UC class 3 not crediting for state pension

TELLIT01

When I worked for DWP our standard advice to any claimant who was getting the runaround was to contact their local MP, as that seemed to result in rapid resolution of most problems.  More evidence here that it really can work.

rangout

DWP have now responded to my MP, and just reiterated the same comment that gave me months ago - we're looking into it and it'll be fixed soon

Over three years, and there's still no resolution. It seems this "small" problem is a lot bigger than they're admitting to

NedS

rangout said:

DWP have now responded to my MP, and just reiterated the same comment that gave me months ago - we're looking into it and it'll be fixed soon

Over three years, and there's still no resolution. It seems this "small" problem is a lot bigger than they're admitting to

Great, you will be able to ask your MP for an update every $soon days, for whatever definition of 'soon' you choose.

Shakes head in disbelief!

NedS

This story is now starting to hit the news as people begin to grasp the size and significance of the issue:

https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/pensions/article-11513199/DWP-HMRC-come-clean-missing-state-pension-credits.html

Westie983

I have been trying to sort this out since June 2020, I have been told that my credits will be added when my UC Claim ends, but when I speak to HMRC I am told they only have me on UC for one month (March 2019) and that is why I am missing nearly four years of credits. I have spoken to UC and HMRC, raised a complaint and still no further on then I was in June 2020 when I check my forecast.

I hope whatever bug is in their systems is sorted out soon as I am unlikely to be going back to work as I have been medically retired from work.

Westie983

calcotti

Westie983 said:

I have been trying to sort this out since June 2020, 

I suggest involving your MP’s office.

huckster

What about asking UC to print off and post to you all statements.  And confirm in your journal that you have had UC continually between x and y date.   Then send the statements and screenshot of the journal message to HMRC, saying that they now have the information, so should not be reliant on DWP fixing their IT to send them the data electronically.

Muttleythefrog

I've just checked my wife's NI record and class 3 credits (for getting U/C) have not been applied at all. My record is fine but I'm also getting ESA (IR historically, now Contrib based). I'll raise the problem in her U/C account first I think but looking at above it's going to be a long haul to resolve.

NedS

huckster said:

What about asking UC to print off and post to you all statements.  And confirm in your journal that you have had UC continually between x and y date.   Then send the statements and screenshot of the journal message to HMRC, saying that they now have the information, so should not be reliant on DWP fixing their IT to send them the data electronically.

In my experience HMRC do not want to know - they are not interested in manually fixing the issue their end. They have automated processes that act upon information received from DWP and will simply refer you back to DWP to fix the issue their end and send the correct information in the first place. It is a DWP issue and they are the ones that need to fix it.
As I understand, DWP are supposedly working on a fix. Once rolled out, details of UC claimants should once again pass seamlessly to HMRC and NI credits be awarded, but details are scarce. DWP seem to have zero interest, or failed to have deployed any resources, to fix any claims manually, hence those raising the issue now are simply given the run-around. It's hard work getting them to acknowledge the issue exists, the scale of the issue or the time frame in which it may be fixed. I had heard October mentioned, which has come and gone. The press has clearly had more success raising these issues than I have and some individual cases have been resolved, probably affecting those at or very close to retirement.

Muttleythefrog

To update.... my local service centre chased this up and got back to us with not so unexpected response:

I have had a response back from the service innovation leaders. Universal Credit are aware of the problem. They have stated the following:-

Claimants outside 4 months of state pension age should be reassured that there is no risk to their entitlement for state pension at this stage. Universal Credit are working on a solution to automatically update HMRC and further details will be shared in due course.