UK Life Certificate

[Henryford]

I've just had my UK old age pension stopped because i haven't returned my "Life Certificate" to prove i am still alive. I only did this about a year ago for the first time. They claim to have sent 2 letters asking for it but i have received nothing !! I have never failed to get post from the UK so you have to question whether they even sent it. Do other people just send one every year whether they ask or not?

What is the latest on the best (cheapest) way to get these signed. I did mine last year at the Jomtien  Immigration Office but i read somewhere they have stopped doing this.

[vogie]

I always return the certificate when they send me one ASAP. There will be a list of authorised professionals that can validate your cert, but the first year I got my dentist to sign it and the last one I got it was signed by the manager of my gated estate. It is the stamp that is important, and my guess is they cannot read Thai, so they have no idea who signed it. Both cases cost me nothing.

Edited February 17, 2020 by vogie

[Just Weird]

41 minutes ago, Henryford said:

I've just had my UK old age pension stopped because i haven't returned my "Life Certificate" to prove i am still alive. I only did this about a year ago for the first time. They claim to have sent 2 letters asking for it but i have received nothing !! I have never failed to get post from the UK so you have to question whether they even sent it. Do other people just send one every year whether they ask or not?

Life certificates are not sent out regularly, they are part of an anti-fraud system and are sent randomly or if the DWP has suspicions.  16 weeks is allowed for the return of the form before any action is taken and you cannot "self-certify" voluntarily.   I've been receiving my state pension for three years and have only had to complete one cert in that time with no suspension of payments.

 

As you found out, as long as you contact the department, your suspended pension is reinstated in full to you as soon as the DWP gets the form.

[Henryford]

JW - well i have only been receiving my pension for 19 months and this is the 2nd time they have suspended my pension. I am only 66. The whole idea is ridiculous especially as they won't allow you to return the form via e-mail.

[sometime]

Key Visa will do it

[Henryford]

Thanks ST i will give them a try as i need to get my pension re-instated.

[colinneil]

14 hours ago, Just Weird said:

 

 

As you found out, as long as you contact the department, your suspended pension is reinstated in full to you as soon as the DWP gets the form.

Please stop giving out false information, after your pension is stopped for non return of life cert, a quick phone call to Newcastle, and it will be reinstated immediately.

[steve187]

2 minutes ago, colinneil said:

Please stop giving out false information, after your pension is stopped for non return of life cert, a quick phone call to Newcastle, and it will be reinstated immediately.

are you saying no need to return a completed form

[Jip99]

25 minutes ago, sometime said:

Key Visa will do it

 

 

For free ?

[colinneil]

18 minutes ago, steve187 said:

are you saying no need to return a completed form

No, i am saying the block on your pension will be lifted immediately on you phoning the DWP, as it was when mine was blocked.

The lady( Alison ) did it during our conversation, 2 days later money was in my bank.

She e-mailed me a copy of the life cert, which i posted back.

Edited February 18, 2020 by colinneil

[colinneil]

2 minutes ago, Jip99 said:

 

 

For free ?

I know a lovely???? man who will do it for free.

[OJAS]

17 hours ago, Henryford said:

They claim to have sent 2 letters asking for it but i have received nothing !! I have never failed to get post from the UK so you have to question whether they even sent it.

Attached is a blank template of the form you'll need to get witnessed. Don't forget to include your NI number which is usually pre-printed in the versions DWP send us.

 

Last time I had to go through this particular piece of bureaucratic nonsense in 2018, I managed to persuade our local police captain to perform the honours - which proved an uphill task, even with my wife's assistance, thanks to his complete lack of understanding of English. He did, however, take particular pleasure in plonking his bright red RTP stamp in the appropriate box on the form!????

 

One thing I find particularly irritating about this whole process is that, while DWP seem more than willing to provide versions of this form in all sorts of obscure languages under the sun, Thai is not one of them for some mysterious reason. And, since their overfussy prescriptive list of acceptable witnessers, when taken in conjunction with a strict application of their specific requirement for the witnessing process to be undertaken on a face-to-face basis in front of your witnesser, could well mean that the only acceptable person eligible to perform the onerous witnessing task who is readily to hand is a Thai national with zero comprehension of the English language, as in the case of my local police captain, for example.

 

If DWP really expect us to perform this witnessing malarky properly, then they should, IMHO, provide us with the necessary tools (i.e. a Thai language version of the certificate) to assist us in getting the job done. This they are plainly not doing in the case of State Pensioners living in Thailand, I think.????

 

Template - blank exc NI number.pdf

Edited February 18, 2020 by OJAS

[Just Weird]

2 hours ago, colinneil said:

16 hours ago, Just Weird said:

 

 

As you found out, as long as you contact the department, your suspended pension is reinstated in full to you as soon as the DWP gets the form.

Please stop giving out false information, after your pension is stopped for non return of life cert, a quick phone call to Newcastle, and it will be reinstated immediately.

What I posted was a direct quote from the DWP to whom I spoke yesterday, it is not false information. And don't try to tell me what to post here.

Edited February 18, 2020 by Just Weird

[stouricks]

1 hour ago, colinneil said:

Please stop giving out false information, after your pension is stopped for non return of life cert, a quick phone call to Newcastle, and it will be reinstated immediately.

As long as you say during the phone call that is really IS you, and that you are NOT dead.   555

[stouricks]

25 minutes ago, OJAS said:

Attached is a blank template of the form you'll need to get witnessed. Don't forget to include your NI number which is usually pre-printed in the versions DWP send us.

 

Last time I had to go through this particular piece of bureaucratic nonsense in 2018, I managed to persuade our local police captain to perform the honours - which proved an uphill task, even with my wife's assistance, thanks to his complete lack of understanding of English. He did, however, take particular pleasure in plonking his bright red RTP stamp in the appropriate box on the form!????

 

One thing I find particularly irritating about this whole process is that, while DWP seem more than willing to provide versions of this form in all sorts of obscure languages under the sun, Thai is not one of them for some mysterious reason. And, since their overfussy prescriptive list of acceptable witnessers, when taken in conjunction with a strict application of their specific requirement for the witnessing process to be undertaken on a face-to-face basis in front of your witnesser, could well mean that the only acceptable person eligible to perform the onerous witnessing task who is readily to hand is a Thai national with zero comprehension of the English language, as in the case of my local police captain, for example.

 

If DWP really expect us to perform this witnessing malarky properly, then they should, IMHO, provide us with the necessary tools (i.e. a Thai language version of the certificate) to assist us in getting the job done. This they are plainly not doing in the case of State Pensioners living in Thailand, I think.????

 

Template - blank exc NI number.pdf 1009.06 kB · 1 download

Isn't it a balls-up. Colin says you phone Newcastle, this form goes to Wolves.

[Just Weird]

3 hours ago, Henryford said:

JW - well i have only been receiving my pension for 19 months and this is the 2nd time they have suspended my pension. I am only 66. The whole idea is ridiculous especially as they won't allow you to return the form via e-mail.

As I said, and as the DWP told me yesterday, it's a random system unless they think they have reason to send you a form.

[Just Weird]

26 minutes ago, stouricks said:

Isn't it a balls-up. Colin says you phone Newcastle, this form goes to Wolves.

It's not "a balls-up", you just send the form to the address the DWP wants you to send it to.  The location of their call centre is irrelevant.

[stouricks]

5 minutes ago, Just Weird said:

It's not "a balls-up", you just send the form to the address the DWP wants you to send it to.  The location of their call centre is irrelevant.

Sorry I forgot to put 555 after my post. It was meant to be a play on words...ball, Newcastle, Wolves. Sorry.

[Henryford]

3 hours ago, colinneil said:

No, i am saying the block on your pension will be lifted immediately on you phoning the DWP, as it was when mine was blocked.

The lady( Alison ) did it during our conversation, 2 days later money was in my bank.

She e-mailed me a copy of the life cert, which i posted back.

False. I rang the DWP (twice) yesterday. The block will not be lifted until they get the form returned.

[colinneil]

29 minutes ago, Henryford said:

False. I rang the DWP (twice) yesterday. The block will not be lifted until they get the form returned.

False, i phoned the DWP ON THE 12TH, my pension was in my bank on the 14th.

Phone all you want actions speak louder than words.

Edited February 18, 2020 by colinneil

[Saltire]

Anyone have a list of who is an acceptable witness?

 

I can foresee I would have a problem with that where I live now.

[Jip99]

2 hours ago, Just Weird said:

What I posted was a direct quote from the DWP to whom I spoke yesterday, it is not false information. And don't try to tell me what to post here.

 

 

... but you were incorrect when you you said they will reinstate when they get the form back.

 

They reinstate on the strength of the phone call - often arranging for another form to be sent out because the original has never been received.

[transam]

6 minutes ago, Jip99 said:

 

 

... but you were incorrect when you you said they will reinstate when they get the form back.

 

They reinstate on the strength of the phone call - often arranging for another form to be sent out because the original has never been received.

When you ring them you go through security questions to confirm it is you. Well that was how it worked for me a couple of years back.

 

As for the certificate, when I retired I got one every year, the last few year's nothing. Now not knowing if this form is in the post to any of us is daft, because if it is lost in the post etc, your pension will stop after 16 weeks. What should happen is they send a text or email telling you to expect the form...The last form I had, I phoned them about 3 weeks after I posted it to see if it was received, they confirmed it had..????

[theoldgit]

4 hours ago, Saltire said:

Anyone have a list of who is an acceptable witness?

 

I can foresee I would have a problem with that where I live now.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/209857/Life_Certificate_Witness_Options.pdf

[Just Weird]

22 hours ago, Jip99 said:

On 2/18/2020 at 10:38 AM, Just Weird said:

What I posted was a direct quote from the DWP to whom I spoke yesterday, it is not false information. And don't try to tell me what to post here.

 

 

... but you were incorrect when you you said they will reinstate when they get the form back.

 

They reinstate on the strength of the phone call - often arranging for another form to be sent out because the original has never been received.

No, I was not incorrect in what I posted.  I posted exactly what I was told in a personal conversation with a DWP rep earlier that same day. 

Maybe you're asserting that the information that the DWP gave me, from the horses mouth, was incorrect, if so take it up with them (0800 731 0341).  

 

Perhaps the DWP's procedures have changed since you and colinneil got your information but I sure wouldn't be taking the word of a couple of anonymous posters on Thaivisa in preference to the DWP's current advice when it comes to my pension.

[Jip99]

31 minutes ago, Just Weird said:

No, I was not incorrect in what I posted.  I posted exactly what I was told in a personal conversation with a DWP rep earlier that same day. 

Maybe you're asserting that the information that the DWP gave me, from the horses mouth, was incorrect, if so take it up with them (0800 731 0341).  

 

Perhaps the DWP's procedures have changed since you and colinneil got your information but I sure wouldn't be taking the word of a couple of anonymous posters on Thaivisa in preference to the DWP's current advice when it comes to my pension.

 

 

You posted, it was incorrect - sorry.

 

DWP will immediately reinstate on a phone call - fact.

[transam]

3 hours ago, Just Weird said:

No, I was not incorrect in what I posted.  I posted exactly what I was told in a personal conversation with a DWP rep earlier that same day. 

Maybe you're asserting that the information that the DWP gave me, from the horses mouth, was incorrect, if so take it up with them (0800 731 0341).  

 

Perhaps the DWP's procedures have changed since you and colinneil got your information but I sure wouldn't be taking the word of a couple of anonymous posters on Thaivisa in preference to the DWP's current advice when it comes to my pension.

You are not anonymous...?????

[colinneil]

3 hours ago, Just Weird said:

No, I was not incorrect in what I posted.  I posted exactly what I was told in a personal conversation with a DWP rep earlier that same day. 

Maybe you're asserting that the information that the DWP gave me, from the horses mouth, was incorrect, if so take it up with them (0800 731 0341).  

 

Perhaps the DWP's procedures have changed since you and colinneil got your information but I sure wouldn't be taking the word of a couple of anonymous posters on Thaivisa in preference to the DWP's current advice when it comes to my pension.

Once again you are wrong, as i did not get information from DWP, i got my pension reinstated by DWP over the phone, over the phone, pension in my bank within 2 days.

The life cert was only posted to them after the pension had been paid.

Maybe if you had phoned the correct  number you would have been given correct info.....44191 218 7777.

Edited February 19, 2020 by colinneil

[evadgib]

On 2/18/2020 at 1:25 PM, Saltire said:

Anyone have a list of who is an acceptable witness?

 

I can foresee I would have a problem with that where I live now.

ToG beat me to it in #24

Edited February 19, 2020 by evadgib

[Just Weird]

14 minutes ago, colinneil said:

Once again you are wrong, as i did not get information from DWP, i got my pension reinstated by DWP over the phone, over the phone, pension in my bank within 2 days.

The life cert was only posted to them after the pension had been paid.

Maybe if you had phoned the correct  number you would have been given correct info.....44191 218 7777.

Edited 9 minutes ago by colinneil

Try reading what I posted earlier, the information that I posted was from the DWP, I posted what I was told by them, if you contend that it is currently wrong  take it up with them, not me!  I'm sure that you know the current DWP rules and processes better than they do. 

 

The number that I posted earlier is the correct International Pensions number given to me by the DWP.