State pension underpayment warning - have you been underpaid and eligible for more than £11,500?
New data shows 46,000 retirees have received payments from the government after being underpaid their state pension - but thousands, mainly women, are still owed money


Hundreds of thousands of elderly women are owed cash after being underpaid their state pensions - because of the slow progress of a major government correction scheme.
Around 237,000 pensioners have been underpaid their state pensions, totalling £1.46 billion, according to the National Audit Office (NAO).
A Government correction scheme aimed at making things right has so far returned payments totalling £300million to over 46,000 retirees.
The retirees awarded payments include:
- 22,276 married pensioners who received an average of £6,630 each
- More than 14,500 over-80s who received an average of £2,710 each
- 9,928 widowed retirees who received an average of £11,521
But thousands more are still waiting - and those mainly affected are predominantly women retiring under the old state pension system.
Who is affected by state pension underpayments?
There are different groups of people affected by state pension underpayments. For example, one group includes women who started to get their state pension before April 2016 while another group includes over-80s who are getting less than £85 a week from the state benefit.
Retired stay-at-home mums who started drawing the old state pension before 2016 may have missed out on a pension increase when their husbands retired.
Because women’s pensions under the old system were linked to their husbands before 2016, their state pension payments should have increased to 60% of their husband’s basic state pension - the amount women with low National Insurance contributions got under the old pension system.
In the previous tax year when the issue was first uncovered, they would get £80.45 a week, 60% of their husband’s £134.25 a week.
Instead, they are getting more like £67 a week.
Compensation for these women depends on when their husband retired.
If it was between April 2008 and 2016, retirees will get all their losses back.
If it was before 17 March 2008, retirees can only get a year back of backdated payments and must apply to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP): contact the DWP about a state pension correction claim here.
How can I make a claim?
The DWP has no plans to contact women affected by underpayments, meaning the onus is on you to make a claim and get back some of your lost state pension.
Women who file a successful claim will receive a 12-month lump sum and the right amount of state pension going forward.
To check if you are being underpaid, the consultancy LCP has a handy tool that married women can use.
To make a claim, contact the Pension Service, which is run by the DWP.
How to check your state pension
If you’re not sure what your state pension is worth, then it’s easy to check - take a look at our article on how to check your state pension entitlement.
If you don’t already have one you’ll need a Government Gateway ID - it will only take a few minutes and an email address to register.
Alternatively, you can call the government’s Future Pension Centre on 0800 731 0175 and they will check your state pension for you.
Look After My Bills Newsletter
Get the best money-saving tips, tricks and deals sent straight to your inbox every week. Make sense of your money in partnership with The Money Edit.
Katie is staff writer at The Money Edit. She was the former staff writer at The Times and The Sunday Times. Her experience includes writing about personal finance, culture, travel and interviews celebrities. Her investigative work on financial abuse resulted in a number of mortgage prisoners being set free - and a nomination for the Best Personal Finance Story of the Year in the Headlinemoney awards 2021.
-
Octopus Energy relaunches energy tracker deal – we explain what you need to know and if it could save you money
If you’re an Octopus Energy customer, you may be able to save on your energy bills with the relaunch of its tracker deal. We look at how it works
By Sue Hayward Published
-
Three energy firms pay £8m in switching compensation - has your provider paid out?
More than 100,000 customers have received compensation after changing providers, but is now a good time to switch energy suppliers?
By Tom Higgins Published
-
More than 150,000 grandparents missing out on £1,500 state pension uplift: how to claim
Grandparents who provide childcare by looking after their grandchildren could be missing out on valuable state pension money worth thousands. We look at how much extra you could get and if you’re eligible
By Stephanie Baxter Published
-
April 2023 premium bond winners revealed - are you a millionaire?
Two premium bond holders have won £1 million each this month and there are many other prizes for another 5,018,742 winners in April. We look at how to find out if you’ve won
By Stephanie Baxter Published
-
State pension age rise to 68 delayed - what it means for your retirement
The state pension age will stay at current levels for longer than expected after the government today confirmed that it has shelved plans to increase it to 68 by the late 2030s. We explain what it all means for you
By Stephanie Baxter Last updated
-
Help to Save scheme extended – act now for £1,200 bonus
The government has extended the Help to Save scheme - we explain how it works and who is eligible
By Kalpana Fitzpatrick Last updated
-
Budget 2023: How much more can you save for retirement with the new pension tax changes?
The government has axed the pensions lifetime allowance, announced in the Spring Budget. We explain what this means and how it could give you a major pensions boost.
By Stephanie Baxter Published
-
Pension savers set for a triple boost in the Budget
Jeremy Hunt is expected to hike a trio of pension allowances, including the lifetime allowance, in his Spring Budget on 15 March. We explain what it means for you
By Ruth Emery Published
-
Workplace pensions: earnings limit change makes pension saving easier for more people
New workplace pensions legislation will mean more can bag extra money from their bosses
By John Fitzsimons Published
-
How to build a £1 million pension pot for your child
By saving into a pension for your child each year until their 18th birthday, you could turn them into a pension millionaire by the time they retire
By Ruth Emery Published