Are you being underpaid on your pension?

Women urged to run checks

WOMEN are being urged to check if they are receiving less than their state pension entitlement.

Some have been sent large lumpsum repayments from the Department for Work and Pensions.

The amounts for underpayments to their state pensions average £9,000 but some have topped £30,000.

New research estimates tens of thousands have not had their pensions automatically increased.

Consultants LCP, who ran the study, urged particular groups to contact the DWP to learn if they should be paid more. The categories are:

■ Married women whose husbands turned 65 before March 17, 2008, and who never claimed uplifts.

■ Widows whose pensions did not rise when their husbands died.

■ Widows with pensions now correct but possibly underpaid while their husbands were alive, particularly if the men turned 65 after March 17, 2008.

■ Over-80s women receiving basic pensions of less than £80.45.

CONSULTANT Sir Steve Webb

■ Divorced women, particularly those who divorced after retirement, to check they are benefitting from ex-husbands’ contributions.

Also possibly affected are widowers and heirs of late married women, underpaid state pensions while alive.

The DWP is trawling its own records but this covers a narrow group. LCP thinks far more are missing out and says they should take action.

Ex-pensions minister Sir Steve Webb, an LCP partner, said: “I have no doubt this process will result in tens of millions of pounds more paid out.”

Pensioner Lynda Hallaway was paid more than £9,000 for missed income after an LCP website check.

Lynda, who lives near Hull with husband John, said: “I encourage any woman who thinks her pension is underpaid to get it checked.” The DWP said it had paid arrears so far and will do so for further proven cases.

I encourage any woman suspecting this to have the matter checked out LYNDA HALLAWAY REFUNDED £9,000

So we welcome the review of punishments handed down to three teenagers convicted of the manslaughter of PC Andrew Harper, who was dragged to his death behind their car.

The jury decided it was not murder – but the request for the Attorney General’s Office to review the prison terms and decide whether the Court of Appeal should take a second look is eminently sensible when many people feel the punishment does not fit the crime.

The judge in the case is considered to have awarded sentences towards the higher end of what is permitted, so perhaps it is the law that needs strengthening when the young age of the killers is no defence in such a heinous act.

Unless we protect our police officers and demonstrate that to take the life of a law enforcement officer will result in decades behind bars, we let down those who risk and sometimes lose their lives protecting us.

The heartbreak of PC Harper’s widow strikes a chord with the decent majority.

She will never get her husband back. We do not want his killers back on our streets after what many feel would be an indecently short period in jail for the magnitude of the offence.