Changing my UK pension payments from a US bank to a Thai bank.

[Bedfont]

I have now written three times to the Pension office, with all the necessary details, to have my Pension payments from a US bank to a Thai bank without so much as a reply. I am getting a little frustrated. What do you suggest I do?

[Upnotover]

Phone them. +44 (0) 191 218 7777.  I did so to assist a friend and they changed his bank details on the spot.  No problems at all.

[blackcab]

Moved to the home country forum.

[sandyf]

The DWP normally state that it can take up to 12 weeks to reply to correspondence. If it has taken longer than this you can initiate a formal complaint, I got £25 for poor service.

Reality is you can initiate a complaint at any time, it will get the matter dealt with.

An enquiry facility available here.

https://secure.dwp.gov.uk/ipc/personal-details

[Eff1n2ret]

The DWP may not be too interested in pension payments from a US bank.

[Chongalulu]

On 5/20/2021 at 12:44 PM, Upnotover said:

Phone them. +44 (0) 191 218 7777.  I did so to assist a friend and they changed his bank details on the spot.  No problems at all.

I endorse this - you can actually start your entire claim over the phone far easier and with fewer details than with the official application document. They don’t accept email instructions for security reasons ,as with many establishments now

[crazykopite]

You do realise that having payment into your bank account in the USA you most probably receive the pension increases every April as the U.K. and US have an agreement however Thailand does not so you would no longer get your annual increases . I would use Wise which used to be known as Transferwise it gives the best rates and the charges are very cheap compered to banks I use them every month I can send a £1,000 to my Thai bank and it’s normally there within 10 minutes and it costs me less than £6 if I was using my U.K. bank it’s £25 and takes 3 to 4 days to arrive   

[Upnotover]

4 hours ago, crazykopite said:

You do realise that having payment into your bank account in the USA you most probably receive the pension increases every April as the U.K. and US have an agreement however Thailand does not so you would no longer get your annual increases

If you are fraudulently claiming to live somewhere other than Thailand when you in fact do it makes no difference where they send your money.  

[sandyf]

18 hours ago, Upnotover said:

If you are fraudulently claiming to live somewhere other than Thailand when you in fact do it makes no difference where they send your money.  

Sending your UK pension direct from the DWP to a Thai bank, as per the OP, would automatically freeze the pension payments irrespective of where you say you live.

If you were entitled to the full pension then you would have to convince the DWP that was the case. It is your pension and they would expect you to collect the pension.

 

[sandyf]

23 hours ago, crazykopite said:

You do realise that having payment into your bank account in the USA you most probably receive the pension increases every April as the U.K. and US have an agreement however Thailand does not so you would no longer get your annual increases . I would use Wise which used to be known as Transferwise it gives the best rates and the charges are very cheap compered to banks I use them every month I can send a £1,000 to my Thai bank and it’s normally there within 10 minutes and it costs me less than £6 if I was using my U.K. bank it’s £25 and takes 3 to 4 days to arrive   

I would agree. I used to have my pension paid direct from DWP to Thai account but when brexit hit the rate I changed to my UK account. Turned out to be a good move as now with the immigration proof of income requirement easier to reconcile as a single transfer each month.

I use HSBC as they only charge £4 for the transfer and usually in my Thai account within 24 hours, but if that were to change would switch to Wise.

[sandyf]

On 5/21/2021 at 2:49 PM, nchuckle said:

They don’t accept email instructions for security reasons ,as with many establishments now

That is not strictly true. If you initiate an issue either by post or via the enquiry form, the subsequent dialogue will be conducted via email.

The "security" is not in respect of you, it is about them protecting their email addresses. Once an issue has been resolved the email being used gets deleted.

[Kwasaki]

On 5/20/2021 at 12:35 PM, Bedfont said:

What do you suggest I do. 

You can telephoned them you can email them and they will instruct you on what to do. 

When you start receiving your UK pension you elected to have it paid into a US bank. 

If you want to change that you have to contact or apply to them to change it at least a month before the date you started receiving your UK Pension.

It can only be changed on a annual date basis.

To do it will require you to write a letter with all the details of the Thai banks swift code and address and full name of your A/c number.

[Bedfont]

On 5/20/2021 at 12:44 PM, Upnotover said:

Phone them. +44 (0) 191 218 7777.  I did so to assist a friend and they changed his bank details on the spot.  No problems at all.

I used this and all done, thank you.

 

[Chongalulu]

9 hours ago, sandyf said:

That is not strictly true. If you initiate an issue either by post or via the enquiry form, the subsequent dialogue will be conducted via email.

The "security" is not in respect of you, it is about them protecting their email addresses. Once an issue has been resolved the email being used gets deleted.

Try getting them to change bank details based on an email instruction….