Pension specialists have made calls to drive up admin requirements after it emerged that round £670 million in state pensions was underpaid within the monetary yr ending in 2023.
This was a rise from £540 million in 2022, in keeping with authorities figures.
Final yr’s underpayments whole was greater than six occasions the £100 million that was overpaid in state pensions within the monetary yr ending 2023.
Overpayments have been down from £130 million the earlier yr.
The Division for Work and Pensions (DWP) doc mentioned that official error was the principle reason for state pension underpayments, accounting for £580 million within the monetary yr ending in 2023. Underpayments attributable to claimant error accounted for £90 million.
Pressing motion is required to drive up requirements of administration in order that pensioners can have faith that the pension they’re being paid is appropriate
Sir Steve Webb, LCP
Failure by the division to take motion on adjustments to marital standing or at age-related set off factors remained the principle supply of official error underpayments, the doc mentioned.
Points included the wrong recording of nationwide insurance coverage contributions and pensions not being uplifted for individuals who had been widowed and have been entitled to quantities inherited from a accomplice.
The proportion of claims that have been underpaid remained at six in 100 in each the monetary years ending in 2023 and 2022.
This proportion pertains to the DWP’s caseload, together with historic errors.
The share of claims that have been overpaid stayed at two in 100 claims in each the monetary years ending in 2023 and 2022.
Helen Morrissey, head of retirement evaluation at Hargreaves Lansdown mentioned: “State pension underpayments hit a excessive with an eye-watering £670 million underpaid within the monetary yr finish of 2023.
“This maybe comes as no shock given the massive train the DWP is present process to appropriate historic errors that meant many individuals, didn’t obtain uplifts to which they have been entitled.”
The place errors do happen, we’re dedicated to fixing them as rapidly as potential
DWP spokesperson
Sir Steve Webb, a former pensions minister who’s now a accomplice at consultants LCP (Lane Clark & Peacock) mentioned: “Pressing motion is required to drive up requirements of administration in order that pensioners can have faith that the pension they’re being paid is appropriate.”
Spending on state pensions elevated from £104.5 billion within the monetary yr ending 2022 to £109.7 billion within the monetary yr ending 2023.
The state pension is the profit with the very best expenditure and accounts for almost half of whole profit spending, the DWP doc mentioned.
A DWP spokesman mentioned: “Our precedence is guaranteeing pensioners obtain the monetary help to which they’re entitled, and state pension underpayment charges attributable to official error stay low at 0.5% of expenditure.
“The place errors do happen, we’re dedicated to fixing them as rapidly as potential.”
The Authorities is taking motion to appropriate historic underpayments made by successive governments.
It has mentioned it reviewed a median of greater than 15,000 circumstances monthly between November 2022 and February 2023.
