HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has issued a reminder for individuals to review their National Insurance (NI) record to ensure they’re not missing out on valuable State Pension entitlements. This is especially important if there are gaps in your NI history.
The issue mainly impacts women, who claimed Child Benefit before the year 2000. At that time a system called Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) was in place to reduce the number of qualifying NI years needed for a full basic State Pension. However, if you didn’t provide your NI number when claiming Child Benefit, your NI record may not show the HRP credits you were entitled to, which could reduce your State Pension entitlement.
If you took time off work to raise children and claimed Child Benefit between 1978 and 2000, it’s a good idea to check whether HRP was properly applied to your NI record. While HMRC is contacting affected individuals, there’s no need to wait for a letter—you can review your NI record online or via the HMRC app.
If gaps are discovered and your HRP claim is successful, your NI record will be corrected, and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will recalculate your State Pension. This could lead to an increase in your pension payments or even back payments in some cases.
It takes roughly 15 minutes to check your NI record on the government website. If you find any gaps, you can submit a claim online or by post. However, you don’t need to apply if you already receive the full State Pension or if the missing years have already been accounted for as qualifying years.
For those approaching or already at State Pension age, ensuring your NI record is accurate can make a significant difference to your retirement income. Taking a few minutes to check your records now could help secure the full pension you’re entitled to.
For more information, visit: Check your State Pension.
