HMRC to send £70 pension tax relief refunds to about one million people

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has announced that roughly one million individuals, the majority of whom are women, are due a refund of pension tax relief that has not yet been paid. The shortfall stems from a series of administrative oversights and changes to pension contribution rules that left many taxpayers with unclaimed relief on contributions made over recent tax years.

HMRC will begin contacting affected claimants in the coming weeks, providing instructions on how to verify entitlement and receive the owed amounts. The agency estimates the total value of the refunds to be in the hundreds of millions of pounds and has set up a dedicated helpline and online portal to handle inquiries. Recipients will be asked to confirm personal details and provide evidence of pension contributions, after which the tax relief will be credited directly to their accounts or issued as a payment.

The outreach aims to resolve the outstanding liabilities promptly and ensure that taxpayers receive the benefits they are legally entitled to. HMRC has urged anyone who receives a notice to respond promptly to avoid further delays and to keep records of pension contributions for future reference.