State Pension - Married Woman's reduced rate election

Sunshine_and_Roses

After the announcement regarding Home Responsibilities Protection, I checked my Mum's NI contributions for the tax years between 1978 and 1988 (when she only worked limited times due to childcare).  It says that she did not pay any NI contributions in these years.  I completed the forms online to see if she is entitled to HRP, but they replied today saying that as she had an election of married woman's reduced rate she cannot receive HRP.
She received a reduced state pension at £351 (max) every four weeks until she was widowed two years ago, then received a higher payment.
Does this sound correct?  I thought that if she paid the 'small stamp' then this should show on her NI record.  Also the amount of pension she received while my Dad was alive seems quite low, can I see if she is entitled to any back pay?
Thanks for any help.

xylophone

After the announcement regarding Home Responsibilities Protection, I checked my Mum's NI contributions for the tax years between 1978 and 1988 (when she only worked limited times due to childcare).  It says that she did not pay any NI contributions in these years.  I completed the forms online to see if she is entitled to HRP, but they replied today saying that as she had an election of married woman's reduced rate she cannot receive HRP.

Your parents both reached SPA pre 6/4/16?

See

https://www.aroundtownmagazine.co.uk/women-who-paid-married-womens-stamp-could-be-owed-thousands-in-basic-state-pension/#:~:text=The mistake originates from an,women paying the reduced rate.

You do not say whether your mother made the reduced rate election on marriage or only on returning to work after marriage - if she made it before, it may simply have continued (see above).

If so she accepted that  at  her SPA, if her husband had not also reached SPA, she would not be entitled to any more Basic State Pension than she had accrued in her own right pre election.

This could have been a matter of a few pounds a week.

Once your father reached SPA, she would have been entitled to claim a pension at least equal to 60 % of his BSP - given the figures cited, it would appear that this is what happened.

When she was widowed, she was entitled to claim Basic SP based on his record plus up to a certain percentage of any SERPS/S2P/Grad

he had accrued.

See Page 1 - 5 and Annex A  p 21 onwards here

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a758e27e5274a6faebebd94/derived-inherited-entitlement.pdf

https://adviser.royallondon.com/technical-central/rates-and-factors/state-pension/basic-state-pension-rates/

Sunshine_and_Roses

Thanks @xylophone for your reply.

Mum and Dad both retired in the late 90's, Mum worked part time for nearly 40 years with maternity leave to have four children.  She cannot remember many details about National Insurance payments ie when she started paying, apart from paying the 'small stamp'.  They married in 1962 and had their first child in 1963.  She received a smaller pension until Dad passed away two years ago, and now receives £968 every four weeks.

molerat

£968 is £242 pw which would be the full basic pension of £156.18 + additional pension of around £86 so looks in order.  The annual notification will show exactly how the pension is made up and where the additional pension comes from.