The state pension system has historically made provision for certain married women who were financially dependent on their husbands to claim a higher State Pension based on their husband’s National Insurance records. A woman is potentially affected if she was born before 6 April 1953 and is receiving less than £80.45 per week in State Pension, particularly if her husband was receiving a full Basic State Pension. It’s most likely to be an issue where a woman was born before 17 March 1948 and her husband was born before 17 March 1943.
You can use this calculator to check whether you may be affected.