DWP asking for marriage certificate

TwitTwoo

Is it normal for DWP to request a marriage certificate (not a photocopy) years after my state pension started?
I've just received a letter (dated nearly 6 weeks ago!) asking for such, despite being in receipt of my state pension for nearly 10 years, and being married a lot longer than that!I
I couldn't get a satisfactory response about a reason, for this request, when I rang - I was just told to comply with the letter!  

Linton

Part of the State Pension can be inherited by a spouse if someone receiving a pre-2016 SP dies. Perhaps they are checking their records.

I also am receiving a pre-2016 SP but have never been asked for a marriage certificate.

dunstonh

DWP are looking at potential holes in historical calculations. It may be linked to that.

dozydi

Has anyone found out why the DWP want a copy of my marriage certificate after 13 plus years on SP and 33 plus years married. It makes no sense. 

molerat

As Dunstonh said above DWP are looking into historical married women's underpayments many of which are due to poor records and marriages not registered with DWP.  You have likely popped up in that data matching exercise as possibly married but they have no record to confirm that.

Dazed_and_C0nfused

DWP are paying out millions in arrears at the moment, could be linked to that.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/state-pension-underpayments-progress-on-cases-reviewed-to-28-february-2023/state-pension-underpayments-progress-on-cases-reviewed-to-28-february-2023

Suzycoll

TwitTwoo said:

Is it normal for DWP to request a marriage certificate (not a photocopy) years after my state pension started?
I've just received a letter (dated nearly 6 weeks ago!) asking for such, despite being in receipt of my state pension for nearly 10 years, and being married a lot longer than that!I
I couldn't get a satisfactory response about a reason, for this request, when I rang - I was just told to comply with the letter!  

If DWP do not have an original marriage cert on your case they will need it. It may help if you are owed anything or if they are locking back at historic awards  that may have been calculated incorrectly ? I would just send it in , cant harm