Early last month I raised an official complaint with HMRC which they have to look into within a limited time.  They took about a week longer than that time but the officer investigating my complaint replied, apologised for the delay and said she agreed completely with my complaint and had set my tax code back to what it should be.    But she basically blamed the pension people.  Quote from her email

 

  "The state pension are informing us that your pension is going up each year so that causes your tax code to be changed until you contact us to revert it back to the original state pension amount. This is the contact number for state pension 0800 731 7898  if you give them a call and explain the situation it will stop you having to contact us each year."  unquote

 

So I've got a year to do that.   God willing, I'll report back next March when the new tax codes are issued!

38 minutes ago, lungbing said:

Early last month I raised an official complaint with HMRC which they have to look into within a limited time.  They took about a week longer than that time but the officer investigating my complaint replied, apologised for the delay and said she agreed completely with my complaint and had set my tax code back to what it should be.    But she basically blamed the pension people.  Quote from her email

 

  "The state pension are informing us that your pension is going up each year so that causes your tax code to be changed until you contact us to revert it back to the original state pension amount. This is the contact number for state pension 0800 731 7898  if you give them a call and explain the situation it will stop you having to contact us each year."  unquote

 

So I've got a year to do that.   God willing, I'll report back next March when the new tax codes are issued!

 

In my complaint to HMRC (see earlier in this thread and its subsequent reply), I specifically mentioned that I didn't believe it was a DWP error because there was no move on DWP's part to increase my (frozen) pension every year. They didn't contradict that statement in their reply. I just don't believe they'd freeze a pension on the one hand and tell HMRC it's had a CoL increase on the other - it defies logic.

 

Thinking about it, I must be daft to expect logic from civil servants.

On 2/23/2025 at 11:31 AM, Pumpuynarak said:

 

Complaint lodged.....

 

 

On 2/27/2025 at 7:21 AM, Pumpuynarak said:

 

Great result and TFP, lets hope they actually do what they say, ime that is not always the case. I look forward to receiving the same good news.

 

Well here's there reply. So it looks like the problem is solved but like BM MartinL i will have to wait and see if what they say is in fact correct. They have made no mention of any overpayments in tax in previous years being refunded to me so it looks like i will have to reply accordingly but i don't know if i can be bothered, the amount is no big deal.

 

 

I have been having the same problem and, having now read this thread, it is apparent that the problem is endemic. So a few thoughts and questions :-

 

1. Is it HMRC or DWP that are assuming the erroneous triple lock increases? DWP told me twice (in phone calls) that it is not them. My feeling is that it is HMRC that are instigating the problem but I'm not sure.

 

2. Is there anyone here whose SP is frozen and the correct amount is reported by HMRC in their Gateway a/c and they did not have to contact HMRC or DWP to correct it? In essence, does the system work properly for anyone?

 

3. Imo freezing our SPs is morally, and possibly legally, wrong. HMG expect us to be honest and tell them where we live so they can freeze them whilst we are having to pay tax on non-existent increases. So if anyone decides to inform DWP that they are relocating back to the UK when they are not then who can blame them? If they happen to be caught out doing this then the mitigation in any very unlikely court case would be "well you're taxing me as if I am back in the UK".

20 hours ago, durhamboy said:

1. Is it HMRC or DWP that are assuming the erroneous triple lock increases? DWP told me twice (in phone calls) that it is not them. My feeling is that it is HMRC that are instigating the problem but I'm not sure.

 

I think that you are right, its HMRC applying the triple lock increases to every recipient of the SP irrespective of whether they are actually in receipt of the increase or not. When in touch by telephone they will always refer you to the DWP to have the issue corrected but the DWP will only send you a statement to show what your SP is for the current tax year unless you also request previous years.

You then have to forward to HMRC, so in effect you are doing the DWP's work for them UNLESS you make a complaint direct to HMRC, that seems to work (see my and BM MartinL 's HMRC reply) 

On 2/27/2025 at 7:14 AM, MartinL said:

 

I've just had a response to my complaint - about 3 weeks later which isn't bad. 

 

They've apparently put a 'marker' on my tax account so that the automatic assumption of an annual CoL upgrade no longer applies.

 

If you're also fed-up with the annual tax code shenanigans, it looks like you can get a positive result. It's just a pity it took a complaint rather than a simple phone request to achieve this.

 

The text of the response is this:-

 

Thank you for your complaint which we received on 3^rd February 2025. Your customer reference is xxxxxxx .Your online submission reference is xxxxxxxxxx.

 

I am sorry you have had to contact us regarding your tax affairs. I have been in contact with a specialist team who have confirmed they have set a specialist indicator to account for the frozen state pension and stop the automatic increase affecting your tax code.

 

Once again please accept my apologies, I do hope your future dealings with us run more smoothly.

 

I look forward to not having this problem in the future - but will have to wait a year to see if they can live up to their words. 

 

 

Didn't work.

My Tax Code has changed again for 26/27 entirely on the assumption of a CoL increase on a frozen state pension.

Today, I've fired off a complaint about the response to my earlier complaint.

Must be nuts for expecting competence from Civil Servants!

On 4/2/2025 at 7:45 AM, Pumpuynarak said:

 

 

Well here's there reply. So it looks like the problem is solved but like BM MartinL i will have to wait and see if what they say is in fact correct. They have made no mention of any overpayments in tax in previous years being refunded to me so it looks like i will have to reply accordingly but i don't know if i can be bothered, the amount is no big deal.

 

 

Good news, i have checked my estimated tax payable for 2026-27 and they are showing the correct state pension amount of £125 (no increases) so it looks like they have done what they said they were going to do for future years.

Just checked the HMRC app and the value of my state pension is correct, I have been in the situation 2 or 3 times where HMRC have assumed I get the cost of living April increments and adjusted my tax code to suit, when in fact my SP is frozen. Looks like they (DWP & HMRC) finally have their act together (for me anyway).

Today I received my yearly email from HMRC saying my tax code had changed. Of course I don't get the pension increase as I live here.

Last year I wrote to the pensions people, as suggested by the HMRC officer, and they took 10 months (!) to reply and said they do not send my rate to HMRC. Two government depts blaming each other.

So again I have raised a complaint with HMRC. I'll report back, but I suspect they will reply, reset my code back to what it should be and then blame the pensions people. I also suspect I will go through this every year until I croak.

Would it be worth writing to my MP do you think?

On 1/26/2025 at 7:50 AM, Pumpuynarak said:

Thanks guys for your help, i appreciate. I'll try the HMRC webchat first as ''Mutt Daeng'' suggests and hopefully i'll get the same positive result, if not i'll lodge a complaint as ''topt'' did as their piss poor response surely deserves. Final solution will be to write to them as ''Moonlover'' recco's.

 

I'll update thread in due course.

 

I can't for the life of me understand why this is continually happening year after year despite it being corrected in the past, as ''MartinL states ''its FROZEN'' all the time i am living in Thailand and i certainly have no intention of returning to the UK with my Thai wifey to live.

They really don't appear to GAF about us guys despite us being in some cases considerable tax payers, just the same as when ''i pop me clogs'' and wifey claims her 50% widows pension from my private company scheme. She's entitled to the personal allowance every year but has to claim it EVERY year when nothing changes from year to year !!!

 

Rant over lol, once again THANKS GUYS.

Curious as to whether you & others have tried getting an NT tax code to not pay tax on your UK Pensions.

I contacted my accountant in Jan & they said it should be possible for me to get an NT code but they were extremely busy doing last minute Tax returns so to contact them again in Feb. Plan on emailing them next week to ask if they could look into it for me now things have quietend down.

This works for my private pensions but should also be the same for the state pension

Create an online account with the Government Gateway.

Use the Gateway to register with and access your HMRC account.

In your HMRC account, select the PAYE option

Then select "check your current pay, income and tax details"

Your pension income should be listed on the next page

Click on "Update" for your state pension and you can change the income they have on their records

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Thanks for that but there's no option to 'update' alongside the State Pension figure although there is, as you say, alongside the private pensions listing. If it was that easy, we'd have found and used it long ago instead of going through the performance described in this thread every year.

45 minutes ago, pj123 said:

Create an online account with the Government Gateway.

As this is an ASEAN NOW forum, I would like to inform those UK citizens living in Cambodia, this is not possible from my experience.

Completing the on-line Gateway Application form - no problem until one has to give a mobile phone number for the OTP (one time password). I received a message to say the UK Government does not recognise a Cambodian mobile phone, so my application was rejected. I have to phone or mail (registered air mail) to inform HMRC of any changes.

13 hours ago, Burma Bill said:

As this is an ASEAN NOW forum, I would like to inform those UK citizens living in Cambodia, this is not possible from my experience.

Completing the on-line Gateway Application form - no problem until one has to give a mobile phone number for the OTP (one time password). I received a message to say the UK Government does not recognise a Cambodian mobile phone, so my application was rejected. I have to phone or mail (registered air mail) to inform HMRC of any changes.

I'm sure I remember seeing posts that it's not possible now to register from Thailand either. I was able to do so 10 or more years ago, and get a passcode on my phone when I want to log on. I wonder if anyone has tried to apply in recent years.

16 hours ago, Burma Bill said:

As this is an ASEAN NOW forum, I would like to inform those UK citizens living in Cambodia, this is not possible from my experience.

Completing the on-line Gateway Application form - no problem until one has to give a mobile phone number for the OTP (one time password). I received a message to say the UK Government does not recognise a Cambodian mobile phone, so my application was rejected. I have to phone or mail (registered air mail) to inform HMRC of any changes.

3 hours ago, Eff1n2ret said:

I'm sure I remember seeing posts that it's not possible now to register from Thailand either. I was able to do so 10 or more years ago, and get a passcode on my phone when I want to log on. I wonder if anyone has tried to apply in recent years.

This is but one reason why many posters maintain a cheap payg UK sim for OTPs which should make it possible?

No idea however if they work when living in Cambodia?

My Gateway OTP to my Thai phone worked fine yesterday.

I've just received an email saying my tax code has been changed. I logged on via Gateway with no problem and HMRC have set my code back to what it should be as I do not get the increase. But there has been no reply to my official complaint, which I thought they had to reply to within a certain time. So that's it for another year.

On 2/16/2026 at 9:24 PM, Burma Bill said:

As this is an ASEAN NOW forum, I would like to inform those UK citizens living in Cambodia, this is not possible from my experience.

Completing the on-line Gateway Application form - no problem until one has to give a mobile phone number for the OTP (one time password). I received a message to say the UK Government does not recognise a Cambodian mobile phone, so my application was rejected. I have to phone or mail (registered air mail) to inform HMRC of any changes.

As discussed in the following thread, it looks like the days of the Govt Gateway are numbered, and maybe new applicants are already being forced to go down the GOV.UK One Login route instead:

https://aseannow.com/topic/1388182-uk-government-gateway-can-anyone-still-use-it/