UK pensions-life certificate

[Mobi]

why do they need it faxed? local authority pensions have been satisfied with an email return for years, they just want to see the signature.

I quote their emailed response to me:

Please note information sent via e-mail is not secure as it is transmitted via the internet. The Internet is, by its very nature, an unstructured network. Traffic is routed across multiple servers, each controlled by different organisations or individuals, in order to reach its destination. We would recommend that you do not send personal information via e-mail. Any information sent by e-mail is done so at your own risk.

[Mobi]

Thanks for the update

Just out of curiosity what fax number did you use ?

TL

The number on their covering letter which enclosed the Life Certificate: 01912187307

[khastan]

This is the reply just received re fax question. I think we can now safely say that you can fax your completed life certificates with a 100% certainty and that is what I have done with mine.

"Thank you for contacting Newcastle Pension Centre (International Group) with your email dated 20^th December 2014.

We CAN accept the life certificate via fax or post. We CAN’T accept the life certificate via email.

Please accept my apologies for any confusion caused."

[thetefldon]

Thailife. The successful delivery was to Wolverhampton according to EMS 2 days after first attempt.

[meatboy]

looks like my life certificate has been excepted at wolverhamton,just spoke to international pensions at newcastle and they have told me wolverhampton excepted mine that was sent by registered mail.but dwp at newcastle havent had it yet.sent on 11-12 recieved 19-12.

[jacky54]

Nearly as bad as Thai immigration, what is accepted by some govt offices is not at others

[Jip99]

looks like my life certificate has been excepted at wolverhamton,just spoke to international pensions at newcastle and they have told me wolverhampton excepted mine that was sent by registered mail.but dwp at newcastle havent had it yet.sent on 11-12 recieved 19-12.

Told you not to worry.

[ThaiLife]

This is a bit spooky

Just going to type a reply here and this email arrives
------------------------------
Dear Mr


Thank you for contacting the Newcastle Pension Centre (International Group) with your email dated 22 December 2014.

We received your life certificate and all our action is now complete.


Yours Sincerely

Leanne
+44 191 2187777 
The Pension Service 11
Mail Handling Service Site A
Wolverhampton
WV98 1LW
[email protected]

----------------------------

This must have been the FAX I sent on the 19th of December , then I sent an email on the 22nd of December asking , how I can find out if my life certificate has been received and approved .

so does ... all our action is now complete

mean I can now relax and every things ok ?

TL

[khastan]

Sucess!! Yesterday had the following reply from DWP Newcastle ''We received your faxed Life Certificate this has been accepted and all action is complete."

So to sum up

1. It is not necessary to spend money and post anything. A faxed completed Life Certificate is all you have to do. Pamfax is free for the first three pages.

2. A rubber stamp is not needed.

Judging from the response from Newcastle various members of this forum have had recently I think we have learned one thing if we all stick together they can never win. However I do not think that Newcastle can be solely held to task over this matter. I have said from the beginning that this has been a rushed government policy implemented with little thought on the back of Osborne's autumn statement. A government which hopefully sometime next year will be sat on the opposition benches. I would love to see a cost/benefit analysis of this policy when it is completed.

Finally thank you for everybody's help and I hope all forum members achieve the same satisfactory result with their Life Certificates that I have done.

[khastan]

This is a bit spooky

Just going to type a reply here and this email arrives

------------------------------

Dear Mr


Thank you for contacting the Newcastle Pension Centre (International Group) with your email dated 22 December 2014.

We received your life certificate and all our action is now complete.


Yours Sincerely

Leanne

+44 191 2187777 
The Pension Service 11

Mail Handling Service Site A

Wolverhampton

WV98 1LW

[email protected]

----------------------------

This must have been the FAX I sent on the 19th of December , then I sent an email on the 22nd of December asking , how I can find out if my life certificate has been received and approved .

so does ... all our action is now complete

mean I can now relax and every things ok ?

TL

Yes that is the same person my email was from.

[ThaiLife]

Thailife. The successful delivery was to Wolverhampton according to EMS 2 days after first attempt.

Thanks for the confirmation

[Mobi]

Sucess!! Yesterday had the following reply from DWP Newcastle ''We received your faxed Life Certificate this has been accepted and all action is complete."

So to sum up

1. It is not necessary to spend money and post anything. A faxed completed Life Certificate is all you have to do. Pamfax is free for the first three pages.

2. A rubber stamp is not needed.

Judging from the response from Newcastle various members of this forum have had recently I think we have learned one thing if we all stick together they can never win. However I do not think that Newcastle can be solely held to task over this matter. I have said from the beginning that this has been a rushed government policy implemented with little thought on the back of Osborne's autumn statement. A government which hopefully sometime next year will be sat on the opposition benches. I would love to see a cost/benefit analysis of this policy when it is completed.

Finally thank you for everybody's help and I hope all forum members achieve the same satisfactory result with their Life Certificates that I have done.

A technical question.

If " ....information sent via e-mail is not secure as it is transmitted via the internet. The Internet is, by its very nature, an unstructured network. Traffic is routed across multiple servers, each controlled by different organisations or individuals, in order to reach its destination...."

...then why would documents sent through Pam Fax be acceptable, as they also originated via the internet?

The same question could be asked of documents received at Wolverhampton which are apparently scanned and then transmitted to Newcastle - also presumably through the internet???

Can someone enlighten me?

Or shall I ask the good folk at Newcastle?....

no, only joking, they might start to investigate faxes which originated on the internet

[ThaiLife]

This is a bit spooky

Just going to type a reply here and this email arrives

------------------------------

Dear Mr


Thank you for contacting the Newcastle Pension Centre (International Group) with your email dated 22 December 2014.

We received your life certificate and all our action is now complete.


Yours Sincerely

Leanne

+44 191 2187777 
The Pension Service 11

Mail Handling Service Site A

Wolverhampton

WV98 1LW

[email protected]

----------------------------

This must have been the FAX I sent on the 19th of December , then I sent an email on the 22nd of December asking , how I can find out if my life certificate has been received and approved .

so does ... all our action is now complete

mean I can now relax and every things ok ?

TL

Yes that is the same person my email was from.

Thanks for that

I hope all the great information collected on this topic will help any one who receives a life certificate , its certainly helped me .

One question thats running through mind now ive received my first life certificate is , when will receive my second one

TL

[ThaiLife]

Sucess!! Yesterday had the following reply from DWP Newcastle ''We received your faxed Life Certificate this has been accepted and all action is complete."

So to sum up

1. It is not necessary to spend money and post anything. A faxed completed Life Certificate is all you have to do. Pamfax is free for the first three pages.

2. A rubber stamp is not needed.

Judging from the response from Newcastle various members of this forum have had recently I think we have learned one thing if we all stick together they can never win. However I do not think that Newcastle can be solely held to task over this matter. I have said from the beginning that this has been a rushed government policy implemented with little thought on the back of Osborne's autumn statement. A government which hopefully sometime next year will be sat on the opposition benches. I would love to see a cost/benefit analysis of this policy when it is completed.

Finally thank you for everybody's help and I hope all forum members achieve the same satisfactory result with their Life Certificates that I have done.

A technical question.

If " ....information sent via e-mail is not secure as it is transmitted via the internet. The Internet is, by its very nature, an unstructured network. Traffic is routed across multiple servers, each controlled by different organisations or individuals, in order to reach its destination...."

...then why would documents sent through Pam Fax be acceptable, as they also originated via the internet?

The same question could be asked of documents received at Wolverhampton which are apparently scanned and then transmitted to Newcastle - also presumably through the internet???

Can someone enlighten me?

Or shall I ask the good folk at Newcastle?....

no, only joking, they might start to investigate faxes which originated on the internet

Now don't go upsetting the boat

[nong38]

A little information which I am sure you can help with. How long after claiming your state pension did you start to get this life certificate form? I am of the opinion that would be 5 years after the claiming date is that correct? Second question which some of you might know,. Is the letter requiring your attention sent at your birthday or at the anniversary of you claiming your pension?

Edited December 24, 2014 by nong38

[ThaiLife]

A little information which I am sure you can help with. How long after claiming your state pension did you start to get this life certificate form? I am of the opinion that would be 5 years after the claiming date is that correct? Second question which some of you might know,. Is the letter requiring your attention sent at your birthday or at the anniversary of you claiming your pension?

I received my first ever UK pension payment in May of this year , and received my first pension life certificate this month .

TL

[JohnC]

Well two years ago I got four six months after collecting state pension, one for my service pension and the other three for my state pension 1 & 2 never arrived hence the third letter. I only knew they had sent the first one because they sent me a warning letter saying if I didn't return letter one they would stop my pension, anyway all sorted with a phone call.

Last week I got another one from state pension! My birthday is in May and it's only two years since the first debacle!

The form was witnessed by my dentist and sent EMS last week so I await with baited breath to see if Wolverhapton acknowledges it!

[sometime]

I received my first state pension at the end of July this year, got the life certificate form last week.

posted and faxed the form yesterday.

A little information which I am sure you can help with. How long after claiming your state pension did you start to get this life certificate form? I am of the opinion that would be 5 years after the claiming date is that correct? Second question which some of you might know,. Is the letter requiring your attention sent at your birthday or at the anniversary of you claiming your pension?

[nong38]

I had always assumed that when you took the state pension they would start writing to you after 5 years so in old money took the pension at 65 and would get a note when I was 70 but from you are all saying this seems not to be the case you getting letters before the 5 year period and maybe prior to 70?

My birthday is in August but I deferred my pension taking it in the following June which is why I was asking when is the letter due, birthday or taking of the pension? Orignally I was thinking the letters would not show up until I was 70 as I took my pension at 65. Private pension started sending the letter after 5 years.

I think if they dont recieve a reply within 3months the pension would be stopped and if I have not recieved any post I would not know until it happened then have to get on the phone, so I need to know which dates I need to watch.

Comments are invited

[Ace of Pop]

You Brits dont get treated too good.

[Eff1n2ret]

I had always assumed that when you took the state pension they would start writing to you after 5 years so in old money took the pension at 65 and would get a note when I was 70 but from you are all saying this seems not to be the case you getting letters before the 5 year period and maybe prior to 70?

Comments are invited

As I already posted, I emailed the DWP and they said it's just a "random exercise". So, you won't know if they sent you a form and it didn't arrive until they stop your pension, or they send you a reminder.

[harryfrompattaya]

Just make it up and fill in yourself, they are not going to check, they just want to get the form back to see you are not dead

Most of all can not be fraud as you claim you paid someone

Remember you alive and you paid a a faker

[lungbing]

Translation anybody?

[Jip99]

Translation anybody?

I'm lost.

(Just wanted to match up the avatars)

[Jip99]

Translation anybody?

I'm lost.

(Just wanted to match up the avatars)

I have read it again (and again).

"Most of all can not be fraud as you claim you paid someone

Remember you alive and you paid a a faker"

I think he is saying that one cannot be guilty of fraud if you say that you paid someone else to sign it .......

Edited December 30, 2014 by Jip99

[sumrit]

Be sure to write UK in big letters on the provided envelope.......

Yes agreed. Does anybody know if UK pensioners are obliged to fill out a Life Certificate to prove they are alive? If so that explains a lot.

I presume you mean UK based pensioners.

Yes they are.

HOWEVER, this (I believe) is a catch up exercise, directed by the government, targeted at overseas pensioners.

I have no issues with that and I believe they should do it every year for anyone over 70. I am in no way in favour of a pension continuing to be paid to someone who has died.

Do you have proof that pensioners living in the UK have to fill out a life certificate?

I ask because I personally don't know of one and I have several friends and relatives that are in their seventies and eighties..........plus in the original (2013) Autumn statement on life certificates it stated:

Pensioners living overseas in countries that do not share information with the UK will have to prove every two years that they are still alive

which suggests this is restricted to pensioners living outside the UK only, plus it also stated:

Pensions living in countries like Spain which already grant access to British authorities on whether people are alive will not have to get certificates

which seems to confirm that UK residents and countries that automatically share information don't have to sign a life certificate.

[evadgib]

Re the Petition about election votes in the pinned topic at the top of the page; In order to instill a little more enthusiasm can I suggest anyone that fits the profile of suitable signatories in this thread refrains from doing so (within reason) until claimants have added their support? Less than 2000 of the 500k that are affected globally by this fiasco have done so to date which frankly renders it doomed to failure, which is exactly what HMRC/Govt are banking (if you'll pardon the pun) on.

Link to Petition: https://www.change.org/p/end-pension-freezing?lang=en-GB

Edited January 7, 2015 by evadgib

[JohnC]

I posted mine back to Wolverhampton via EMS on 16/12/14 , nothing on UK track and trace until this week which states:

Your item posted on 28/12/14 was delivered safety on 31/12/14 ! So what happened between 17th when it was logged into swampy mail centre and 28th when it was received by Royal Mail , probably caught in the Christmas rush! The good news is it has been received in Wolverhampton and acknowledged by Royal Mail as having been delivered.

Regards frequency, my first letter was sent a few months after my 65th birthday and another one last December which ties in with the previous poster that reported they are sent out every two years.

[Eff1n2ret]

Re the Petition about election votes in the pinned topic at the top of the page; In order to instill a little more enthusiasm can I suggest anyone that fits the profile of suitable signatories in this thread refrains from doing so (within reason) until claimants have added their support? Less than 2000 of the 500k that are affected globally by this fiasco have done so to date which frankly renders it doomed to failure, which is exactly what HMRC/Govt are banking (if you'll pardon the pun) on.

Link to Petition: https://www.change.org/p/end-pension-freezing?lang=en-GB

Sorry if I'm being a bit dense, but I don't understand - refrain from doing what? - signing the petition until others have done so?

Unfortunately the petition is unlikely to feature in the thinking of any of the political parties. The relevant statistic is not the 500k whose pensions are frozen, but the number of expat pensioners who are registered to vote. In recent articles announcing that Cameron wants to encourage more expat voting, it was stated that of the 5 million Brit expats worldwide, only 20,000 are registered to vote in UK elections ( of whom I am one). Strip out those who are not pensioners and may not be interested or sympathetic, plus all those who've been away for more than 15 years and are therefore disqualified under the present disgraceful rules, and you're left with a very small number to spread between 650 parliamentary constituencies.

I have regularly been in touch with Sir Roger Gale who leads a small committee of MPs putting the case re frozen pensions and expat votes, but they haven't got very far. It is also a depressing fact that we have little sympathy back home. There are often many comments on online newspapers that those who leave the UK are entitled to very little, certainly not to the vote, whether we still pay UK taxes or not.

[evadgib]

...refrains from signing PoL until the person needing it signs the petition! This isnt a particularly good idea but I can't think of a better one just yet

Edited January 8, 2015 by evadgib