Are you one of 10,000s of women missing out on £1,000s of state pension? - MSE News

Former_MSE_Naomi

Tens of thousands of women are likely to have been underpaid the state pension. In June, we reported that married women who hit state pension age before April 2016 could be owed, and some have now won backdated payouts worth £1,000s. But other women - including widows, divorcees and the over-80s, whether married or not - should also check if they've been underpaid, for a variety of reasons...

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'Are you one of 10,000s of women missing out on £1,000s of state pension?'

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molerat

Oh Dear - the usual going round in circles duff link.  Please try harder !

Here we go

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2020/08/married-women-who-missed-out-on-extra-state-pension-fighting-omb/

wmr

Following your article, I sent a "Recorded" letter on behalf of my wife as I always suspected she was not getting the correct amount. It took 2 months for a reply this week stating.."We have checked and found she is being paid the correct amount! My wife's pension is in total: £60.53. My pension is a total of £140.38 and I receive a "Pension Credit" £22.78. I understand that my wife should receive approx 60% of my pension which I estimate as 60% of £140.38 = £84.22 some £20 less she is getting. My DOB: 5/10/40 and my wife 1/6/42. I paid contributions until 1997 = 41 years but appear to be getting a reduced pension!  Should she send an appeal in regarding this letter and any advice would be most appreciated.

zagfles

wmr said:

Following your article, I sent a "Recorded" letter on behalf of my wife as I always suspected she was not getting the correct amount. It took 2 months for a reply this week stating.."We have checked and found she is being paid the correct amount! My wife's pension is in total: £60.53. My pension is a total of £140.38 and I receive a "Pension Credit" £22.78. I understand that my wife should receive approx 60% of my pension which I estimate as 60% of £140.38 = £84.22 some £20 less she is getting. My DOB: 5/10/40 and my wife 1/6/42. I paid contributions until 1997 = 41 years but appear to be getting a reduced pension!  Should she send an appeal in regarding this letter and any advice would be most appreciated.

It doesn't look right from the above. If you have 41 years you will be getting a reduced pension because you reached state pension age before 2010, when men needed 44 years for a full basic state pension. So you should get 94% of the basic pension, which means your wife should get 60% of 94% of the full old basic state pension, which is currently £134.25, so should be £75.72

Are you sure you've got 41 complete years since you were 16 till 57? No years out eg for university etc? Do you have a breakdown of how your pension is made up eg basic, SERPS, graduated etc?

molerat

A cat B pension is 60% of the spouses' basic pension, not full pension, so a maximum of £80.45.  If you only had 41 years you will not get the full basic pension as that required 44 years pre 2010.  Your pension statement should show what your basic pension amount is and you should be able to work it out from there.

renukapur

my mother passed away in 2014 and I called DWP and was told that because she passed over 6 months ago I could not claim as my father would have been pensionable age prior to 2008?  My father passed away in 2000.  is this correct, the claim has to be made within 6 months of death?  I was told the onus is on the customer to claim and if they didn't nothing can be done?  It maybe that my mother was getting the correct pension anyway?  Any advice would be much appreciated.