DHL Voyager Pension - any help or advice welcome!

Conkie999

I will try and keep this short.  
I cannot believe how stupid I have been.  I held a small DHL Voyager pension and I attempted to transfer it to another provider (Friends Life) at some stage between 2011 and 2013.  It didn't get done but I don't remember why.  In early 2016, after moving house, I decided to try again.  The transfer process was poor to say the least.  I had to provide both DHL and Friends Life with various documents which I attempted to do.  The problem was that DHL wanted some documents I didn't hold (they were held by Friends) and Friends wanted some documents that were held by DHL!  I tried to explain this to both companies but it became a nightmare.  Neither company would send me the documents the other needed and they wouldn't deal directly with each other even after I gave my permission to do so.

I knew there was a deadline for the transfer out but I didn't realise that my pension was at risk once the deadline had passed - I just thought the fund would just be held by DHL.  I stopped reading the DHL letter when I got to the first or second line that said my transfer had been unsuccessful! 

Now, some 4 years later, I have read the letter in full and the last line states "as the transfer was not completed....you no longer have any entitlement to funds with us". 
How can this be legal - DHL have basically robbed me.  It's not like I hadn't tried to move the pension - both DHL and Friends Life were almost impossible to deal with in this matter.  I wonder how many others had this happen to them.
It was only £3.5k in my case but I am now wondering if I have any course of redress in this matter and if so, with which company?
Any thoughts/help/advice very welcome.
Cheers

 

HappyHarry

Conkie999 said:

I will try and keep this short.  
I cannot believe how stupid I have been.  I held a small DHL Voyager pension and I attempted to transfer it to another provider (Friends Life) at some stage between 2011 and 2013.  It didn't get done but I don't remember why.  In early 2016, after moving house, I decided to try again.  The transfer process was poor to say the least.  I had to provide both DHL and Friends Life with various documents which I attempted to do.  The problem was that DHL wanted some documents I didn't hold (they were held by Friends) and Friends wanted some documents that were held by DHL!  I tried to explain this to both companies but it became a nightmare.  Neither company would send me the documents the other needed and they wouldn't deal directly with each other even after I gave my permission to do so.

I knew there was a deadline for the transfer out but I didn't realise that my pension was at risk once the deadline had passed - I just thought the fund would just be held by DHL.  I stopped reading the DHL letter when I got to the first or second line that said my transfer had been unsuccessful! 

Now, some 4 years later, I have read the letter in full and the last line states "as the transfer was not completed....you no longer have any entitlement to funds with us". 
How can this be legal - DHL have basically robbed me.  It's not like I hadn't tried to move the pension - both DHL and Friends Life were almost impossible to deal with in this matter.  I wonder how many others had this happen to them.
It was only £3.5k in my case but I am now wondering if I have any course of redress in this matter and if so, with which company?
Any thoughts/help/advice very welcome.
Cheers

 

This does not sound right. Can you post / link to the DHL letter with your personal details removed?

Conkie999

Hi,
Thanks - please find attached a copy of the letter.

JoeCrystal

What?! That sound like someone got DB and DC section mixed up here! The wordings of the letter sound like it is more appropriate for the DB pension scheme rather than the DC pension scheme. Do you know which fund it was invested in? 

Btw, there is an article about the two years case with DHL pension scheme after quick googling: https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/pensions/article-6804183/What-happened-late-daughters-DHL-pension.html with some ideas as you why you may lose the fund. 

Do you have any scheme booklets that explain the rules of the scheme at the time? Might it be worth applying for a refund of your contribution (employee only) in this case (although it looks like that option was abolished in 2015)? I am shocked that you can lose your fund just like that.

HappyHarry

Ouch. There is a follow up and further explanation to JoeCrystal's link here: https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/pensions/article-6803741/Bereaved-father-handed-600-DHL-wrangle-daughters-pension.html

It seems that if you used salary sacrifice to contribute to the scheme, then you are not entitled to any refund (after the transfer deadline) as all contributions were employer contributions. I do understand that this is not the news you were hoping for.

It couldn't happen now, but you unfortunately appear to have taken a slightly reduced salary whilst employed by DHL for no eventual benefit.

squirrelpie

Do you still have copies of the letters you sent to DHL and to Friends that explained the problems to them at the time? If so it might be worth re-presenting them or sending the to somebody like Steve Webb. Or whichever branch of officialdom investigates incompetent administration (Pensions Ombudsman?)

garmeg

Seems very harsh to lose DC benefits in this way. I know this couldn't happen now due to auto enrollment.

Conkie999

Hi
Thanks everyone who responded.  I have looked at the link - Typical DHL.  I am also almost 100% sure that a few months after my issues, I saw a Doctor on some TV show or news slot complaining that he had been unable to complete a pension transfer (not with DHL) because his two firms wouldn't co-operate with each other - I seem to remember the values in his case were large!
I have some Voyager pension documents left but nothing stating the rules.  I do have all the e-mails I sent to both companies. The investment fund was FL Blackrock 50:50 Global Equity Index (Aquila C)
I understand that all could be lost for myself and I know its my own fault and in the larger scheme of things its just a bit of money but - and here's my but - This shouldn't have been legal then or now - like I said in the first post - I feel like i've been turned over good and proper and legally robbed.
Changing pensions should be just like changing bank accounts - easy.  My only concern is I wonder how many others might still be thinking they are sitting on a Voyager pension!  
I am not sure if it is worth going forward and trying to see if the pension ombudsman would be remotely interested (my wife's PPI claim comes to mind!)
Any further advice or help more than welcome.
Thanks again to all who responded.
Cheers