First payment of state pension not received

DST

I contacted HMRC some months ago to claim my state pension which was due first week in July. I received an email to confirm receipt. SInce then I have heard nothing about how much I will get and no first payment. I eventually got through to the helpline two weeks ago and was told it would be actioned in 48 hours but have still heard nothing. I am now having issues getting someone to answer the phones on the helpline. Anyone out there had the same problem? If so, how was it resolved, if at all?? Any advice welcome Thanks.

Dazed_and_C0nfused

I contacted HMRC

That's your problem, you should have contacted DWP as they are responsible for paying State Pension.

p00hsticks

There seem to be a few cases like this recently - escalate via your MP

femalemonarchfemalecanine

p00hsticks said:

There seem to be a few cases like this recently - escalate via your MP

no point escalating it until they have applied to the correct department!

xylophone

That's your problem, you should have contacted DWP as they are responsible for paying State Pension.

If the OP has claimed his SP and received the email confirming receipt, then I suspect that he did apply to DWP.

He also states

I eventually got through to the helpline two weeks ago and was told it would be actioned in 48 hours

- I assume the DWP helpline?

And he's not alone with his problem.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/78537125/#Comment_78537125

p00hsticks

femalemonarchfemalecanine said:

p00hsticks said:

There seem to be a few cases like this recently - escalate via your MP

no point escalating it until they have applied to the correct department!

The OP should have received a written invitation to apply for their State Pension from the Pension Service (part of DWP) around four months before the pension was due. If the OP did receive that invitation, which details the ways to apply, then I'm guessing they responded correctly to it and their use of the term HMRC is a slip. If they didn't receive an inivitation the it may well be that they mistakenly contacted HMRC off their own bat, but they shouldn;t have had to.

Either way, the Pension Service is not performing as it should be and so in my view it is worth escalating, although it would be helpful to the OP if they were clear to their MP as to exactly what communication has occured and with whom.

drumtochty

p00hsticks said:

femalemonarchfemalecanine said:

p00hsticks said:

There seem to be a few cases like this recently - escalate via your MP

no point escalating it until they have applied to the correct department!

The OP should have received a written invitation to apply for their State Pension from the Pension Service (part of DWP) .

Not the case, the invitation letter is sent from HMRC which the DWP will explain to you if you do not receive the invitation letter, which I did not receive. This has been mention here many times.

michael417

I am having a similar experience. My pension was due on 15th July, but I haven't received anything, nor any contact from the DWP. 
I got an invitation to apply for my pension and applied online. On 31st March I received an email headed gov.uk saying that my application had been received and "You will receive details about your State Pension up to 14 days before your State Pension date."
On 11th May I got a text from the DWP saying that "We are working on your State Pension claim. You do not need to contact us. We will send you another message when it is completed" 
That was the last I heard from them. It is now about five weeks since the date when the first installment of my pension should have been paid. I have spent many fruitless hours trying to speak to someone at the DWP about this, but the automated messages never connect me to a human, only refer me to the website. The website refers me to the same useless telephone numbers. In desperation I wrote wrote to the DWP, delivery recorded, setting out my problem and leaving telephone and email contact numbers. There has been no response.
I know other people are having similar issues with the DWP. Has anyone found a solution yet. Or even a way to contact them?

xylophone

Have you written to your MP?

Make a formal written complaint.

Try here for assistance

https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/pensions-and-retirement/state-pension

molerat

Contact your MP or / and the national press.  About time this appalling lack of action from DWP is brought out into the open.

Diplodicus

My brother got through after 80 mins waiting on the phone this morning.

Said it wasn't them but also supplied a link number and said c "If they say nothing to do with us tell them it is because you submitted your claim in March." And then the second contact was nice as pie:- they wanted his bank details again. Note: they will not contact you if they mislay stuff like that.
My brother is now hopeful of receiving his state pension soon. He has been eligible since July 11.