The UK government’s pension system has recently come under scrutiny after thousands of women discovered they might be entitled to reclaim missed pension payments worth up to £8,000 or even more. This revelation has caused a wave of renewed interest among women who may have unknowingly received less than what they were due under the State Pension system. If you are a woman in the UK, it’s crucial to understand how this happened, who qualifies for a refund, and how to claim it before the window closes.
What’s Happening With the Missed Pensions
Over recent years, it has become clear that many women — especially those who retired before 2016 — were underpaid by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The issue primarily affects women who were entitled to the “married woman’s” or “widow’s” State Pension rate, which should have automatically increased once their husbands started claiming their State Pension. Unfortunately, for thousands, this did not happen.
The DWP has admitted the error and is currently reviewing old cases to identify women who were underpaid. However, the government has not guaranteed that all eligible women will be automatically repaid unless they make a claim themselves. That’s why time is running out to act.
Who Is Affected by the Underpayment
This issue largely affects women born before April 1953. Many of these women received a lower pension rate based on outdated systems or incomplete National Insurance (NI) records. The main groups impacted include:
- Married women whose State Pension was not updated when their husband retired.
- Widows who were entitled to a higher pension based on their late husband’s record.
- Divorced women who may have been eligible for a boost but never received it.
- Women over 80 receiving less than the basic pension amount, despite eligibility for more.
If you fall into one of these categories, you could be owed thousands in back payments — in some cases exceeding £8,000.
Why So Many Women Were Underpaid
The State Pension system before 2016 was highly complex and often linked to a husband’s National Insurance contributions. This meant that if your pension wasn’t automatically reviewed when your husband started claiming his State Pension, you may have continued to receive a lower rate.
Additionally, many older records were handled manually, leading to administrative errors. In some cases, women who changed marital status — such as through divorce or widowhood — were never reassessed for their new pension entitlement. The result was widespread underpayment that went unnoticed for years.
How Much Money Could You Reclaim
The DWP has already identified over 200,000 women potentially affected, with total repayments expected to exceed £1.5 billion. On average, the refund per claimant has ranged between £5,000 and £8,000, but some women have received more than £10,000 depending on the duration and extent of the underpayment.
Even if your pension appears correct now, it’s worth checking your history — particularly if you retired before 2016 or your husband has since retired or passed away.
How to Check If You Are Eligible
You don’t need to hire an expensive pension consultant to find out if you are eligible. The process is relatively straightforward.
- Gather your details: Make sure you know your National Insurance number and your husband’s details if applicable.
- Contact the Pension Service: You can call the Pension Service helpline and ask for a review of your State Pension entitlement.
- Request a written response: Always ask for written confirmation of your pension record and whether any underpayments exist.
- Keep track of updates: If you’ve been promised a review, follow up regularly until you receive a clear outcome.
Women who believe they are affected should act now — even if they are unsure — because there is a limited time window for reclaiming underpaid pensions.
Time Is Running Out
The government has not set a permanent deadline for claims, but the DWP has been clear that reviews will not continue indefinitely. The correction project is expected to finish by late 2025, and once it ends, it might be far harder to claim retroactively.
That means the longer you wait, the higher the risk that your case won’t be reviewed automatically. Making a formal claim now ensures your file is considered before the project closes.
The Impact on UK Women
This underpayment issue has disproportionately affected women who spent part of their lives out of the workforce — often due to child-rearing or part-time work — and thus relied on their husband’s NI record for a full pension. Many have been living with less income than they were rightfully owed, which has made a significant difference in their retirement comfort.
Reclaiming this money is not just about finances — it’s about fairness. Many women are finally receiving recognition for their entitlement after years of unnoticed errors.
Real-Life Cases of Reclaimed Pensions
Some real-life examples highlight just how substantial these repayments can be:
- A woman from Birmingham discovered she was owed £9,700 after her husband retired in 2008.
- A widow in Kent received £12,500 in back payments after her husband passed away.
- One divorced woman found she had been underpaid for nearly 15 years, reclaiming £8,200 in missed pension.
These cases prove it’s worth checking even if you think your records are correct — thousands of others thought the same.
How to Make a Claim
You can contact the Pension Service directly by phone or post. Here’s what you’ll need to provide:
- Your full name, date of birth, and National Insurance number.
- Your spouse’s details, including date of birth and date of retirement (if applicable).
- Details about your pension payments and when they started.
Once you submit your information, the Pension Service will check your records and determine whether an underpayment occurred. If you are owed money, you’ll receive a lump-sum payment, and your future pension payments will be adjusted to the correct rate.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Assuming you’re not eligible just because your pension has been reviewed before. Mistakes can still happen.
- Not keeping records of calls or letters with the DWP. Always keep evidence of communication.
- Falling for scams — avoid any third-party websites asking for payment to “process” your pension review. The DWP review is free.
What to Do If You’re a Widow or Divorced
Widows and divorced women often have the most complex pension histories. If your husband has passed away, you may be entitled to inherit part of his State Pension. If you’re divorced, you may be able to claim based on your ex-husband’s National Insurance record, depending on your divorce date and when you reached State Pension age.
These cases often require additional paperwork, but they can also result in some of the largest back payments.
The Bigger Picture
The underpayment scandal has raised major questions about how the UK’s pension system treats women. Campaigners argue that many women have suffered financially for years due to a lack of awareness and transparency from the DWP. While repayments are a step in the right direction, many believe more needs to be done to simplify and modernize pension systems for fairness.
Final Reminder
If you are a woman born before April 1953 — or if you are a widow or divorced — you could be entitled to reclaim up to £8,000 or more in missed pension payments. The process is simple, and the deadline is approaching. Don’t wait until it’s too late.
Call the Pension Service or visit the official GOV.UK website to start your claim today. Reclaim what you deserve before the opportunity closes forever.