Voluntary Class 3. Fine Detail Questions

Secret2ndAccount

Thank you everyone for your help. Friend is not very good with computers, and doesn't live close by. We will get to the bottom of this by one means or another. I think I have persuaded them how worthwhile topping up will be. I just need to figure out the best years for them to pay in.

xylophone

How did the friend obtain the previous forecast?

Secret2ndAccount

Painstaking, click-by-click talking through what to do on the computer. I hand-held them through signing up for a gov't gateway acc't, providing proof of ID, then getting the forecast. It took hours. Quite emotionally draining. I really screwed up by not going the extra click to get the COPE amount. I'm not sure it's an experience we want to go through again to get the COPE. They can call or write to figure out the next steps. If they haven't done anything by the next time I am in the area I will visit and check it on the computer.

p00hsticks

Secret2ndAccount said:

Painstaking, click-by-click talking through what to do on the computer. I hand-held them through signing up for a gov't gateway acc't, providing proof of ID, then getting the forecast. It took hours. Quite emotionally draining. I really screwed up by not going the extra click to get the COPE amount. I'm not sure it's an experience we want to go through again to get the COPE. They can call or write to figure out the next steps. If they haven't done anything by the next time I am in the area I will visit and check it on the computer.

Not sure if this is still current or how long it woudl take given the problems the Pension service seem to be having at the mooment, but thre is a form you could print off and send to him and get him to post....

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/946030/br19-print.pdf

sjp999

S2A,

Team Viewer has a bit of a bad rap but it's the easiest way for something like this, way easier than Microsoft's remote access offering. The free version has worked fine for me over a good few sessions with various relatives. 

If you don't already have it, Install/Uninstall it on your PC for practice and then install it again on your PC as your friend installs it on there's - if either of you are on Talk Talk you may have to relax the security on their online dashboard thing (Virgin required no changes, I believe Sky didn't either unsure about other ISP's).

Once you're done just uninstall it but, should you think it's worth keeping, make sure your friend knows you're the ONLY person they give out the access code to.

Secret2ndAccount

Yeah, I did consider talking them through the installation of TeamViewer, then doing the rest myself. Still a lot for them to do though these days - there's a lot of two factor authentication, and videoing yourself etc. I am trying to teach them to fish rather than always giving them fish. They manage to read Email and reply to it, so it shouldn't be without hope.