Claiming State Pension

misterfish

My wife reaches state retirement age in March, but apart from the last pension estimate we received back in the Autumn we have heard nothing from DWP.

We checked on the DWP website where it states that you should be contacted 4 months before the due retirement date and if you've not heard anything from them 3 months before the due date to then contact them.

So we did this this morning! First the number given is an 0845 'lo-call' number at 4p per minute plus a 6p connection fee. We looked at 'saynot to0870' where it gave an 0800 number but they would only deal with 'pension credit' and said we had to phone the 0845 number.

The after phoning this number we were told by recorded message that we can't now claim until 2 months before the due date.

It would be nice if they gave an option to 'advise' them to update the information on their web site and it would also be good to not be charged to contact them!

Winge over!

Misterfish

jennifernil

I totally agree! I reached pension age in December, I never got any letters from them. I too tried the Freephone number and then had to use the 0845 number.

The guy on there wanted to go through a telephone claim, but that takes 15 minutes, and you still need to send in your certificates. Even though my husband had already provided our marriage certificate when he claimed, I still had to send it again.

So I downloaded a claim form from their website and sent it with all the documents. I only did it about a month before, but my pension was paid on the correct date. Second class stamp is cheaper than a 15 minute 0845 call!

misterfish

Thanks Jenni for this info. We'll do the same and get the claim off to DWP in the next few days.

I really find the 0845 expensive number annoying - 15 minutes at 4p a minute plus the 6p connection fee plus the necessity to send in certificates by post. Grrr.....:mad:

I have been employed as a Civil Servant throughout my working life and if members of the public incorrectly phoned through to our office it was our policy to be helpful and redirect the call through to the correct person. The DWP don't seem to have the same concern for their customers.

Misterfish

jancee_2

misterfish wrote: »

Thanks Jenni for this info. We'll do the same and get the claim off to DWP in the next few days.

I really find the 0845 expensive number annoying - 15 minutes at 4p a minute plus the 6p connection fee plus the necessity to send in certificates by post. Grrr.....:mad:

I have been employed as a Civil Servant throughout my working life and if members of the public incorrectly phoned through to our office it was our policy to be helpful and redirect the call through to the correct person. The DWP don't seem to have the same concern for their customers.

Misterfish

Where has anyone complained about phoning the wrong office? :huh: