Request information about underpaid State Pension for someone who has died
Source: gov.uk (2025-10-08)

Guidance for the next of kin or executor for someone who has died who may have been underpaid State Pension.

In 2020, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) identified that some of the following people may have been underpaid State Pension:
- people who were married or widowed when they died
- people aged 80 or over when they died
This is because they did not get the automatic increase in their pension that they were entitled to.

If the person who died reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016

Find out when someone reached State Pension age (https://www.gov.uk/state-pension-age).

If they were married

They may have been underpaid if both of the following applied:
- they got less than the lower basic State Pension (also called a Category BL State Pension) (#people-who-reached-state-pension-age-before-6-april-2016)
- they did not get an increase through their husband, wife or civil partner (https://www.gov.uk/state-pension/inheritance-spouse-civil-partner#increasing-your-basic-state-pension-through-your-spouse-or-civil-partner)
If they were widowed

They may have been underpaid if they did not inherit some of their husband’s, wife’s or civil partner’s State Pension (https://www.gov.uk/state-pension/inheritance-spouse-civil-partner#inheriting-some-of-your-spouse-or-civil-partners-state-pension-when-they-die).

If they were aged 80 or over

They may have been underpaid if they were getting some basic State Pension but got less than the amount of the over 80 pension (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/request-information-about-underpaid-state-pension-for-someone-who-has-died#people-who-reached-state-pension-age-before-6-april-2016) (also called a Category D State Pension).

If the person who died reached State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016

Find out when someone reached State Pension age (https://www.gov.uk/state-pension-age).

If they were widowed

They may have been underpaid if they did not inherit State Pension they were entitled to from a spouse or civil partner (https://www.gov.uk/new-state-pension/inheriting-or-increasing-state-pension-from-a-spouse-or-civil-partner).

How to contact us

Where we knew their details, we wrote to the next of kin or executor of those who may have been affected. We did this between 11 January 2021 and 31 December 2024.

You can contact us about someone you think may have been underpaid State Pension if both of the following apply:
- you are their next of kin or executor
- we have not contacted you
You will need to provide the following information about the person who has died:
- their full name
- their date of birth
- their date of death
- their last known address, including their postcode
- the full name of their husband, wife or civil partner, if they were married or in a civil partnership
It will help us to deal with your enquiry quicker if you can also provide their National Insurance number

If you have already contacted us, you do not need to contact us again.

If the person who died lived in Great Britain

Telephone: xx-xxxx-xxxx Relay UK (https://www.relayuk.bt.com/) (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then xx-xxxx-xxxx Welsh language: xx-xxxx-xxxx Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm (except public holidays) Find out about call charges (https://www.gov.uk/call-charges)

British Sign Language (BSL) video relay service (https://connect.interpreterslive.co.uk/vrs?ilc=DWP) if you’re on a computer - find out how to use the service on mobile or tablet (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oELNMfAvDxw)

If the person who died lived in Northern Ireland

If the person who died lived in Northern Ireland contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre (http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/index/contacts/contacts-az.htm/northern-ireland-pension-centre-state-pension).

If the person who died lived in another country

If the person who died lived abroad contact the International Pension Centre (https://www.gov.uk/international-pension-centre).

State Pension rates

People who reached State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016

People who reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016