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Pensioner 'owed £7.5k due to DWP error'

Journalist: Dan Grennan, Daily Star

ended 13. August 2025

Hello, 

As the personal finance journalist working for the Daily Star, I recieved the following email from a distraught pensioner who claims the DWP owe her almost £8k via underpayment of her State Pension. She claims she was entitled to an increase in her pension worth 60% of her husband's after he died.

Do the DWP owe her the full amount? If so, what should she do? 

Any other advice would be greatly appreciated.

The pensioner said:

I have been attempting since 2021 to claim back from the DWP my Basic State Penson shortfall from April 6, 2008 to March 15, 2020, and there are many elderly women having the same problem as myself and trying to obtain what is rightfully theirs from the DWP.

Due to a systematic error some years ago by the DWP, the error has been "put on the back burner", becoming another example, of the now elderly, are being ignored once again of their rightful recompense.

I sent my claim to the DWP in early 2021 and on 17 May 2021 I received a sum of £865.02p from the DWP, and was told I could only claim for the 12-months prior to my claim.

Since receiving £865.02p on 17 May 2021 my Basic State Pension has been corrected by the DWP to at least 60% of my husband’s Basic State Pension.

This was highlighted in a report from the National Audit Office dated 22 September 2021, and again in an article in the Daily Express by Sarah O'Grady, with a comment by Sir Steve Webb, shortly after the report was published article attached.

In March 2022 I contacted my local MP at the time and after my MP's caseworker investigated, it was confirmed that only 12-months prior to my claim was allowed.

Also in March 2022 I asked the DWP for a Mandatory Reconsideration Request, and a reply from the DWP in April 2022 confirmed that only 12-months prior to my claim was allowed.

I contacted the Independent Case Examiner on 18 August 2023, and received a reply on 29 August 2023 and was told that I needed a Final Response letter from the DWP before they would look at my complaint.

After further contact with the DWP during 2023 and the first few months in 2024, I received a Final Response letter from the DWP dated 07 June 2024, which also included details of my husband's and my own Basic State Pension details from 06 April 2008 to 15 March 2020.

I scanned this letter from the DWP, and sent it via E-Mail to the Independent Case Examiner on 01 July 2024, and I received a letter from ICE dated 16 November 2024 saying that ICE would not uphold my complaint.

Even though ICE had helped 2-women, in exactly the same situation as myself, claim a full refund from the DWP, which also included interest and compensation.

Based on the Basic State Pension figures supplied by the DWP for my husband and myself, the DWP owe me £7559.77p for the shortfall in my Basic State Pension from 06 April 2008 - 15 March 2020.

I have been in contact with Sir Steve Webb on a number of occasions, and Sir Steve has been so supportive and helpful with his suggestions, that he has kept me in a positive frame of mind, as I am not too well at the moment, and I have now contacted the Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman with details of my "journey" since 2021.

Along with other cases, the PHSO have accepted my case and I am waiting for their reply, which could take time due to the number of cases the PHSO are having to assess.

4 responses from the Newspage community

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Editor
Anita Wright
Chartered Financial Planner at Ribble Wealth Management
The DWP may well owe her the money. If her husband reached State Pension age on or after 17 March 2008, her 60% married rate should have been automatic, not claim-based. If DWP also failed to automatically recalculate her pension when he died, widowhood can entitle her to up to 100% of the basic rate. In those scenarios, the 12-month backdating cap should not apply and arrears should be paid back to the actual date of entitlement. If he reached SPA before 17 March 2008 and she never claimed, the 12-month rule usually does apply for the married rate — but any missed widow’s uplift should still be fully backdated. Perhaps she could instruct a good accountant who understands benefits to handle tax on arrears and protect any means-tested benefits, and get support from Age UK, Citizens Advice, or a specialist welfare rights adviser to press the claim.
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Rob Mansfield
Independent Financial Advisor at Rootes Wealth Management
How awful for this lady. Either pay her the money or write to her to explain why her calculations are wrong. How much money must the government have wasted in dragging their heels and failing to sort this out? With around 60% of tribunals deciding in favour of claimants, is the DWP even fit for purpose? My advice to this lady would be to keep fighting and hopefully an appearance in the Daily Star might spur a reaction from the DWP.
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Scott Gallacher
Director at Rowley Turton
Sadly, stories like this don’t surprise me, especially the rule limiting backdated payments to just 12 months. I’ve seen similar with Carer’s Allowance, where a carer waited for Disability Living Allowance approval before applying. The DLA was backdated over a year, but Carer’s Allowance was only backdated three months, costing the carer nine months of payments. When the private sector makes a mistake, the government demands full compensation. But when it’s the government’s error, it’s suddenly a different story — and ordinary people are left short-changed.
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David Stirling
Independent Financial Adviser at Mint Wealth
She’s one of thousands of widows that have been underpaid for years and the DWP says it’ll only pay a year’s arrears? Hopefully the Ombudsman will come down hard and agree that she should be owed the full £7,500.