State pension underpayment 'scandal' sees thousands lose life-changing sums - report

Tens of thousands to miss out

clock • 2 min read

Tens of thousands of elderly female pensioners caught up in a state pension underpayment 'scandal' will not qualify to reclaim their full benefits due to a 2008 law change which caps their entitlement at one year, the BBC reports.

The report said the women pensioners will miss out on "life-changing" amounts of money despite being part of the underpaid cohort as they only qualify for a year's worth of backdated payments. Some 200,000 women are owed money after underpayments by the Department for Work and Pensions were uncovered. The collective underpayment stands at about £3bn. The report explained the errors relate to the old state pension system where married women with lower pension entitlements could claim 60% basic state pension based on their husband's National Insurance record. However, it has emerged ...

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