Stories

Sun, 06 Sep 2026

Sun, 06 Sep 2026 The £70 refund letter that isn't a scam

About one million people - mostly women - are owed pension tax relief and will be contacted by HMRC.

* Around 1 million people, mostly women, will receive letters explaining how they're eligible for top-up pension payments.
* These individuals have been low earners who missed out on tax relief due to their employer using a specific type of pension scheme (Net Pay Arrangement).
* The government is offering a one-off payment of £70, but this can vary depending on individual circumstances.
* HMRC will contact eligible individuals automatically and they won't need to apply for the payment.
* If you receive a letter or email from HMRC, check it's genuine by: + Ensuring HMRC has your latest address + Searching Gov.uk for "Low Earner's Pension Payment" + Looking out for official HMRC channels (not emails, texts, or calls)
* Customers will need to provide their bank details through their personal tax account.
* Those who are digitally excluded can phone HMRC to accept the payment instead.