MARTIN Lewis is urging women to check they’ve not been underpaid state pension as one grandmother claimed back £82,100 with the help of his advice.

Speaking on his Martin Lewis Money Show on ITV, the money guru said the case was “one of the biggest success stories I’ve ever had”.

Martin Lewis is urging women to check they're not underpaid state pension after one grandmother claimed back £82,100

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Martin Lewis is urging women to check they’re not underpaid state pension after one grandmother claimed back £82,100Credit: Martin Lewis Money Show/ITV

Jill, a widower aged 77, said she realised she might have a claim while watching Martin Lewis’ TV show three months ago.

She married her husband Robin 20 years go, but sadly he died in 2008.

Jill told viewers: “At the time, I got a very basic state pension, which I think was about £90 a week.

“Obviously Robin was also getting a state pension which was quite generous because he had his own company and was paying as much national insurance as he could.

“I thought that pension died with him.”

Jill didn’t realise she actually had a claim on Robin’s state pension too, until she turned on the TV 12 years later and watched an episode of Martin’s show about women missing out on state pension top-ups.

Jill, a widower aged 77, didn't realise she may be due a payout until she watched the Martin Lewis Money Show three months ago

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Jill, a widower aged 77, didn’t realise she may be due a payout until she watched the Martin Lewis Money Show three months agoCredit: Martin Lewis Money Show/ITV

She decided to contact the Pension Service, and later had a phone call from them explaining that she had, in fact, been underpaid a whopping £82,100.

Jill said: “That amount of money is… just incredible.

“I just couldn’t get it into my head, it was astounding.

“I think it’ll be a good Christmas for the family, my grandchildren as well as my children.”

And Jill’s not alone, as Martin now urges more women to make a claim.

Who could be missing out on state pension payments?

JILL got a £82,100 payout after not receiving a 60% top-up to her state pension, but there are also other groups who may be underpaid.

We’ve made a list of these below – if you think you’re affected, follow the steps to check if you’re due a payout.

  • Married women who hit state pension age before April 6, 2016 and who have never claimed a top-up to the 60% rate
  • Widows whose pension was not increased when their husband died
  • Widows whose pension is now correct, but who think they may have been underpaid while their late husband was still alive
  • Over-80s (both men and women) who receive a basic state pension of less than £80.45 a week
  • Widowers and heirs of married women , where the woman has now died but was underpaid state pension during her lifetime
  • Divorced women, particularly those who divorced after retirement, to check that they are benefiting from the national insurance contributions of their ex-husband

He said on the show: “This is hundreds of thousands of women who may be missing out on thousands of pounds on the basic state pension.

“It applies to married women or now windows – not civil partners and not same-sex couples – who hit state pension age before April 6, 2016.

“In that case, your state pension should be a minimum of 60% of your husband’s.

“If not, you’re entitled to a top-up to 60% but many women are missing out on that.”

And if you’ve been underpaid, you can get it backdated depending on when your husband turned 65.

If it was before March 2008, you should’ve been asking for a top-up so if you didn’t, you can only get it backdated for one year.

But if it was after March 2008, the system was meant to be automatic top-ups but many missed out due to a computer error, which means you can backdate it all the way back.

Martin added: “This is pretty complicated. But with £82,000 at stake, it’s worth spending the time on.”

There are also other groups of women who may be underpaid state pension, we’ve made a list of these above.

How to check if you’ve been underpaid

If you think you’ve been underpaid state pension, it’s worth checking if you’re owed any cash.

You can contact the Pension Service and ask about your situation by calling 0800 731 0469.

Just keep in mind that phone lines may be busier than normal due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Alternatively, you can do an initial check online thanks to a free tool launched by former pensions minister Steve Webb on behalf of actuarial firm LCP.

You’ll need to enter a few details about your and your husband’s ages, the dates when you both hit state pension age, and details of how much you’re both getting as your basic state pension amounts.

If you use the LCP calculator and think you’re eligible for a top-up that you haven’t received, contact the government’s pension service.

How much you can get naturally depends on how long you’ve been underpaid for.

The Department for Work and Pensions said payments and interest awarded will be on a case-by-case basis depending on your situation.

Retirees will get up to £230 a year extra in their state pension from April next year.

Meanwhile, the state pension age rose to 66 earlier this month – we explain seven ways to boost your pot.

Brits lose up to £800 a year holding multiple pensions – here’s how to combine yours.

State pension age should rise to 75 from 68, report says – raising fears some workers will NEVER retire

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk

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