My mum might be 予定 more 明言する／公表する 年金 - but will she lose 年金 credit? Steve Webb replies

I am 令状ing on に代わって of my mother who has recently received a letter from HMRC 明言する／公表するing that she may be 適格の for Home 責任／義務s 保護.

Her 国家の 保険 記録，記録的な／記録する shows five years of 十分な 出資／貢献s and 20 years where she did not 与える／捧げる enough. For 13 of these years she would've been （人命などを）奪う，主張するing child 利益 for myself until I reached 18 years old.

Her 現在の 週刊誌 明言する／公表する 年金 is £93.85 and she reached 明言する／公表する 年金 age in June 1995.

However my 関心 is that if she is 適格の for HRP this will 増加する her 週刊誌 明言する／公表する 年金 and then she will not be 適格の for 年金 credit (which she has only ju st started （人命などを）奪う，主張するing since my father has moved into a nursing home) and its 付加 利益s.

But also if she is 予定 an 増加する in her 年金 would this be backdated? If so, it would probably outweigh what she would lose if she could not （人命などを）奪う，主張する 年金 credit any more.

Lots of 窮地s and questions, and I would be very 感謝する for any advice you could give me.

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Steve Webb replies: Over the coming months, tens of thousands of women will be receiving letters from HMRC like the one that your mother has received.

For most this will be good news, resulting in them getting a higher 年金 and かもしれない a backdated lump sum. But you are 権利 to 示唆する that in your mother's 事例／患者 she should think carefully before 答える／応じるing.

These letters relate to 可能性のある errors in people's 国家の 保険 記録，記録的な／記録するs for time spent out of paid work raising children.

I explained more about the 問題／発行する in a previous column: I'm 存在 underpaid 明言する／公表する 年金 and HMRC is doing nothing.

The group who have 行方不明になるd out appears to be those who （人命などを）奪う，主張するd child 利益 before 2000 where there was no 国家の 保険 number on their child 利益 （人命などを）奪う，主張する.

> Have YOU received a letter about HRP? Scroll 負かす／撃墜する for Steve's handy tips

Without an NI number, it can be difficult to link the child 利益 computer 記録，記録的な／記録する to the separate 国家の 保険 computer.

As a result, this group may be 行方不明の out on 'Home 責任／義務s 保護' ? a 決定的な 保護 to their NI 記録，記録的な／記録する for time at home with children.

The challenge with 直す／買収する，八百長をするing this 問題／発行する is that HM 歳入 and Customs no longer know who was getting child 利益 all those years ago.

For that r eason, they are now 令状ing '思索的な' letters to people who may have been getting child 利益, but who do not have HRP on their NI 記録，記録的な／記録する. This is why your mother has had a letter.

Ordinarily, the 受取人 of the letter should 簡単に answer the questions, 供給するing 詳細（に述べる）s of their child or children, 含むing dates of birth and NI numbers, and 確定／確認 that they were receiving child 利益.

If everything looks 権利, HMRC will 追加する Home 責任／義務s 保護 to the individual's 記録，記録的な／記録する. The DWP will then recalculate their 明言する／公表する 年金, 潜在的に 増加するing the 週刊誌 量 that they receive and 支払う／賃金ing any arrears 予定, 支援する to when they first started 製図／抽選 their 年金.

However, there are a few 推論する／理由s why your mother's 状況／情勢 is わずかに different.

The first is that even if her 明言する／公表する 年金 were to 増加する, she might be no better off.

As you have 公式文書，認めるd, she is now receiving 年金 credit, and in many 事例／患者s this means that any 増加する in her 明言する／公表する 年金 would result in a 続けざまに猛撃する-for-続けざまに猛撃する 削減 in her 年金 credit.

If she was only getting a small 量 of 年金 credit in the first place (perhaps because she has other income on 最高の，を越す of her 明言する／公表する 年金), an 増加する in her 明言する／公表する 年金 could even mean she is no longer する権利を与えるd to 年金 credit at all.

Given that 年金 credit is a 'パスポート' to lots of other forms of help 含むing 援助 with energy 法案s, 解放する／自由な TV licences for the over 75s and so on, she might be worse off 全体にわたる.

Anyone on a 比較して small 量 of 年金 credit mig ht want to think carefully before （人命などを）奪う，主張するing for 行方不明の HRP.

The second point that you raise is also a good one ? すなわち that there could be arrears of 明言する／公表する 年金 to take into consideration.

In your mother's 事例／患者, she has been on a 明言する／公表する 年金 since the 中央の 1990s, so in theory there could be a large lump sum of 支援する 支払い（額） 借りがあるing to her.

On the 加える 味方する, for some women this will be a large 量 of money and would be 価値（がある） having even if it meant not getting 年金 credit.

As you point out, your mother has only just started getting 年金 credit and for most of her 退職 she was not receiving the 利益.

There could in theory be a large lump sum 利用できる with very little 'claw 支援する' of 年金 credit in those past years, 支配する only to any 所得税 which was 予定.

However, because of your mother's individual circumstances this is ありそうもない to be the 事例／患者.

You have told me that your mother has just five years of actual paid NI 出資／貢献s.

For a woman of her 世代, the 的 for a 十分な 年金 would have been 39 years.

The way HRP worked was that each year of HRP was deducted from the 39 years 的. If we suppose you are 権利 that she would be する権利を与えるd to HRP for 13 years (though 耐える in mind that HRP stops in the year in which the youngest child turns 16), then this makes her 改訂するd 的 26 years.

As she only has five years of 出資／貢献s, her NI 記録，記録的な／記録する is 5/26 or 20 per cent (一連の会議、交渉／完成するd up).

As this is below the 最小限 of 25 per cent, your mother would not 現実に have been する権利を与えるd to a 明言する／公表する 年金 in her own 権利 even with the 傾向 of HRP.

The 年金 your mother 現在／一般に gets is the 基準 率 for a married woman (加える a 25p age 新規加入) based on her husband's 出資／貢献s.

It is also the 基準 率 for anyone 老年の 80 加える who can get a 非，不，無-c ontributory 年金, 供給するd they 満足させる some basic residency 必要物／必要条件s.

Either way, your mother's 年金 is not 現在／一般に based on her own NI 記録，記録的な／記録する and would not be even if she （人命などを）奪う，主張するd HRP.

In practice therefore, there is probably little to be 伸び（る）d by going through all of this 過程.

I suppose, in theory, the 受取人 of such a letter could be challenged for not taking up the 適切な時期 to (潜在的に) 改善する their 明言する／公表する 年金, 特に if the 推論する／理由 for not replying was to 避ける any 衝撃 on their 利益.

But in your mother's 事例／患者 her 年金 wouldn't change even if she was given HRP, so it's hard to see the point in 答える／応じるing.

I should 強調する／ストレス that for most people who receive such a letter ? and 特に those who are not on 利益 ? the 結果 is likely to be to their advantage.?

But I'm 感謝する to you for flagging your 関心s as this will not always be the 事例／患者.

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