Pension dilemma

Murphybear

I am posting this for a friend who is one of those who doesn't have a computer!

She is due to retire next year and has been contacted by the pension dept of a large company she worked for 25 years ago. They said they got her details from HMRC which is fine.

The problem is that her employment with them was in a previous name and they are requesting written evidence of her name change. The problem is she never married her late partner, just took his name. In those days statutory declaration was good enough for the HMRC, DVLA and most important DWP so she has plenty of official ID in her current name but no evidence at all of her name change.

Dilemma is with no proof of something she did 20 years ago they presumably won't pay the pension. What to do? I suggested Deed Poll but this can't be backdated 20 years.

Can they legally withold this pension? Can't they use NI number as proof of name change, it was good enough for DWP and they must have been told about it by HMRC as the correspondence is in her current name.

Sorry if it's a bit long winded but the sum may be quite large as she worked for them for 10 years. (In case anyone asks why she didn't recall this pension her memory has suffered after a series of small strokes)
I know there are millions of pounds lying in unclaimed pensions, what happens to this, does it just stay with the pension providers?

Thanks for listening

bryanb

Surely she has a birth certificate in her original name?
Her NI number is obviously the same.
What are the pension company asking for?

Linton

Suggest that she asks the pension department what they will accept. These sort of things can possibly be handled by a formal sworn statement through a solicitor (commissioner for oaths).

mgdavid

does she have an old passport? (always a good idea to keep them).

Murphybear

Thanks for replies.

Birth certificate in neither name as name they have was from first marriage

Don't know about previous passports as she wasn't one to travel overseas much

The real issue is not proving her identity at any particular age but proving the actual change

The pension company haven't said what they will accept

I had a similar problem which is why she asked me. They accepted a deed poll statement with current, not original date which I used to get a photo driving licence as proof of ID. Took ages to sort it out but did in the end. I'll suggests she tries this.

Had I known how much hassle it was going to be living with someone without being married I might have got married in the first place:D

bryanb

Murphybear wrote: »

Thanks for replies.

Birth certificate in neither name as name they have was from first marriage

Then there should be paperwork of some sort at the end of first marriage, plus marriage cert at the beginning of it.

xylophone

Your friend when Miss A Jones married Mr XY Smith.

She was Mrs Smith when she worked for the company.

There will be a marriage certificate.

The marriage ended in divorce/widowhood? At all events there should be some evidence.

She met and lived with a new partner whose name she took despite the fact that there was no marriage.

You mention a statutory declaration which she made to DWP/HMRC/her doctor etc etc.

Presumably she has a date for this action - the official bodies concerned may well also have a record?

Her NI number will have remained the same throughout - the DWP will have a record of this for state pension purposes.

With all this evidence, I don't quite see where the problem lies?

She explains the situation to the administrators of the Pension Scheme and asks what, if any, additional proof of identity is required?

Murphybear

Thanks all