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Are You Awaiting GMP figurese from Pensions Office???

I should get my deferred company pension this month as I am 60 (male). The pension company say they are awaiting GMP figures from the National Insurance Office to be confirmed before they can provide me with a statement of my options.

Is anybody else finding it takes 8 weeks or more for the NI office to reply. Is the NI office way behind on answering queries? Looks like I will be at least a month late on getting my pension which is a pain as I was expecting it.

Thanks

Comments

  • RichandJ
    RichandJ Posts: 1,087 Forumite
    It's a bit of a lottery, you can get a response within a week or wait months. No way of knowing which is going to happen when you write to them.
    It only takes one tree to make a thousand matches, it only takes one match to burn a thousand trees. As well, the cars are all passing me, bright lights are flashing me.

    Johnny Was. Once.

    Why did he think "systolic" ?
  • sharnad
    sharnad Posts: 9,904 Forumite
    I thought it was the dwp who did these
    Needing to lose weight start date 26 December 2011 current loss 60 pound Down. Lots more to go to get into my size 6 jeans
  • RichandJ
    RichandJ Posts: 1,087 Forumite
    sharnad wrote: »
    I thought it was the dwp who did these

    The address is HMRC, National Insurance Contributions Office in Newcastle, used to come under DSS, and before that DHSS. DWP pay State pensions & take GMPs into account when calculating how much Additional pension you get but HMRC are now responsible for NI contribution records.
    It only takes one tree to make a thousand matches, it only takes one match to burn a thousand trees. As well, the cars are all passing me, bright lights are flashing me.

    Johnny Was. Once.

    Why did he think "systolic" ?
  • goingsoon
    goingsoon Posts: 2 Newbie
    edited 16 November 2011 at 11:55AM
    Today I phoned the National Insurance Office in Newcastle. They say that because of the recent Government change from using RPI to CPI their systems are being updated and that they have not been able to issue GMP forcasts for the last two weeks and they don't know when they will be able to resume doing so.

    When I left the company I was given a statement of Preserved Pension and that included a quoted figure of GMP and I joined before April 1988 and left after April 1997.

    I had assumed I would get my pension when it was due from a reasonably well funded scheme with well know consultants handling it.

    The pension Consultants are saying that they cannot give me a pension quotation or implement any pension payments until the NI Office confirms my GMP figures. Is this correct?? Does this mean I could be waiting months before I get the pension that should start now?
  • RichandJ
    RichandJ Posts: 1,087 Forumite
    goingsoon wrote: »
    Today I phoned the National Insurance Office in Newcastle. They say that because of the recent Government change from using RPI to CPI their systems are being updated and that they have not been able to issue GMP forcasts for the last two weeks and they don't know when they will be able to resume doing so.

    When I left the company I was given a statement of Preserved Pension and that included a quoted figure of GMP and I joined before April 1988 and left after April 1997.

    I had assumed I would get my pension when it was due from a reasonably well funded scheme with well know consultants handling it.

    The pension Consultants are saying that they cannot give me a pension quotation or implement any pension payments until the NI Office confirms my GMP figures. Is this correct?? Does this mean I could be waiting months before I get the pension that should start now?

    Does your GMP revalue at the 'Fixed' rate ? If it does, then what you were told by HMRC is utter BS because it won't be affected by the RPI/CPI issue. You don't need a 'forecast', just figures at leaving.

    I suspect that the administrators are trying to confirm your GMP at leaving, rather than now. This is because you are male aged 60 and GMP doesn't technically come into payment until male aged 65, which is when HMRC usually confirm the amount. What they will (probably - I'm extrapolating here) need to know is correct GMP at leaving which the administrators will then revalue to 60 as part of your occupational benefits.

    All this is speculation, but it smells to me like someone either not knowing what they're doing or dragging their feet or both. Have you spoken to a manager/supervisor at the administrator ?
    It only takes one tree to make a thousand matches, it only takes one match to burn a thousand trees. As well, the cars are all passing me, bright lights are flashing me.

    Johnny Was. Once.

    Why did he think "systolic" ?
  • xylophone
    xylophone Posts: 45,749 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    http://www.barnett-waddingham.co.uk/news/2005/12/revaluation-for-early-leavers/ might be of interest.
    'Forecast'- is a bit of a puzzle - as you say, you had a statement of preserved pension and gmp when you left - the gmp really only becomes relevant at state pension age - see http://dl.dropbox.com/u/452108/20110217094333898.pdf.
    As far as I can see (but I'm no expert), you were a member of a contracted out DB scheme and the date at which full pension could be taken was 60. You left some years short of your 60th birthday but left your deferred pension in the scheme. You are now eligible to draw your pension - the gmp and benefits in excess of gmp are revalued as set out in the link.
    One would assume that the scheme administrators will have the same information as you were given - (the gmp figure should have been verified by NICO at the date of leaving the scheme).

    Therefore the administrators should be in a position to give details of your pension straightaway? Of course the problem may simply be that you should have applied to the administrators three or four months before you expected to draw your pension to ask them to bring it into payment ( perhaps the problem is not with the DWP but with the administrators' systems ....)
  • RichandJ
    RichandJ Posts: 1,087 Forumite
    xylophone wrote: »
    http://www.barnett-waddingham.co.uk/news/2005/12/revaluation-for-early-leavers/ might be of interest.
    'Forecast'- is a bit of a puzzle - as you say, you had a statement of preserved pension and gmp when you left - the gmp really only becomes relevant at state pension age - see http://dl.dropbox.com/u/452108/20110217094333898.pdf.
    As far as I can see (but I'm no expert), you were a member of a contracted out DB scheme and the date at which full pension could be taken was 60. You left some years short of your 60th birthday but left your deferred pension in the scheme. You are now eligible to draw your pension - the gmp and benefits in excess of gmp are revalued as set out in the link.
    One would assume that the scheme administrators will have the same information as you were given - (the gmp figure should have been verified by NICO at the date of leaving the scheme).

    Therefore the administrators should be in a position to give details of your pension straightaway? Of course the problem may simply be that you should have applied to the administrators three or four months before you expected to draw your pension to ask them to bring it into payment ( perhaps the problem is not with the DWP but with the administrators' systems ....)

    Operative word in bold. The CA1625 confirming the GMP at leaving should also have been noted on/added to your file/their system OP.

    Can only suggest again you call administrators & ask for supervisor/manager.
    It only takes one tree to make a thousand matches, it only takes one match to burn a thousand trees. As well, the cars are all passing me, bright lights are flashing me.

    Johnny Was. Once.

    Why did he think "systolic" ?
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