Written by Tom Selby, head of retirement policy at AJ Bell
In the wake of a scandal which has so far seen over £300 million* repaid to women who had been underpaid their state pension, sometimes by thousands of pounds, the DWP is once again in the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
This time it is parents who were entitled to child benefit over two decades ago who have been identified as missing out on their valuable state pension entitlement.
Given many people rely solely on their state pension to make ends meet in retirement, the fact even more have been identified as receiving too little – particularly during a cost-of-living crisis – as a result of administrative failures is unforgivable.
The most important thing now is that those who have been underpaid are identified as quickly as possible and put back in the position they should have been. Tragically, it is inevitable some will have died before they can receive the compensation they are owed.
For those who are still alive, it is crucial if you receive post from DWP that you open it and act upon it. You can make your claim online – but if you do nothing, you will get nothing from the government.
