First payment of state pension delayed

Suzehughes

A friend turned state pension age in June and has not received her pension or any indication why not or when it might come. In March she received an acknowledgement of her pension application and a forecast, but not the letter everyone else seems to have received. Every time she calls to find out what's going on the call centre people can't tell her, but they pass her message on to DWP (who don't respond). She has tried the numbers on their website, but to no avail, and is now getting rather desperate. I would be grateful for any suggestions. 

molerat

Contact her MP. A familiar story I am afraid

diystarter7

molerat said:

Contact her MP. A familiar story I am afraid

is it?

Some we know thought they'd automatically get the SP on their qualifying birthday but nothing happened so he rang someone he said and within days the backdated money etc was all in his bank

It could be that a lot of people are off sick - but for sure that does not help the OP.

Silvertabby

State pension is paid 4 weekly in arrears, so your friend wouldn't have received anything on her actual birthday.

If her birthday was the end of June, then her first payment may not be due until mid/end July.

LOLOTERESA

I reached pension age last week and I am getting a partial payment at the end of this month, just to regulate the 4 weekly payment to me, my next full payment is 4 weeks after my partial payment, and every 4 weeks after. I also thought it was paid from my birthday, but as its paid in arrears they do it the way I have mentioned above. 

xylophone

A friend turned state pension age in June and has not received her pension or any indication why not or when it might come. In March she received an acknowledgement of her pension application and a forecast, but not the letter everyone else seems to have received.

Did your friend receive an invitation to apply for her state pension?

https://www.gov.uk/new-state-pension/how-to-claim

If so, how did she apply?

If not, what exactly did she do?  Apply by phone?  By form?

Did she just apply for a state pension forecast ( rather than actually claim her pension)?

 You can see an example here.

https://www.which.co.uk/money/pensions-and-retirement/state-pension/your-state-pension-forecast-explained-a24r12y9jt41

 Late last year here were stories in the press and an early day motion was tabled in Parliament concerning pension payment delays.

https://edm.parliament.uk/early-day-motion/58977/delays-in-the-administration-of-the-state-pension

https://www.ftadviser.com/pensions/2021/11/03/thousands-await-pension-payments-as-dwp-pledges-no-more-delays/

but apparently this should no longer be happening....

https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/pensions-and-retirement/pension-problems/dealing-with-pension-problems-and-making-a-complaint

Suzehughes

Thanks so much xylophone. She did apply - not sure whether by phone or by form, but she got an acknowledgement of the reply. The links will be really useful - thank you.

jem16

Suzehughes said:

Thanks so much xylophone. She did apply - not sure whether by phone or by form, but she got an acknowledgement of the reply. The links will be really useful - thank you.

Most people are hearing pretty quickly after applying at the moment. The ones that don't hear right away are those that tend to have more complex claims like being a widow. In this case the application is then passed to the Widow's department to have any possible inherited additional pension calculated.

I applied in March and due to reach SPA shortly. I received the usual confirmation of my application but then nothing until June which is much as I expected as I am a Widow. I was actually surprised to hear in June to be honest. Two friends who reached SPA 2 weeks after me got their award letter within a week of applying but there's was a straightforward claim.

First pension payment can be up to 5 weeks from reaching SPA.

Tassie_Devil

I'm overseas. I applied by phone on June 15, and had my first payment on 11 July.

Mail applications seem to take quite a lot longer.