State Pension Underpayment Timeline (Official Updates) 2022–2026 LEAP + HRP: Key Milestones and What to Do Now
If you’ve seen headlines about State Pension underpayments, you’re not alone. Over the last few years the Government has run correction exercises to find people who were paid the wrong amount — often because of historic administration issues.
This guide explains the key official updates (2022 to 2026), what changed, and what you can do today — especially if you claimed Child Benefit before May 2000 and your National Insurance (NI) record may be missing Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP).
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Two different “underpayment” issues (and why this matters)
When people talk about “State Pension underpayments”, they are usually referring to one (or both) of these:
1) The DWP LEAP correction exercise (married, widowed, and over‑80 top‑ups).
DWP’s final update to 31 March 2025 states the checking process identified 130,948 underpayments worth £804.7 million in arrears (across the three customer groups).
2) The HRP / Child Benefit NI‑number issue (parents and carers, 1978–2010).
This is a separate exercise focused on missing HRP on NI records, often linked to Child Benefit claims made before May 2000 when a NI number was not mandatory on the claim form. People can still apply to HMRC to have missing HRP added, and DWP then corrects State Pension entitlement and pays arrears where due.
Official sources for the figures and rules used in this guide:
• State Pension underpayments: progress to 31 March 2025 (GOV.UK)
• HRP State Pension underpayments (LEAP) to 31 March 2025 (GOV.UK)
• HRP common questions: Child Benefit before May 2000 NI-number issue (GOV.UK)
• Apply for Home Responsibilities Protection (CF411) (GOV.UK)
• Underpaid State Pension after death: next of kin/executor guidance (GOV.UK)
Further official references (for the timeline figures):
• State Pension underpayments: progress to 30 September 2024 (GOV.UK)
• HRP State Pension underpayments: progress to 30 September 2024 (GOV.UK)
• GOV.UK research: Exploring take-up of missing HRP (letters and eligibility checker)
Start your HRP check now — https://www.evanshaw.co.uk/check-now
Official timeline: 2022 to 2026 (what changed each year)
2022 — A clearer route for families of deceased pensioners
In July 2022, DWP published guidance on how next of kin or executors can ask about possible underpaid State Pension for someone who has died. The page explains the groups most at risk (married, widowed, and over‑80 top‑ups).
GOV.UK later records an important change: in January 2025 the online request service closed and the guidance was updated with contact routes instead.
2023 — HRP underpayments become a visible “NI records” issue
During 2023 there were Parliamentary discussions about HRP and missing NI record credits, with Ministers indicating work was underway and that estimates and corrective action steps would follow.
Official GOV.UK research later confirmed that outreach letters to potentially affected people began in late 2023, asking recipients to check eligibility and apply if needed.
Late 2023 to 2024 — HMRC letters, eligibility checker, and the HRP correction exercise begins
GOV.UK ‘common questions’ guidance explains the core problem: if you claimed Child Benefit before May 2000 and did not provide your National Insurance number, your NI record may not show the correct HRP years. If you first claimed Child Benefit after May 2000, you are not affected by this specific NI-number issue because providing a NI number became mandatory from May 2000.
The HRP correction programme then moved into operational processing in early 2024, with cases notified from HMRC starting to be handled by DWP.
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Suggested infographic: a clean 2022–2026 timeline with 6–8 milestone points (no people), showing: 2022 deceased guidance, late 2023 letters, Jan 2024 HRP exercise start, Nov 2024 progress update, Jan/Apr/May 2025 key updates, Feb 2026 HRP guidance update.
November 2024 — Official progress snapshots published
DWP published progress updates to 30 September 2024 for both exercises:
• Main LEAP correction exercise: 119,050 underpayments identified, totaling £736 million (to 30 September 2024).
• HRP correction exercise (8 Jan 2024 to 30 Sep 2024): 5,344 underpayments identified, totaling around £42 million.
2025 — Final LEAP update published; HRP correction figures updated
April 2025 (LEAP): DWP published the final instalment of the LEAP progress series to 31 March 2025 and stated that the LEAP exercise was complete. The totals reported were 130,948 underpayments worth £804.7 million.
May 2025 (HRP): DWP/HMRC published a progress update to 31 March 2025 for HRP underpayments. It reported: 370,018 letters sent; 22,781 cases received by DWP; 12,379 cases with arrears identified; £104 million total arrears paid; and an average arrears figure of £8,377.
February 2025 (HRP comms): GOV.UK published an official ‘common questions’ resource that explains the Child Benefit pre‑May‑2000 NI‑number problem and signposts the eligibility checker and CF411 route.
2026 — HRP application guidance updated (process remains available)
In February 2026, HMRC updated the official ‘Apply for Home Responsibilities Protection’ guidance. The page confirms you can apply online or by post using form CF411, after checking eligibility.
The HRP underpayment progress publication also confirms the ongoing route: customers can still apply to HMRC to add missing HRP to their NI record, and DWP then corrects State Pension entitlement and pays arrears where due.
What you should do today (simple checklist)
- If you claimed Child Benefit before May 2000: treat this as a “must check” group.
- Check your NI record for ‘gaps’ or missing qualifying years that overlap with caring/Child Benefit years (1978–2010).
- Use the official GOV.UK HRP eligibility route and apply online or via CF411 if eligible.
- If you are already receiving State Pension: once HRP is added to your NI record, DWP can reassess and pay arrears (if due).
- If you are dealing with a deceased relative’s estate: use DWP’s official deceased underpayment guidance and the current contact routes.
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Suggested image: adult daughter helping her older mother organise Child Benefit/NI paperwork at a dining table. Different people, different setting, different layout and font from Image 1.
Check eligibility in 60 seconds — https://www.evanshaw.co.uk/check-now
Common questions (quick answers)
Do I need an HMRC letter to apply?
No. Official GOV.UK guidance and research notes make clear that people can still apply even if they were not contacted.
If I first claimed Child Benefit after May 2000, am I affected?
GOV.UK states you are not affected by the ‘missing NI number on the Child Benefit claim’ problem because a NI number became mandatory from May 2000.
Is the big DWP LEAP exercise still running?
DWP’s April 2025 publication states it was the final instalment, and the department declared the LEAP exercise complete.
What if I’m handling an estate?
Use the GOV.UK guidance for next of kin/executors. GOV.UK records the online request service closed in January 2025, so the current route is via the listed contact channels.
Important: This blog is general information, not legal or financial advice. If you are unsure, get help before submitting documents.