Barbra’s HRP Journey: How a Confusing Government Process Led Her to Evanshaw
Barbra’s HRP Story (Part 1) | State Pension Underpayment & Government HRP Process
HRP & State Pension Underpayments
Barbra’s Story (Part 1): From Confusion with the Government Process to Evanshaw’s HRP Check
Barbra suspects her State Pension is lower than it should be. She raised a child during the HRP years, claimed Child Benefit, and did everything “by the book” — but her NI record still shows gaps. This is how she went from frustration with the government HRP process to a simple, guided route with Evanshaw.
Many people only discover missing HRP credits when they finally check their State Pension forecast.
Summary: Barbra is at State Pension age and spent years at home caring for her son during 1978–2010 — the Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) window. She received Child Benefit and assumed her State Pension would reflect that. When her forecast looked low, she tried the government HRP route (new account, NI record, long forms, evidence for each tax year) and almost gave up. Then she found Evanshaw’s Free HRP Check, which broke everything down into simple steps: annex, evidence codes, and a submission-ready pack.
Barbra’s first clue: “Why is my pension so low?”
When Barbra opened her State Pension forecast, she felt a knot in her stomach. The number seemed wrong. She thought back to the years she had spent at home, caring for her son — qualifying years she’d assumed were protected by Home Responsibilities Protection.
She knew she’d claimed Child Benefit. She had followed the rules. So why did her National Insurance record still show gaps?
A search online led her to information about HRP for the years 1978–2010, and how missing HRP credits can lead to State Pension underpayments. The guidance sounded straightforward at first, until she reached the practical steps:
- “Create a new government account,”
- “Navigate to your NI record,”
- “Fill in the forms,” and
- “Provide evidence to match exact tax years.”
Barbra tried — she really did. But the two-factor logins, account recovery, and multi-page forms asking for Child Benefit details from the 1990s were exhausting.
She had a few Child Benefit letters and an old tenancy agreement, and she had changed her name when she married. Now everything needed “bridging” with extra documents. After an hour of flicking between pages and trying to remember dates from decades ago, she gave up.
Finding Evanshaw: a human, guided HRP route
When Barbra found Evanshaw’s HRP page, she immediately noticed the plain language. Instead of jargon, it talked about:
- Starting with your NI record and State Pension forecast,
- Writing a year-by-year annex for the HRP years, and
- Using simple evidence codes (A = Child Benefit, B = Carer, C = identity/address bridges).
She clicked Start Your Free HRP Check.
The online form didn’t demand everything at once. Each step was explained: what counts as proof, how to bridge name changes (marriage or deed poll), and why each exhibit should clearly show names and dates. Instead of a maze of forms, she felt like someone was walking through it with her.
What information Barbra provided to Evanshaw (in minutes)
Within minutes, Barbra was able to provide:
- Her full name, date of birth, and NI number,
- Confirmation she had claimed Child Benefit during eligible HRP years,
- A simple list of the tax years she believed should be credited within the 1978–2010 HRP window, and
- Uploads of a few clear, readable documents.
Examples of what she uploaded
- Child Benefit award letter (A1),
- Council tax bill showing the family address (C3),
- Marriage certificate to bridge maiden → married name (C2),
- A bank letter referencing Child Benefit (A2), and
- A short note: “I was the main carer from [YYYY] to [YYYY].”
Evanshaw’s uploader prompted her to rename files sensibly — for example, A1_CB_Award_1993.pdf — and suggested ways to bridge gaps for anything undated.
The Evanshaw online process (as Barbra experienced it)
Behind the scenes, the process looked like this:
- Quick assessment: checking that Barbra fell within the HRP window (1978–2010) and had claimed Child Benefit.
- Annex builder: one line per tax year, with Evanshaw translating her uploads into simple evidence codes (A, B, C, etc.).
- Cover note: a short, professional summary explaining why HRP should apply in Barbra’s case.
- Quality check: identifying any missing dates or name links and flagging them with clear guidance.
- Submission pack: a clean, ordered file set ready for the government HRP route — without guesswork.
Why she didn’t go back to the long government form
Once everything was laid out, Barbra finally understood what evidence mattered — and how to present it. Instead of battling with logins and multi-page forms that seemed to reset if she stepped away, she now had:
- A year-by-year annex,
- Evidence codes matched to each tax year,
- Bridged names for her change from maiden to married, and
- Clearly labelled, easy-to-follow exhibits.
For Barbra, it wasn’t just about the money — it was about having a process that respected her time and her history.
“I just wanted a process that respected my time — and my history.”
Start your Free Evanshaw HRP Check
If, like Barbra, you raised children during the HRP years and your State Pension looks low, you may also have missing HRP credits and an underpayment.
Build your year-by-year annex, upload clean evidence, and let us package a submission-ready HRP claim so you can use the official government route with confidence.
No upfront fee – we only act where we believe there is a genuine HRP case.
FAQs (Barbra’s common questions)
Do I need to find every single Child Benefit letter?
No. While Child Benefit letters are useful, they’re not the only acceptable evidence. Bank statements that reference Child Benefit, HMRC letters, or council tax/tenancy documents that bridge your address and family circumstances can all help to fill gaps.
What if my name changed mid-way?
If your name changed due to marriage or a deed poll, you can add documents such as a marriage certificate or deed poll. Evanshaw uses these to “bridge” your identity across different years, so the government can see it’s the same person throughout your HRP period.
Can this fix my low State Pension?
When HRP credits are correctly applied, missing years may turn into qualifying years on your National Insurance record. That can increase your State Pension and may also identify past underpayments. Each case is different, but many people see a meaningful improvement once the HRP gaps are corrected.