Old Boys! Have you claimed your pension??

Silvertabby · 20 October 2017 at 8:47AM

APFS75

Served 74 - 05

Mr S and I left in 2000, so before the introduction of LOS30. I can only only guess that your pre-18 service was included as part of those changes.

I won't tell Mr S - he still says that he did 'a year for the Queen'!

Tedlooney · 21 October 2017 at 4:28PM

Silvertabby wrote: »

Well done Ted ! Sadly, there are a lot of ex forces (and their widows) out there who have missed out on a pension because they believed the 'barrack room lawyers'.

I've personally come across 2 x ex Forces bods who whined that 'it's ok for you - you did your 22'. On further investigation, it turned out that both had done 12 years and mistakenly thought that the lump sum (resettlement grant) they received on leaving was in lieu of all pension rights. It wasn't - they still had 12 years worth of preserved pension benefits to claim.

Please let us know how you get on - it's nice to have some goods news for a change!
Save
Save
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I thought I wasn't entitled a to a pension because when I joined in 1976 I wouldn't have qualified due to being under 26 when my contract was set to end. It was only when I looked at this thread that I found out that the age 26 rule had been dropped in 1978. No-one informed me of the rule change at the time and I don't recall anyone ever discussing it even amongst my colleagues, so it was a pleasant surprise when I checked out the information on here. Like I said, I don't think I'll get much but as I wasn't expecting anything it's a bonus!

When I phoned Veterans UK the person I spoke to was very helpful. I asked how much I would get but she said by the time they'd worked it out I'd be receiving the pension straight after as my birthday is imminent, she added that most people applied for their pension three months before. I explained that I had just found this thread and had believed that I wasn't entitled to anything previously. The lady said that Veterans UK realised that this was a problem for many ex-service people and that they planned to make an effort to make people aware of their entitlement. I very much hope that they work out a plan to make it happen.

Silvertabby · 21 October 2017 at 9:39PM

6 years Ted? If so, I think you'll be in for a nice surprise.

I do hope that Veterans UK do something about this - as I said before, there are a lot of ex forces (and their widows) out there who are due benefits but don't realise it.

Tedlooney · 22 October 2017 at 11:15PM

Yes Silvertab, it was six years. I tried looking for information to do a calculation but failed miserably :-( a nice surprise sounds encouraging though :-)

I echo your comments about those due benefits, I'm a bit annoyed that the government haven't done more to help people claim what's theirs. I feel lucky to have found this thread but there will be many who will continue to believe that they are not due anything. The lady at Veterans UK seemed positive that something will happen, let's hope so.

Tedlooney · 5 December 2017 at 11:00PM

Silvertabby you were correct, I got a nice surprise indeed. I was really lucky to find this thread an I really hope others are made aware of their entitlement.

LeglessLiam · 6 December 2017 at 9:29AM

Just so folks here are aware, the following is from a briefing I was present at a short while ago:

Veterans UK (formerly the Service Personnel & Veterans Agency) estimate there are some 26,000 unclaimed Preserved Pensions under the various Armed Forces Pension Schemes (mostly AFPS75) for people who have passed state pension age but not claimed their preserved pension.

Obviously, some of those who haven’t claimed may sadly be deceased, or have no known address or contact details.

Equiniti Paymaster have carried out a tracing exercise to try to locate some of these and Veterans UK have started to send letters and application forms, starting with those members whose address details are most up to date. This has resulted in some 2,600 ‘new’ Preserved Pensions being put into payment.

However if you know someone who maybe entitled to a Preserved Pension and has not yet claimed it, please ask them to contact Veterans UK via any of the following means:

[FONT=&quot]Veterans UK helpline – 0808 1914 218[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Veterans UK
Ministry of Defence
Norcross
Thornton Cleveleys
FY5 3WP
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Email [EMAIL="veterans-uk@mod.uk%20"]veterans-uk@mod.uk
[/EMAIL][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot][EMAIL="veterans-uk@mod.uk%20"]
[/EMAIL][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Freephone (UK only): 0808 1914 2 18[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Telephone (overseas): +44 1253 866 043[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Liam
[/FONT]

Silvertabby · 6 December 2017 at 2:11PM

Silvertabby you were correct, I got a nice surprise indeed. I was really lucky to find this thread an I really hope others are made aware of their entitlement. Posted by Tedlooney

Well done Ted - have a lovely Christmas!

Silvertabby · 6 December 2017 at 2:16PM

Just so folks here are aware, the following is from a briefing I was present at a short while ago:

Veterans UK (formerly the Service Personnel & Veterans Agency) estimate there are some 26,000 unclaimed Preserved Pensions under the various Armed Forces Pension Schemes (mostly AFPS75) for people who have passed state pension age but not claimed their preserved pension.

Obviously, some of those who haven’t claimed may sadly be deceased, or have no known address or contact details.

Equiniti Paymaster have carried out a tracing exercise to try to locate some of these and Veterans UK have started to send letters and application forms, starting with those members whose address details are most up to date. This has resulted in some 2,600 ‘new’ Preserved Pensions being put into payment.

However if you know someone who maybe entitled to a Preserved Pension and has not yet claimed it, please ask them to contact Veterans UK via any of the following means:

[FONT="]Veterans UK helpline – 0808 1914 218[/FONT]

[FONT="]Veterans UK
Ministry of Defence
Norcross
Thornton Cleveleys
FY5 3WP
[/FONT]
[FONT="]Email veterans-uk@mod.uk
[/FONT]
[FONT="]Freephone (UK only): 0808 1914 2 18[/FONT]

[FONT="]Telephone (overseas): +44 1253 866 043[/FONT]

[FONT="]Posted by LeglessLiam [/FONT]

Thanks Liam - this is long overdue.

Phmode · 5 February 2018 at 4:19AM

This is both outrageous and fantastic at the same time.

Outrageous, because I tried to find out about Preserved Pension Rights many, many decades ago and could find nothing on the nascent inter-web apart from ex-servicemen whingeing about not being able to find anything either.

Fantastic, because I am many tens of thousands of pounds better off because of a chance conversation with a new neighbour and then stumbling across this thread.

I joined the RAF in 1964 at 16 years of age and clearly remember during the first couple of days before signing on the dotted line, an officer telling us about pensionable service and at some time, someone mumbling something about Preserved Pension Rights. As you do at 16, it went in one ear and out the other; pensions were for my grandparents...

I left in 1978 as a Sergeant, having not qualified for a pension and in all that time not a single word was ever said about the subject of preserved pensions. Lots of guys were leaving with a full pension after 22 years service but as for the rest of us, nothing. Not during my time in the mob, not in 1975 when it apparently all changed, not when I finally bought myself out nor at any time since was anything memorable ever said about Preserved Pensions.

Luckily I have a good occupational pension from my job in civvy street, but the Preserved Pension Rights thing constantly nagged at the back of my mind and I always felt that I was being swindled somehow, by someone.

At almost 70, last year I decided to move to the country, found a lovely old converted 17th century barn with a couple of lovely neighbours, both ex-military, and all is well with the world.

She is ex-RAF and he is a retired naval officer. I went to the local pub with them over Xmas and we somehow got onto finances and that's when my world turned upside down. I assumed he was receiving a full naval officer's pension but he left after only 12 years like me. But then he said something about preserved pensions and when I whinged as usual, he told me that they were both receiving theirs and that I was supposed to have claimed it at 60 but couldn't remember the details of how to.

One Google search later and here I am.

I phoned JPAC, spoke to the lovely Kathy, received the claim forms in the post within a week, filled them in, sent them off and wasn't quite sure what to expect; a new pair of shoes, perhaps a few bottles of decent plonk? What? Whatever, if I got anything, it was better than nothing.

With the claim form was another form on which I had to tell them, on pain of getting nothing at all, why I didn't claim my pension at age 60. Well, it was an A4 page and I can write small when I have to, so I told them in no uncertain terms why I hadn't claimed it and what I thought of HM Government to boot, swindling us all out of our entitlement and making us jump through hoops and miss out on what was rightfully ours. That told 'em! And probably scuppered any chance I had of getting even a bean.

Within the week I got a letter telling me that I had been awarded a tax-free, multi-thousand pound 'terminal grant' and hundreds of pounds a month in pension. Oh, and all backdated to age 60.

This amounted to some £36,000 in a lump sum after tax. And the ongoing pension.

To say I am delighted is a massive understatement. Gobsmacked doesn't do the feelings justice and I am only glad that I am still young enough to enjoy what I just received.

But I am still outraged at the iniquity of the MoD and the wider government keeping this so well hidden from us. Things might have changed for those serving or leaving more recently, but for those old, cold-war warriors among us, there must be many thousands who still do not know to what they are entitled and many will not have my 'luxury' of a decent occupational pension. Lots will doubtless have died having never received anything at all.

So, a massive 'thank you' to Chris for starting this thread and posting up the details of the furtive SPVA & JPAC. That is at least a decent bottle of scotch I owe you Chris.

Regards, Brian

Silvertabby · 5 February 2018 at 10:22AM

Hello Brian.

I'm thrilled that you have received your pension and agree that it's dreadful that so many others still seem to have no idea that they have any money due - but may I just chip in with this?

I joined the WRAF as an Admin Clk in 1978, and retired as a Sgt Pers Admin after 22 years. Pay and pensions were a large part of my job - so I can tell you what should have happened when you left the RAF.

You would have been issued with a discharge 'pack' which would have included not only your release documents, but also details of your preserved pension and when to claim it. I've personally handed out many of these packs when finalising discharge procedures, and would have told each and every one to keep the brown envelope safe because the documents referred to their pension rights in 30 or so years time. However, it seems likely that many of these envelopes never saw the light of day again. In fact, I myself told an ex RAF Cpl that he was indeed entitled to a pension at 60 - can't remember how we got onto the subject of pensions, but he did say that it was 'ok for me as I'd done my 22, but he only got a few K for his 12 years service'. After a bit of digging it turned out that the 'barrack room lawyers' had told him that his 12 year resettlement grant was in lieu of his pension instead of in addition to - and he had believed them instead of the pers admin who issued his discharge paperwork. He sent me a lovely bunch of flowers and a bottle of bubbly once his payment came through!

Again, it may be that it was my job, but I do know that the 1975 changes were still being well talked about in 1978. In fact, my Cpl told me the story of the RAF chap who was leaving after 12 years service at the end of March 1975. He realised that if he left on that date he would receive nothing - but if he could extend his service until after the April 1975 changes he would receive a 12 year deferred pension at 60. So, he devised a cunning plan. He decked an RAF policeman during his leaving 'do' and thus spent a night in the guardroom cells plus a week or two of jankers. Job done. A bit drastic, but he did get his preserved pension!

P.S. - see Post 89

ADD:

With the claim form was another form on which I had to tell them, on pain of getting nothing at all, why I didn't claim my pension at age 60.

Not 'nothing at all'. They obviously accepted your reason for not claiming your pension at 60 - otherwise it would only have been paid from the date you claimed it, rather than being backdated to 60.

Old Boys! Have you claimed your pension??

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