Older people in the north have been urged to check if they are eligible to boost their state pension, with HMRC warning thousands could be missing out.
Over 257,000 pensioners in the UK have received letters stating they could have Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) missing from their National Insurance (NI) record.
HRP was applied to the records of those who claimed Child Benefit between 1978 and 2000, to protect their State Pension.
It reduced the number of qualifying years a person with caring responsibilities needed to receive the full basic State Pension, and was replaced by National Insurance credits in 2010.
If someone claimed Child Benefit before May 2000 and did not provide their NI number on their claim, HRP may not have been applied.
HMRC is calling on those affected - who are mainly women at or approaching State Pension age - to check for gaps in their NI record and top up their State Pension for free.
Although letters have been posted, those affected do not need to wait to receive it before making a claim, and an online eligibility checker can be used at GOV.UK or through the free and secure HMRC app.
Exchequer secretary to the Treasury, James Murray, said: “The State Pension is the foundation of state support for people in retirement. We are urging people to check their National Insurance records to make sure they will receive the pension they deserve.”
