Thousands of women could be in line for an average payout of £5,000 from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) after a National Insurance contributions blunder.

The DWP has sounded the alarm for thousands of married women regarding State Pension back payments following a mix-up with Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP).

The DWP is issuing refunds to women affected by missing HRP records, with around 210,000 women in their 60s and 70s born before 1964 being impacted by the…