Claiming the State Pension.

[herfiehandbag]

I became of "pensionable age" a month ago. I applied for my state pension three months before that. I have heard nothing. According to the information on the application form I should have received my first pension payment four weeks after the date I became eligible. I actually knew how much it should be - I had gone on line through the "Government Gateway" to check and the National Insurance people had told me ( I am a couple of years short for full contributions!)

 

Needless to say telephone calls went unanswered.

 

Concerned at the lack of communication I emailed them. The automated response told me that it could take up to 10 days to get a response. Today, 10 days almost to the minute ( they must think that I came up the Severn on the last banana boat) I received a reply, it simply told me that they had received my claim ( there was a worrying 10 days difference between when the recorded delivery text from Thailand Post told me it was delivered and when they said it was received). The claim was in process, and they would write to me whe it was finalised. They could give me no further details, as email was insecure etc etc!

 

Of course it takes what, up to two months for "surface mail" to get from the UK to here.

 

Has anyone else experienced these sort of delays in dealing with the International Pensions Office?

 

The email is insecure bit is a joke. My last Army Pension Statement at the beginning of this financial year had been opened at the Bangkok International Mail Office, and the amount received monthly, and the annual total, written in Thai figures on the back of the envelope!

[AndyAndyAndy]

How much you gonna get per month?

[greeneking]

I have used the Government Gateway before but since changing my phone number I am unable to meet their conditions to get in again.

They say they can not communicate via email.

International call rates to a number that will not be answered (your call is important to us, please hang on) hahaha.

So I write letters to them and they will write letters to me.  But I am still waiting.

[still kicking]

1 hour ago, AndyAndyAndy said:

How much you gonna get per month?

Why is that important to you?

[Tiber]

congrats on your pension, two ways to receive it, 1 through international pensions, or 2 do it yourself, into UK bank ,(or EU one), then transfer it over using Wise or suchlike     Gateway is good too,  passports,Driving licences 

[herfiehandbag]

7 hours ago, Tiber said:

congrats on your pension, two ways to receive it, 1 through international pensions, or 2 do it yourself, into UK bank ,(or EU one), then transfer it over using Wise or suchlike     Gateway is good too,  passports,Driving licences 

Thank you for your "congrats". It will be nice to receive it, eventually, however late it will be. 

 

I have opted to receive it into my Thai Bank, through International Pensions. 

 

It would be nice to be able to communicate with International Pensions...

 

Unfortunately they use a totally unreliable and incredibly slow mail system, an expensive telephone contact system which goes unanswered, and an email system with a ten day delay, and whose answers really convey no information.

 

[Tiber]

15 hours ago, herfiehandbag said:

Thank you for your "congrats". It will be nice to receive it, eventually, however late it will be. 

 

I have opted to receive it into my Thai Bank, through International Pensions. 

 

It would be nice to be able to communicate with International Pensions...

 

Unfortunately they use a totally unreliable and incredibly slow mail system, an expensive telephone contact system which goes unanswered, and an email system with a ten day delay, and whose answers really convey no information.

 

option 2 would have been by far the best, many more advantages

[Mutt Daeng]

23 hours ago, herfiehandbag said:

Thank you for your "congrats". It will be nice to receive it, eventually, however late it will be. 

 

I have opted to receive it into my Thai Bank, through International Pensions. 

 

It would be nice to be able to communicate with International Pensions...

 

Unfortunately they use a totally unreliable and incredibly slow mail system, an expensive telephone contact system which goes unanswered, and an email system with a ten day delay, and whose answers really convey no information.

 

Lots of claimants have used skype (skype to landline) to phone the IPC. Call quality is very good and the cost is quite a bit cheaper than a "normal" phone call. Best to call them 10-15 minutes after they open for business in my experience.

[herfiehandbag]

6 minutes ago, Mutt Daeng said:

Lots of claimants have used skype (skype to landline) to phone the IPC. Call quality is very good and the cost is quite a bit cheaper than a "normal" phone call. Best to call them 10-15 minutes after they open for business in my experience.

Never heard of that - thank you, I will investigate!

[Mutt Daeng]

2 hours ago, herfiehandbag said:

Never heard of that - thank you, I will investigate!

I forgot to mention that last time I called IPC using skype it cost around 50p for a 20 minute call.