The day after my state pension qualifying age, nothing heard from the DWP

rosalind110

I completed my state pension application online on 9th April 2021.  Since I received the attached email acknowledgment, I am certain that the application was duly received.  It is now the day after my 66th birthday which was my qualifying date, but I have received no communication of any type from the DWP since the email acknowledgment was sent. Having worked full time for 42 years, although I retired on a workplace pension in 2016, I should probably qualify for the full state pension, but do not know, since the DWP has not confirmed, or advised me when my first payment is due.

Since I am deaf, which the DWP knows, I am not able to communicate by phone and they will not allow anyone else to speak on the phone on my behalf, and the DWP offers no alternative means of contact, so I'm effectively in a position in which I have no way to find out what is going on.  Can anyone help, please? 

TadleyBaggie

Strange, I completed the online application on my wife's behalf and she received in the post a few days later a full breakdown on when the first partial payment would be made and what the following full 4 weekly payment would be. She isn't 66 until late September.

rosalind110

I just can't figure out a way to contact the DWP.   There doesn't seem to be any alternative but those two phone numbers, which I cannot use.

LHW99

I don't know if it would help, but the webpage below mentions there is a Relay service, or Video Relay service for those with hearing difficulties.

https://www.gov.uk/contact-pension-service

There is a section for getting pension information about halfway down the page, which gives numbers.

rosalind110

Yes, Thank you.  That is well worth a look.

molerat

rosalind110 said:

 Having worked full time for 42 years, although I retired on a workplace pension in 2016, I should probably qualify for the full state pension, but do not know, since the DWP has not confirmed, or advised me when my first payment is due.

You mean you did not have a forecast prior to you applying ?  Retiring back in 2016 with a workplace pension means there is a strong possibility you may not be getting the full new pension.  Do you have a Government Gateway personal tax account ?

xylophone

Had you seen this

https://www.hearinglink.org/news/202012/video-service-for-deaf-claimants-extended-to-all-dwp-helplines/


https://www.gov.uk/personal-tax-account

jamesd

If that work pension is defined benefit it's very likely that someone who stopped working in 2016 can increase their state pension by buying some years from 2016 onwards. See point I near the end of this post: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/78491594/#Comment_78491594

JoeCrystal

rosalind110 said:

I just can't figure out a way to contact the DWP.   There doesn't seem to be any alternative but those two phone numbers, which I cannot use.

Have you ever tried Relay UK, which is virtually the same minicom or textphone nowadays? I used it myself for all communications with the customer services, banks and so on. Very handy. https://www.relayuk.bt.com/

You can install it on your PC or smartphone and have it linked to your home/mobile number. So it acted like a chat window and got some familiar functions such as GA and so on. 

rosalind110

molerat said:

rosalind110 said:

 Having worked full time for 42 years, although I retired on a workplace pension in 2016, I should probably qualify for the full state pension, but do not know, since the DWP has not confirmed, or advised me when my first payment is due.

You mean you did not have a forecast prior to you applying ?  Retiring back in 2016 with a workplace pension means there is a strong possibility you may not be getting the full new pension.  Do you have a Government Gateway personal tax account ?

I had the forecast that you calculate online and a statement before I left work, but both said they were approximate, rather than definite.  My record says I have 45 years of full national insurance contributions and three years of part contributions, so it seems as if I might be eligible for the full state pension rate.  

I will check out the Gateway personal tax details.  Thank you.

rosalind110

JoeCrystal said:

rosalind110 said:

I just can't figure out a way to contact the DWP.   There doesn't seem to be any alternative but those two phone numbers, which I cannot use.

Have you ever tried Relay UK, which is virtually the same minicom or textphone nowadays? I used it myself for all communications with the customer services, banks and so on. Very handy. https://www.relayuk.bt.com/

You can install it on your PC or smartphone and have it linked to your home/mobile number. So it acted like a chat window and got some familiar functions such as GA and so on. 

Thank you. If I can't sort this out online then I'll try Relay.