HELP with getting my dad his pension released

chris0007

Hello all hoping someone can help my Dad, Mum and myself are struggling to get anywhere with cashing in my Dads hard earned money!!!

I'll try and explain the best I can, My Dad has worked and stillis working on a farm for 35 years now he turned 65 in September. He has three pensions.

1 opt out goverment? cashed in no bother

2 stocks and shares owned by his employer (pension with Aviva)
roughly 10k lumpsum struggling to cash in

3 Frozen Aviva pension owned by his employer (pension with Aviva)
roughly 40k lumpsum struggling to cash in

All with monthly payments etc

The problem my Dad is having is his employer is saying he doesnt know where his documentation for these the accounts are. As my Dad doesnt own the pensions Aviva will only contact his employer for any problems. My Dad has requested over and over for Aviva to send a letter explaining how to rectify which my Dads employer keeps saying he hasnt received.

Anyway I have asked my solicitor to get involved to scare him into action but its taking forever and was hoping someone on here could give me advise would be a great Xmas present for my Dad

Chris:mad:

jem16

chris0007 wrote: »

1 opt out goverment? cashed in no bother

Presumably you mean contracted out of SERPS/S2P.

2 stocks and shares owned by his employer (pension with Aviva)
roughly 10k lumpsum struggling to cash in

3 Frozen Aviva pension owned by his employer (pension with Aviva)
roughly 40k lumpsum struggling to cash in

This doesn't really make sense. The employer may have set up the scheme but it's your Dad who owns his own pension. Your Dad should have documentation in his own name. What has happened to this?

All with monthly payments etc

Are you saying your Dad paid monthly into these pensions or what?

The problem my Dad is having is his employer is saying he doesnt know where his documentation for these the accounts are. As my Dad doesnt own the pensions Aviva will only contact his employer for any problems. My Dad has requested over and over for Aviva to send a letter explaining how to rectify which my Dads employer keeps saying he hasnt received.

Commencing the pension should be nothing to do with the employer.

chris0007

Sorry trying to explain to the best of my knowledge as part of my Dads pay the employer 35 years ago my Dads boss's farther then owner paid money into a pension, weekly

When the then owner passed away he left the farm to his son who insisted my dad transfer his exsisting pension to a stocks and shares pension, my Dad being cautious refused froze the pension now 18 years ago and took out the second pension after all this the pension company was then bought over by Aviva. from commercial union, to norwich to Aviva

When ever my Dad requested a balance on his funds the paperwork would always be submitted to his employer not sure why??

My Dad says his pension is called a company pension scheme called retirement maker

My Farther boss is the trustee??

spacey2012

He can write to Aviva and request a subject access request, this will reveal all information held by Aviva in files with his details upon.
The information he requires will be revealed.
Follow the template here : do not replace words in the request with passive text. Keep it strict.
http://www.ico.gov.uk/for_the_public/personal_information.aspx

chris0007

Thanks,

Then from there he could produce the relative documentation to his boss then he would have no way of saying he didn't have the documents!!

Good plan

Aviva have told my parents they are waiting for a signature from the trustee (Dads boss) to release the funds he says he hasnt had any letter???

hence getting my solicitor involved but he is telling her the same story

atush

you can also get help here, but Aviva might be first port of call

http://www.pensionsadvisoryservice.org.uk/helpful-organisations/pension-tracing-service

mania112

I don't quite understand why you can't ring Aviva and give your personal details to find the plan, surely Aviva don't need the policy number to find you?

xylophone

Has he claimed his state pension?

With regard to the two Aviva pensions, I am at a loss to understand what is going on.

Your father's employer appears to have set up a pension plan on behalf of his employee - those pension benefits must be your father's?

You know the value of the pension- did Aviva provide this information to your father?

wallpaperman

xylophone wrote: »

With regard to the two Aviva pensions, I am at a loss to understand what is going on.

Your father's employer appears to have set up a pension plan on behalf of his employee - those pension benefits must be your father's?

As it appears the scheme is a retirement benefit scheme held under trust, technically the pension scheme funds are 'owned' by the trustees (in this case it sounds like the employer is the trustee) on behalf of the employees. They must be involved and sign off anything when retirement benefits are being taken.

It can sometimes be difficult to get the trustees to take their responsibilities seriously, especially if they are perhaps a small company and the owner/trustee might not be that sophisticated with regards to pensions and what they need to do.

Aviva are acting correctly in not settling without trustee signature.

Just need to keep pestering the boss/trustee to get these forms signed. If it's getting nowhere you could contact the Pensions Regulator who may assist.

[Deleted User]

chris0007 wrote: »

Hello all hoping someone can help my Dad, Mum and myself are struggling to get anywhere with cashing in my Dads hard earned money!!!

I'll try and explain the best I can, My Dad has worked and stillis working on a farm for 35 years now he turned 65 in September. He has three pensions.

1 opt out goverment? cashed in no bother

2 stocks and shares owned by his employer (pension with Aviva)
roughly 10k lumpsum struggling to cash in

3 Frozen Aviva pension owned by his employer (pension with Aviva)
roughly 40k lumpsum struggling to cash in

All with monthly payments etc

The problem my Dad is having is his employer is saying he doesnt know where his documentation for these the accounts are. As my Dad doesnt own the pensions Aviva will only contact his employer for any problems. My Dad has requested over and over for Aviva to send a letter explaining how to rectify which my Dads employer keeps saying he hasnt received.

Anyway I have asked my solicitor to get involved to scare him into action but its taking forever and was hoping someone on here could give me advise would be a great Xmas present for my Dad

Chris:mad:

Hi chris0007,

I'd like to have this looked into for you and see if we can help.

Can you please ask your father to email in the following details to us at social@aviva.co.uk:

1) Your father's full name
2) Date of birth
3) Address including postcode
4) Any Aviva pension plan reference numbers
5) Mention this post and your username from MSE
6) Any other details he feels relevant

When I receive these details I'll have this investigated for you.

Many thanks,

Martin Banwell
Aviva UK Social Media Support

atush

Well done martin. We await to see what happens.