UK Pensions (2018)

[CharlieH]

New thread for ongoing UK Pensions topic.

 

Link to previous thread for reference.

[evadgib]

Pioneering proposals to give millions of people their pension facts and figures at their fingertips have been unveiled by the government today (3 December).

New free, user-friendly ‘pensions dashboards’ would allow people to access their information from most pension schemes in one place online for the first time.

Pensions dashboards – an idea welcomed by consumer groups and pension providers - would:

• give people accurate, easy to understand, secure information
• show people clearly how much they have in their pension pots and what they can expect to have to live on in retirement
• put people in control of when and how they check their data and who has access to it
• help people to find ‘lost’ pension pots.     More...

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pensions-dashboards-to-enable-more-informed-retirement-planning

[evadgib]

Greater powers given to HMRC to tackle tax avoidance and evasion are undermining the rule of law and justice, warns a House of Lords report.

The Economic Affairs Committee said HMRC has been granted some broad, disproportionate powers without effective taxpayer safeguards.

High penalties, designed to deter taxpayers from appealing, are a tax on justice, the committee claimed

It has demanded a review of the oversight of HMRC and its powers.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-46431167

[billzant]

Evadgib, I welcome a pensions dashboard especially if it has a contact form. Pension dashboard works well with my job pension.

I think there is a serious problem communicating with the state pensions people. I prefer letters. Last year I had reason to send a letter. You never know whether it has arrived. I asked their twitter account if they would acknowledge receipt of the letter, they refused. In the letter I asked if they would email a receipt notice, no acknowledgement. In the end I phoned. The lady was extremely helpful and efficient, and in our conversation she mentioned the letter was in a queue - by this time at least 3 months. Unfortunately the phone connection was lost, and I couldn't phone back because it was a menu system and I wouldn't get the person I had spoken to.

 

And of course I was paying for the phone call!!

 

Online messaging would be useful, is that in the plan?

[evadgib]

I hope so Bill, given technology is being considered by MOJ and HMRC for future tribunals. In due course I expect Watsapp or Skype interviews to be the norm regardless of where people live ????

 

Edited December 4, 2018 by evadgib

[sandyf]

12 hours ago, billzant said:

Evadgib, I welcome a pensions dashboard especially if it has a contact form. Pension dashboard works well with my job pension.

I think there is a serious problem communicating with the state pensions people. I prefer letters. Last year I had reason to send a letter. You never know whether it has arrived. I asked their twitter account if they would acknowledge receipt of the letter, they refused. In the letter I asked if they would email a receipt notice, no acknowledgement. In the end I phoned. The lady was extremely helpful and efficient, and in our conversation she mentioned the letter was in a queue - by this time at least 3 months. Unfortunately the phone connection was lost, and I couldn't phone back because it was a menu system and I wouldn't get the person I had spoken to.

 

And of course I was paying for the phone call!!

 

Online messaging would be useful, is that in the plan?

Know exactly what you mean about letters and their refusal to send acknowledgments.

The answer is after a few weeks make a formal complaint that you have not had a response to your letter. They will then send you an email and you can then carry on a discussion free of charge.

First time I did it I waited about 4 months and I got £25 because of their slow response. This year I only waited 6 weeks and the email said the current response time was 10 - 12 weeks and a complaint wasn't necessary. I responded asking how long was I supposed to wait referring to the £25 incident. They didn't answer that, just that if they sent out acknowledgments the response time would be longer, like a brick wall.

The outcome was that the reason for the letter was dealt with within a few days of the formal complaint, didn't go to the 10 weeks.

[JoePai]

19 hours ago, billzant said:

Evadgib, I welcome a pensions dashboard especially if it has a contact form. Pension dashboard works well with my job pension.

I think there is a serious problem communicating with the state pensions people. I prefer letters. Last year I had reason to send a letter. You never know whether it has arrived. I asked their twitter account if they would acknowledge receipt of the letter, they refused. In the letter I asked if they would email a receipt notice, no acknowledgement. In the end I phoned. The lady was extremely helpful and efficient, and in our conversation she mentioned the letter was in a queue - by this time at least 3 months. Unfortunately the phone connection was lost, and I couldn't phone back because it was a menu system and I wouldn't get the person I had spoken to.

 

And of course I was paying for the phone call!!

 

Online messaging would be useful, is that in the plan?

Did you phone the 'International' number ?  I found them to be very helpful and they will call you back if you wish

 

[topt]

On 12/4/2018 at 4:40 PM, evadgib said:

New free, user-friendly ‘pensions dashboards’ would allow people to access their information from most pension schemes in one place online for the first time.

I read this (i think) in the Money Mail Online and thought it was a great idea........

 

My hesitation is based on how long before they can actually make it happen. I have an old frozen personal pension scheme that has gone through several changes of pension company ownership and the current company (one of the majors who have owned it for the last 2/3 years) still do not have any online access to the details.

 

Considering the huge number of company schemes out there just how practical is it?

 

[evadgib]

Of interest to veterans posting on this board:

https://www.ukveteranslegal.co.uk

[Kwasaki]

On 12/5/2018 at 2:55 PM, JoePai said:

Did you phone the 'International' number ?  I found them to be very helpful and they will call you back if you wish

 

Yes you are correct I phoned IPC yesterday after 3 o/c Thailand time they are open 8am to 8pm, I phoned from my home True telephone line using 006 44 191 21 87777 and was put on hold after pressing the number in the menu and through to an adviser after about 3 mins.

 

My call was because my UK pension was not received by my Thai bank, the reason was they had not received a life form back that they sent in August 2018 they sent another in October too which I also did not receive, so my pension was suspended.

On confirming my ID he put a release so my pension could be resumed and sent straight away.

I asked him to ring me back which he did.

He said another form has been sent Nov 27th, I explained I have received nothing from you but I get regular monthly ordinary snail mail from my UK bank with no problem.

Jokingly I said it's probably because it's in a brown envelope which got a bit of a laugh after explaining.

I ask why isn't Skype use instead of sending precarious letters, he said we do not have that facility. 

He asked about printing off from an email which I can't do so I said I'll telephone you again if I do not received the form before my next pension payment.

So it's left at that for now.

[evadgib]

- Can't someone print for you &

- Did either you or they consider that address panels to LoS/RoW from the likes of DWP are either cut off automatically by HMG softwear at the point of printing or are too long to remain visible to a postie trying to deliver it?

(The envelope window defaults to UK address size, the remainder cannot be seen/read & usually end up being returned to sender...or binned!)

HTH

Edited December 8, 2018 by evadgib

[billzant]

Sandyf, 

"Know exactly what you mean about letters and their refusal to send acknowledgments.

The answer is after a few weeks make a formal complaint that you have not had a response to your letter. They will then send you an email and you can then carry on a discussion free of charge.

First time I did it I waited about 4 months and I got £25 because of their slow response. This year I only waited 6 weeks and the email said the current response time was 10 - 12 weeks and a complaint wasn't necessary. I responded asking how long was I supposed to wait referring to the £25 incident. They didn't answer that, just that if they sent out acknowledgments the response time would be longer, like a brick wall.

The outcome was that the reason for the letter was dealt with within a few days of the formal complaint, didn't go to the 10 weeks."

 

I sent another letter a few months ago, and they have not answered. How do I send a formal complaint .... by letter?

 

[billzant]

JoePai "Did you phone the 'International' number ?  I found them to be very helpful and they will call you back if you wish"

 

I did phone them in the end and the woman was extremely helpful. BUT I prefer letters. The phone call I made was cut off, I don't know why, and business wasn't finished. Letters are cheaper and no risk of being cut off. They have a twitter account, it would be easy to acknowledge receipt of a letter. 

 

In my view it is cost-cutting. we pay for the phone calls, no time-wasting answering letters or typing tweets. I would be happy with emails but they don't allow that (appropriate security considerations accepted ie no email instructions).

[Kwasaki]

16 hours ago, evadgib said:

- Can't someone print for you &

- Did either you or they consider that address panels to LoS/RoW from the likes of DWP are either cut off automatically by HMG softwear at the point of printing or are too long to remain visible to a postie trying to deliver it?

(The envelope window defaults to UK address size, the remainder cannot be seen/read & usually end up being returned to sender...or binned!)

HTH

Thanks for reply but unless you quote me I would not see your post answer.

I guess I could find someone to print off for me and by that do you mean I can print off a life form. ??

As for your "address panels to LoS/RoW" sorry that of tech stuff I don't understand.

 

As i said I will ring IPC before next pension payment, get them to ring me back and inform them one way or the other whether I have received the life form and will continue to do just that.

[evadgib]

55 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

As for your "address panels to LoS/RoW" sorry that of tech stuff I don't understand.

Envelopes sent to Thailand, Phillipines etc where the address is so long that it cannot be seen by the postie through the envelope window as the window is too small for non UK addresses.

[Kwasaki]

3 minutes ago, evadgib said:

Envelopes sent to Thailand, Philippines etc where the address is so long that it cannot be seen by the postie through the envelope window as the window is too small for non UK addresses.

Oh !!  OK sorry I'm a bit dumb sometimes.

On contrary my address in Thailand is small and I get post in window envelopes every month from my UK First Direct bank no problem at all but they are white envelopes hence the joke to the IPC about sending the forms to Thailand in brown envelopes and the passing of money associated with them.  

[evadgib]

'Brexpats' in Spain worry about their future

In Mijas, a town in the Costa del Sol almost 20% of the residents are British. 

They came to Spain looking for the sun and a quiet retirement, but Brexit has plunged them into confusion. 

Meryl Elmusrati bought her house in 2015 – a year later the result of the referendum upset all of her plans. 

"Brexit has created such anguish and stress for people such as myself, because we have no assurity (assurances) that our healthcare will be covered following Brexit," Meryl Elmusrati said. 

"We do not know whether there will be a reciprocal arrangement between Spain and UK, we do not know whether our pensions will be frozen or whether they will continue to be index-linked, the pound is devaluing all the time, so it is causing a huge amount of stress.” 

https://www.liveleak.com/view?t=cnO6_1544694002

[Kwasaki]

Received life form yesterday that was supposed to be sent in August at home but l'm away and checked ATM still no pension as of today after IPC saying my pension has been unsuspended and will be sent off, been 8 days now so will telephone IPC again tonight.

 

In future I will telephone them every bloody year to see as they say  " Iife forms are sent at random"  and ask if they have sent  me one because it's good I have savings and other pensions or it would make life difficult if they suspend UK pensions without checking other ways like my private pensions people do. 

 

Just realized it's Saturday oh well Monday it is. 

Edited December 15, 2018 by Kwasaki

[evadgib]

This might prove useful to any with an NI shortfall:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/help-for-millions-of-self-employed-to-save-and-plan-for-retirement

[p414]

To Phone England pensions ..I use  a CAT phone card Costs less than 2 baht a minute to phone the pensions office landline from my mobile...phone to mo

bile costs more.

[sandyf]

3 hours ago, p414 said:

To Phone England pensions ..I use  a CAT phone card Costs less than 2 baht a minute to phone the pensions office landline from my mobile...phone to mo

bile costs more.

Skype is a good bit cheaper. £0.017/min. Works out less than a baht a minute.

[evadgib]

....and you can use your hands ????

(writing during the call!)

[nong38]

On ‎12‎/‎13‎/‎2018 at 5:10 PM, evadgib said:

'Brexpats' in Spain worry about their future

In Mijas, a town in the Costa del Sol almost 20% of the residents are British. 

They came to Spain looking for the sun and a quiet retirement, but Brexit has plunged them into confusion. 

Meryl Elmusrati bought her house in 2015 – a year later the result of the referendum upset all of her plans. 

"Brexit has created such anguish and stress for people such as myself, because we have no assurity (assurances) that our healthcare will be covered following Brexit," Meryl Elmusrati said. 

"We do not know whether there will be a reciprocal arrangement between Spain and UK, we do not know whether our pensions will be frozen or whether they will continue to be index-linked, the pound is devaluing all the time, so it is causing a huge amount of stress.” 

https://www.liveleak.com/view?t=cnO6_1544694002

I know how you feel, very sad state of affairs.

[nong38]

10 hours ago, p414 said:

To Phone England pensions ..I use  a CAT phone card Costs less than 2 baht a minute to phone the pensions office landline from my mobile...phone to mo

bile costs more.

I used to get one of those but not anymore, I am with DTAC just dial 004 before the number dirt cheap, all the other telephone companies have the same you just have to find out what the number is before the number you require eg 007.

[billd766]

14 minutes ago, nong38 said:

I used to get one of those but not anymore, I am with DTAC just dial 004 before the number dirt cheap, all the other telephone companies have the same you just have to find out what the number is before the number you require eg 007.

AIS is 003 or 005.

[wgdanson]

On 12/9/2018 at 10:21 AM, Kwasaki said:

On contrary my address in Thailand is small and I get post in window envelopes every month from my UK First Direct bank no problem

Why not click the PAPERLESS option.

[wgdanson]

18 hours ago, sandyf said:

Skype is a good bit cheaper. £0.017/min. Works out less than a baht a minute.

You can subscribe to 100 minutes to any UK landline or mobile for about 7 quid. Sorted.

[sandyf]

39 minutes ago, wgdanson said:

You can subscribe to 100 minutes to any UK landline or mobile for about 7 quid. Sorted.

I use the World Credit, deposited £10 about 5 years ago when my brother in Canada was alive, he died about a year later so still have most of it still in credit. I only make about half a dozen calls a year to the UK now so still some time left.

[billzant]

This is a Christmas Message from Chairman, John Duffy, International Consortium of British Pensioners

 

"Dear ICBP Supporter,

With Christmas just a few days away it may seem as though we are no further forward in our fight to get justice but there has been progress.

We made quite an impact in October/November with MPs and with the television, radio and newsprint media. Our not so secret weapon was 93 year old (now 94) Anne Puckridge who effectively led the charge on Westminster, 10 Downing Street and the press and she is all prepared to go back in the spring for a second assault.

At the moment, Brexit is causing us to hold back as not many will be listening until that is resolved. Frozen pensioners should be quite pleased with the way Brexit is turning out as a 'hard' Brexit will certainly benefit us. The government is guaranteeing U.K. pensioners in the EU up-rating over the next two years and reciprocal agreements thereafter. It will be very difficult for the government to agree reciprocal agreements with EU countries and then deny them to Canada and Australia. After that, it would be impossible not to up-rate the few thousand living elsewhere in the world (me included).

Also, several discrimination judgements have recently gone against the government which makes our case all the stronger.

Thank you for your support in 2018. 2019 could be an interesting year for frozen pensioners.

On behalf of the ICBP Board may I wish you a very merry Christmas (or whatever else you might be celebrating) and a happy and prosperous (up-rated) New Year.

John J Duffy - Chairman, International Consortium of British Pensioners"

 

I was very supportive of the Anne Puckridge campaign. I accept that because of inflation situations in Commonwealth countries that pensioners in Canada and Australia suffer more than we do. But in my view it is not appropriate for this statement to mention Canada and Australia only.

[evadgib]

Prime Ministers Christmas message to HMF & veterans:

https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/prime-ministers-2018-christmas-message-to-the-armed-forces