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Quick guide to these resources – what they are and how to use them

Updated 21 November 2024

Background

If someone claimed Child Benefit before May 2000 and did not provide their National Insurance number on the claim, their National Insurance record may not show the correct number of qualifying years of Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP).

It’s important that people have the correct HRP allocated to their National Insurance record, as this may impact the amount of State Pension they receive.

We want people to:

• check if they’re eligible to claim missing HRP
• make a claim for missing HRP if they’re eligible

We want organisations supporting people who may be impacted to:

• encourage people to check their eligibility by advising them to reading through guidance and using the online checker tool
• help people to confirm their eligibility and make a claim for missing HRP if applicable
• support people to complete the online claim form

How you can help

We have provided these communications resources for your organisation to use across your own channels to help share important information with your workforce.

Please use these to share HRP messages with colleagues through your own channels. The messages can be personalised as necessary.

It’s important that people read the HRP guidance before completing an online checker to determine if they are eligible and want to proceed to make a claim for missing HRP. Please support people to do this.

Messaging and resources

We’ve provided messaging and resources to reach and support 2 target audiences:

• people who are missing HRP
• family and friends who are supporting impacted people

We recommend you feature communications to both target audiences to maximise the number of impacted people you reach.

We’ve included a wide range of support materials for you to share with your colleagues so they’re prepared to support impacted people. Please share these through your own communications channels – they can be personalised as necessary.

Messaging and resources include:

• key messaging to feature in your organisation’s communications
• social media assets and messages
• posters
• customer support guide
• questions and answers

Key messages

HRP was a scheme to help protect parents’ and carers’ entitlement to State Pension. It was replaced in 2010 by National Insurance credits.

We want to help you make sure you receive the right amount of State Pension, so we’re asking you to check if you were eligible for HRP between 1978 and 2000.

You may have been eligible if you received Child Benefit for a child under 16.

How to check if you are eligible and make a claim:

1. You need to read the HRP guidance first.
2. Once you’ve read the guidance, you can use the eligibility checker, which can be found in the eligibility section.
3. If the checker confirms you are eligible, you can claim online. If you submit a claim without checking that you’re eligible, it could delay your application, and your application may be rejected
4. While the quickest way to claim missing Home Responsibilities Protection is online, you can call the National Insurance Helpline on 0300 200 3500 for support. There is also extra support available for people who need it.

If you’re receiving State Pension, the Department for Work and Pensions, or the Department for Communities if you’re in Northern Ireland, will review your State Pension award. You don’t need to contact them.

If your claim for missing Home Responsibilities Protection is successful, your State Pension will increase, or stay the same – it will not decrease. If your State Pension increases, it could affect the amount of tax you pay or benefits you’re entitled to.

If you’re not yet at State Pension age, your State Pension forecast will be updated.

Social media assets and messaging

We’ve developed a range of assets and accompanying messages for you to feature on your organisation’s social media sites. The messages can be personalised as necessary to feature messaging relevant to your organisation and the support you can offer.

We recommend you feature a mix of messaging directed to impacted people and to their family and friends to maximise the number of people we reach and support.

Posters

Please print the posters in colour and display in prominent places so they will be seen by impacted people. We’ve created different versions, some with a blank space, so you can add further information specific for your organisation.

We recommend you feature a mix of messaging directed to impacted people and to their family and friends to maximise the number of people we reach and support.

Support for advisers

For advisers in your organisation, we’ve developed some useful resources:

• questions and answers
• customer support guide

How you can contribute further

If you have any questions about using this toolkit’s materials, please email External Affairs.

Key stakeholder calls

We’ll hold regular calls to keep you updated on our progress, gather your feedback and provide an opportunity to ask HRP related questions.

If you haven’t received an invite to our key stakeholder calls and would like to join the conversations, please email Customer Engagement Forums.

Further support

If you’re unable to make one of our stakeholder calls and have a query, or would like to share some feedback, please email External Affairs.