Request information about underpaid State Pension for someone who has died
Guidance for the next of kin or executor for someone who has died who may have been underpaid State Pension.
Applies to England, Scotland and Wales
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has identified that some of the following people may have been underpaid State Pension:
- people who were married or widowed when they died
- people aged 80 or over when they died
This is because they did not get the automatic increase in their pension that they were entitled to.
We are writing to people we know may be affected to let them know how this will be put right. We are contacting next of kin and executors where we know their details.
If you think someone who has died may have been underpaid State Pension and you are their next of kin or executor of the estate, you should contact DWP to request information.
Who may have been underpaid
If the person who died reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016
Find out when someone reached State Pension age.
If they were married
They may have been underpaid if both of the following applied:
- they got less than the lower basic State Pension (also called a Category BL State Pension)
- they did not get an increase through their husband, wife or civil partner
If they were widowed
They may have been underpaid if they did not inherit some of their husband’s, wife’s or civil partner’s State Pension.
If they were aged 80 or over
They may have been underpaid if were getting some State Pension but got less that the amount of the over 80 pension (also called a Category D State Pension).
If the person who died reached State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016
Find out when someone reached State Pension age.
If they were widowed
They may have been underpaid if they did not inherit any of their husband’s, wife’s or civil partner’s State Pension they were entitled to.
How to request information
If you think someone who has died was underpaid State Pension, contact DWP.
Before you start
You will need to provide the following information about the person who has died:
- their full name
- their date of birth
- their date of death
- their last known address, including their postcode
- the full name of their husband, wife or civil partner, if they were married or in a civil partnership
It will help us to deal with the application more quickly if you can also provide their National Insurance number.
What happens next
We will check whether the person who has died was paid the correct amount of State Pension. We may need to contact you for more information, for example if we have not kept the records, in line with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
If the person who has died was owed money, we will write to you and let you know what to do next.
If the person who has died was not owed money, we will write to you to tell you.
We will deal with your enquiry as soon as possible, but this may take some time.
State Pension rates
People who reached State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016
| Date rate applies from | New State Pension rate |
|---|---|
| April 2022 | £185.15 |
| April 2021 | £179.60 |
| April 2020 | £175.20 |
| April 2019 | £168.60 |
| April 2018 | £164.35 |
| April 2017 | £159.55 |
| April 2016 | £155.65 |
People who reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016
| Date rate applies from | Full basic State Pension rate | Lower basic State Pension and over 80 State Pension rate |
|---|---|---|
| April 2022 | £141.85 | £85.00 |
| April 2021 | £137.60 | £82.45 |
| April 2020 | £134.25 | £80.45 |
| April 2019 | £129.20 | £77.45 |
| April 2018 | £125.95 | £75.50 |
| April 2017 | £122.30 | £73.30 |
| April 2016 | £119.30 | £71.50 |
| April 2015 | £115.95 | £69.50 |
| April 2014 | £113.10 | £67.80 |
| April 2013 | £110.15 | £66.00 |
| April 2012 | £107.45 | £64.40 |
| April 2011 | £102.15 | £61.20 |
| April 2010 | £97.65 | £58.50 |
| April 2009 | £95.25 | £57.05 |
| April 2008 | £90.70 | £54.35 |
| April 2007 | £87.30 | £52.30 |
| April 2006 | £84.25 | £50.50 |
| April 2005 | £82.05 | £49.15 |
| April 2004 | £79.60 | £47.65 |
| April 2003 | £77.45 | £46.35 |
| April 2002 | £75.50 | £45.20 |
| April 2001 | £72.50 | £43.40 |
| April 2000 | £67.50 | £40.40 |
| April 1999 | £66.75 | £39.95 |
| April 1998 | £64.70 | £38.70 |
| April 1997 | £62.45 | £37.35 |
| April 1996 | £61.15 | £36.60 |
| April 1995 | £58.85 | £35.25 |
| April 1994 | £57.60 | £34.50 |
| April 1993 | £56.10 | £33.70 |
| April 1992 | £54.15 | £32.55 |
| April 1991 | £52.00 | £31.25 |
| April 1990 | £46.90 | £28.20 |
| April 1989 | £43.60 | £26.20 |
| April 1988 | £41.15 | £24.75 |
| April 1987 | £39.50 | £23.75 |
| July 1986 | £38.70 | £23.25 |
| November 1985 | £38.30 | £23.00 |
| November 1984 | £35.80 | £21.50 |
| November 1983 | £34.05 | £20.45 |
| November 1982 | £32.85 | £19.70 |
| November 1981 | £29.60 | £17.75 |
| November 1980 | £27.15 | £16.30 |
| November 1979 | £23.30 | £14.00 |
| November 1978 | £19.50 | £11.70 |
| November 1977 | £17.50 | £10.50 |
| November 1976 | £15.30 | £9.20 |
| November 1975 | £13.30 | £8.20 |
| April 1975 | £11.60 | £6.90 |
| July 1974 | £10.00 | £6.00 |
| October 1973 | £7.75 | £4.75 |
| October 1972 | £6.75 | £4.15 |
| September 1971 | £6.00 | £3.70 |
Updates to this page
Published 8 July 2022Last updated 28 September 2022 + show all updates
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Changes made to the guidance to provide further clarity on the situations when people should contact the Department for Work and Pensions if they believe that that a person who has died may have been underpaid State Pension.
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Added translation