Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her Department’s Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22, HC 193, published on 7 July 2022, which notes at page 71 errors in the recording of Home Responsibilities Protection, how many people benefited from the correction exercise undertaken by her Department between 2009 and 2011; what the cost of that correction exercise was; for what reason further corrective action is needed; and if she will make a statement.
Answer
The Department published figures for the 2009-11 exercise on 15 June 2011. These showed that as a result of the correction exercise around 36,000 cases had an improved State Pension and around £89million had been paid in arrears. As part of our work to improve the accuracy of State Pensions, a small number of errors relating to historic NI records has been identified during DWPs Fraud and Error investigations for 2021/22. We are working with HM Revenue and Customs to investigate data discrepancies in the recording of historic periods of awards of Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP). HRP formed part of an individual’s National Insurance record.