim HRP for the years you spent caring for someone with a long-term illness or disability between April 6, 1978 and April 5, 2002.

You must have spent at least 35 hours a week caring for them and they must have been getting one of the following benefits:

Attendance AllowanceDisability Living Allowance at the middle or highest rate for personal careConstant Attendance Allowance

The benefit must have been paid for 48 weeks of each tax year on or after April 6, 1988 or every week of each tax year before April 6, 1988.

You can still apply if you are over State Pension age. You will not usually be paid any increase in State Pension that may have been due for previous years.

If you were getting Carer’s Allowance

You do not need to apply for HRP if you were getting Carer’s Allowance. You’ll automatically get National Insurance credits and would not usually have needed HRP.

If you were a foster carer or caring for a friend or family member’s child

You have to apply for HRP if, for a full tax year between 2003 and 2010, you were either:

a foster carercaring for a friend or family member’s child (‘kinship carer’) in Scotland

All of the following must also be true:

you were not getting Child Benefityou were not in paid workyou did not earn enough in a tax year for it to count towards the State PensionIf you reached State Pension age on or after 6 April 2010

Any HRP you had for full tax years before April 6, 2010 was automatically converted into National Insurance credits, if you needed them, up to a maximum of 22 qualifying years.

A full overview of HRP can be found on GOV.UK here.

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