Plan to use Reading vacant office building for flats rejected
The Royal Metrological Society's building, which sits next to Eaton Court in Oxford Road, would have been unaffected.
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Scotsman
36 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Home Responsibilities Protection: error may owe thousands
Thousands risk missing out on State Pension top-ups due to a government error 👀 Sign up to the weekly Cost Of Living newsletter. Saving tips, deals and money hacks. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... People who took time off work to care for children or family between 1978 and 2010 may be owed thousands in missing State Pension payments A government error meant many didn't receive Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) credits, reducing their National Insurance record and pension amount Martin Lewis warns the government has stopped proactively contacting those affected On average, underpayments are worth around £5,000, but some have received backpayments exceeding £30,000 Those who suspect they're affected should check their State Pension forecast on People who took time off work to care for children or family between 1978 and 2010 are being urged by Martin Lewis to check if they're owed thousands in missing State Pension payments — with some reclaiming more than £30,000 in backpay. The MoneySavingExpert founder has warned that a government error, which went unnoticed for decades, could be depriving hundreds of thousands of a State Pension boost worth an average of £5,000. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad But most of those affected haven't been contacted, and time is running out to claim what they're owed. What's the issue? The error centres on Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP), a government scheme that ran from 1978 to 2010. It was supposed to protect the State Pensions of people — mostly mothers — who claimed Child Benefit or cared for someone long-term ill or disabled. HRP gave people National Insurance (NI) 'credits' for the years they weren't working due to caring duties. These credits count towards their State Pension entitlement. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad But due to government record-keeping failures, around 194,000 people never received those credits, meaning their NI records are incomplete and their State Pensions lower than they should be. Speaking on his podcast, Martin Lewis gave a blunt warning: 'This is an important heads-up for women aged 40 to 90, particularly those in their 60s and 70s. 'If you looked after children or a disabled person between 1978 and 2010, you were likely meant to get HRP. But many didn't — and while the government was trying to contact people, it's now stopped doing so.' Although HMRC sent over 370,000 letters to people it believed could be affected, uptake was poor. According to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), only 12,379 underpayments were corrected in 2024/25. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Due to the low response rate and 'challenging' nature of correcting the error, the Government has scaled back the compensation programme. Originally, it earmarked £1.2 billion to repay affected pensioners — but this has now been slashed to just £29.8 million, suggesting most people may never see the money they're owed. Former pensions minister Sir Steve Webb has criticised the DWP's failure to fix the problem, calling the campaign a 'dismal failure'. 'The vast majority affected are women — some underpaid for decades or who even died before being paid the correct pension,' he said. 'The government's admission that most won't get their money is shameful.' How to check if you're owed money You could be eligible if: You were born between roughly 1930 and 1970 (aged 50+ now) You claimed Child Benefit or cared for someone full-time between 1978 and 2010 You have gaps in your National Insurance record You're getting less than the full State Pension (currently £221.20 a week) To find out: Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Visit to view your forecast Check if you have gaps in your NI contributions See if those gaps fall between 1978–2010, when you were a stay-at-home parent or unpaid carer If so, you can apply to backdate your HRP credits You can also contact the HMRC National Insurance helpline on 0300 200 3500. Are you struggling to make ends meet as costs continue to rise? You can now send your stories to us online via YourWorld at It's free to use and, once checked, your story will appear on our website and, space allowing, in our newspapers.
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Cotswolds mum says 'don't be afraid or ashamed to use food banks'
A mum-of-two living with a serious long-term illness is urging those in need not to "be afraid or ashamed" to seek help from food which is not her real name, said Cirencester Foodbank gave her emotional support, financial advice and essential food parcels after she received a life-changing diagnosis and an eviction Wynn, the Gloucestershire food bank's CEO, said 35% of its users were in work. He called for the government to provide those in need with more practical help.A government spokesperson said it was "determined to help people out of poverty and tackle the unacceptable rise in food bank dependence in recent years". Despite commanding some of the highest house prices in South West England, more than 2,000 children are classed as living in poverty in the South Cotswolds constituency, according to the area's MP. Alice and her family were evicted from their home just two months after she received her diagnosis last said the pressure of her situation was "overwhelming" and "almost too much to take" before she reached out to the food bank."They won't judge you or make you feel small, they are there to help," the 40-year-old said. Alice claimed she initially felt "embarrassed" at the thought of relying on other people, but their assistance made it feel like a "weight has been lifted"."[I feel] much better and much happier now knowing I've got their support and something to fall back on," she added. 'Multi-faceted' issues In a recent report, Cirencester Foodbank found an increasing number of those with mental health issues and long term illnesses were asking for also said almost three quarters of men referred to the service were Wynn said the reasons behind food bank use in Cirencester were "multi-faceted", with one issue being that people struggled to access cheaper supermarkets in towns."There's a bit of a premium for people living in [rural] spaces whereby, to get to low cost food, you have to have access to transport," he added difficulties surrounding "low income seasonal work" in rural areas also contributed to food bank usage among working Wynn said he would like to see employers offer staff more information about benefits. 'Broken welfare system' Dr Roz Savage, Liberal Democrat MP for the South Cotswolds, said child poverty was often said she would like to see the Labour government remove the two-child benefit cap, introduce more support from early years onwards and protect Personal Independence Payments."The most vulnerable members of our society are being squeezed even further when they just can't afford it," she Department for Work and Pensions said it was launching breakfast clubs, increasing the Universal Credit main rate above inflation and reforming the "broken welfare system".
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Fire crews tackle gorse blaze in Torquay
Fire crews have tackled a gorse blaze in Torquay, from the town and Paignton responded after they received multiple calls about the fire on Rock End Avenue, in the Wellswood 20 sq m of gorse on the cliff was damaged by the blaze, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service used one jet and portable lighting to tackle the blaze.
