Hampton & RoweHRP in one sentence
Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) was a government scheme that helped protect the State Pension position of certain parents and carers for full tax years between 6 April 1978 and 5 April 2010.
What changed in 2010?
From 6 April 2010, National Insurance credits for parents and carers replaced HRP. For people reaching State Pension age on or after 6 April 2010, qualifying HRP years could be converted into National Insurance credits, subject to the rules.
Who was HRP intended to protect?
Broadly, HRP could be relevant to people who were not building a normal National Insurance record because they were caring. Examples include people awarded Child Benefit for a child under 16 and certain people caring for somebody who was sick or disabled. Special rules apply to partner transfers, foster carers and other categories.
Why can HRP be missing?
One historic issue identified by HMRC is that some Child Benefit claims - particularly older claims - were not correctly linked to the claimant’s National Insurance number. If the HRP entitlement was not reflected in the NI record, that can affect the State Pension calculation.
Does missing HRP automatically mean money is owed?
No. A missing or corrected year only matters financially if it changes the pension entitlement under the rules applying to that person. Someone may have enough qualifying years already, be affected by other pension rules, or receive a record correction without additional arrears.
How can I check?
- Check your National Insurance record.
- Look for gaps during relevant caring years.
- Think about who received Child Benefit and whether the National Insurance number was correctly recorded.
- Use the official GOV.UK HRP guidance or ask us to review the information.
Official GOV.UK HRP guidance ↗ Check Now ↗
Government rules can change. The official GOV.UK guidance is the authoritative source for current HRP eligibility and application requirements.