State pensioners losing £17,700 in payments delay that's 'unacceptably slow'

One state pensioner owed a State Pension payout, aged 78, was made to wait nearly a YEAR, according to reports.

State pensioners due a payout from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) face "unacceptably slow" delays. One state pensioner owed a State Pension payout, aged 78, was made to wait nearly a YEAR, according to reports.

The issue relates to a large group of women aeged over 80 who were underpaid a total of nearly £1billion in a state pension scandal discovered by former Pensions Minister Sir Steve Webb. Christine Plant says the DWP has NOT apologised, while payments are 'unacceptably slow', says Liberal Democrats spokesman Steve Darling MP.

Ex-Pensions Minister Ros Altmann says DWP staff are currently being diverted to deal with the huge number of pension credit claims from people who have lost Winter Fuel Payments, which are worth £300. The DWP and HMRC, meanwhile, has been writing to thousands underpaid state pension.

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HMRC omitted years where parents claimed child benefit while bringing up children - officially called 'home responsibilities protection' - from some National Insurance records. More than 250,000 people over pension age are potentially eligible, Sir Steve said.

Christine was owed a £28 boost to £171 a week, and her arrears had built up to more than £17,700 by the time the case was resolved by the DWP. Mr Darling said: "These underpayments affecting parents and family carers are simply heartbreaking - they should have never happened in the first place.

Moreover, repayment of those affected has been unacceptably slow, even though these issues came to light as far back as 2022. It is imperative that the DWP acts with urgency so that repayments can be deployed without any further delay."

Ms Plant told This is Money, she has received no apology. "She said they had got my information sitting there for some time ready to go but they had been waiting for HMRC to give the go ahead. They are giving it to me as if it's a favour. I wouldn't have got it without your help, I'm 100 per cent sure. There must be lots like me," she said.

"She made it sound like it had been sat there at the side of her for a long time." She said: "They should have said sorry. That would have made a difference, for someone to have said sorry we didn't sort it instead of blaming someone else. The blame game. Always someone else's fault.

"I was going to give up. If I have got any advice it's to persevere, but I don't think I would have got anywhere without you and Steve looking into it."