Is this State pension Letter a scam?

Mrs_pbradley936

I have had a letter from the DWP (well it says it is from them) which says that they have been informed that I do not live at my current address and that they intend to stop my State Pension forthwith. I have not moved in over 20 years - they have enclosed an envelope for me to fill in my details and post back to them.

I have tried to phone the DWP but they simply do not answer the phone - well you get through and are asked to hold and listen to music for 35 minutes.

A quick Google tells me that there are numerous scams so how do I know if this is genuine?

sheslookinhot

Why would they have “been informed” ? Send back the empty envelope.

DE_612183

whats the address on the envelope?

Robert_McGeddon

What details have they given you - e.g. NI number?

I would respond with the same info (i.e. nothing new) saying their letter has reached you at your home address proving you still live there.

Mrs_pbradley936

DE_612183 said:

whats the address on the envelope?

Freepost RTEY-HERJ-LBEU Wolverhampton

DE_612183

Mrs_pbradley936 said:

DE_612183 said:

whats the address on the envelope?

Freepost RTEY-HERJ-LBEU Wolverhampton

Well, the DWP do have a mail centre in Wolverhampton - I presume what you are saying is that they have sent a letter to your current address, saying they don't think you live there and to tell them your new address?

Does the letter have your name on it?

I would just tell them the details that they already know - your name and your current address.
Basically anything that's already in the letter they sent you.

It maybe a letter that was sent to you at your current address has somehow been sent back to them as un deliverable. 

If you are trying to ring them - monday am is the worst time of the week - try mid-afternoon on wednesday.

xylophone

Freepost RTEY-HERJ-LBEU Wolverhampton

Have you typed into Google?

It comes up as an xls file and also on a "what do they know" and appears to be a genuine DWP Freepost address.

As you have received the letter at your current address, I don't see that you have anything to lose by sending back the form to confirm your current address.

There have been posts on the forum concerning benefits being discontinued because (as eventually transpires) a letter has been returned  to DWP as undeliverable.

I suppose you did receive your "increase in benefits"letter this year?

Sandtree

Mrs_pbradley936 said:

I have had a letter from the DWP (well it says it is from them) which says that they have been informed that I do not live at my current address and that they intend to stop my State Pension forthwith. I have not moved in over 20 years - they have enclosed an envelope for me to fill in my details and post back to them.

A quick google shows the address is used by the Pensions section of the DWP and so the chances of it being a scam are very slim given the scammers would have to have a way to intercept DWP mail and if they can do that then just take the mail of natural postings rather than try and find your 1 reply in the sackful of letters delivered every day to them. 

Its likely a letter to you has been delivered to the wrong address and someone returned it as "addressee unknown" and hence the tracing process has commenced.

dunstonh

I have tried to phone the DWP but they simply do not answer the phone - well you get through and are asked to hold and listen to music for 35 minutes.

Did you ring the real number for the pensions section or was it a number on the letter?  (there are scams that mimic official letters but the phone numbers are premium rate and go to the scammer who just keeps you on hold indefinitely).

Mrs_pbradley936

Thank you everyone for your replies. I wrote to them saying that I have not moved and I did not include any more information than that.

Alice_Holt

Mrs_pbradley936 said:

DE_612183 said:

whats the address on the envelope?

Freepost RTEY-HERJ-LBEU Wolverhampton

      That's a DWP address