State pensioners born before 1945 are being urged to check for underpayments worth up to £11,800, following warnings from former pensions minister Sir Steve Webb. The errors, stemming from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), have led to thousands of women being underpaid, including widows, divorcees, and those reliant on their husband's pension contributions.
Who Is Affected?
The underpayments primarily impact married women whose husbands reached pensionable age before 2008, as well as widows and individuals over 80. Many were unknowingly entitled to an 'enhanced pension' that could have boosted their payments by up to 60 percent. Sir Steve Webb, now a partner at LCP, highlighted that the vast majority of those affected were women, some underpaid for decades or even deceased without receiving the correct amount.
Scale of the Problem
Between January 2021 and March 2025, the DWP reviewed 877,508 cases, identifying 130,948 underpayments. Repayments totaled £252.8 million for 47,004 married women (average £5,553), £483.4 million for 50,261 widows (average £11,725), and £68.5 million for 33,683 over-80s (average £2,203). Sir Steve Webb warned that the total underpaid could exceed £1 billion this year, with over 170,000 people affected. He urged the DWP to handle remaining corrections urgently, stating, 'This should never be allowed to happen again.'
