The pension underpayments date back over many years
(Picture: PA Archive)The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has said it will correct state pension underpayments this year.
Thousands of pensioners are due to receive payments over the next year after the underpayments were first identified in 2020.
In March 2021, the Government said that the underpayment problem is an issue that “dates back many years across successive governments”.
At the time, it was estimated that the total cost of repaying these arrears was £2.7 billion.
So who could be owed money from the DWP and how much could they expect to get?
Who is eligible for the state pension correction payments?
Married women who should have received an upgraded state pension and people aged 80 or older will have their pension underpayments corrected.
The shadow work and pensions secretary, Jonathan Ashworth, has said there are 200,000 pensioners who were identified in 2020 as having been underpaid their state pension remaining.
When can eligible pensioners expect their payments?
The DWP has said that some payments will be corrected by the end of 2023, but some people may not receive their money until the end of 2024.
Pensions Minister Laura Trott MP said: “The Government is fully committed to ensuring that any historical errors, unaddressed by previous Governments, are put right as quickly as possible.
“We have increased the number of people working on the exercise and at its peak, we plan to have around 1,500 staff dedicated to the exercise. Our delivery is backloaded, with case reviews expected to significantly increase this year and going forward.”
How much can pensioners expect to be paid?
The amounts owed will vary but people can expect to receive up to about £6,900.
The Government reported that, on average, affected married women have received £6,929 in arrears, while pensioners over 80 have received about £3,172.
