Missing APCs - local government pension

xylophone

my employer didn't complete the form

Are you saying that you should have completed the form?

housebuyer143

xylophone said:

my employer didn't complete the form

Are you saying that you should have completed the form?

No, I did the form and sent it to my employer as they asked months ago, which is why my employer deducted the money. I don't think my employer sent it on to the pension provider.

I redid the form, sent it on again but they don't like that the form is from the past 🙄 the form kind of has to be in the past because the payments have been made in the past... 

They are talking about refunding the payments but if they do that I'll have to repay £1300 carers allowance. It's not really fair as I did everything I was asked to do..

xylophone

It does seem unreasonable that you should suffer from a mistake not of your making.

I sent a PM to Silvertabby who is a retired LGPS administrator to ask if she could comment on your situation.

housebuyer143

xylophone said:

It does seem unreasonable that you should suffer from a mistake not of your making.

I sent a PM to Silvertabby who is a retired LGPS administrator to ask if she could comment on your situation.

Thank you so much! 
I just want them to process the form, keep the payments and apply them to my account. 

Chloe_G

I totally sympathise with you.  I'm in the LGPS and my payroll team failed to implement my AVC instruction for three months after they received the application.  They have since deducted two installments from my salary but these amounts have not reached the AVC provider.  I had to flag up these issues and the answer was basically 'sorry we admit we haven't got a clue what we're doing.'

housebuyer143

Chloe_G said:

I totally sympathise with you.  I'm in the LGPS and my payroll team failed to implement my AVC instruction for three months after they received the application.  They have since deducted two installments from my salary but these amounts have not reached the AVC provider.  I had to flag up these issues and the answer was basically 'sorry we admit we haven't got a clue what we're doing.'

That's terrible! How hard is it really to do this - we can't be the only ones. 
I feel like my work have washed their hands of it and leaving me as a middle man to sort it, which really isn't fair at all as I only have second hand information which I'm having to pass between each place.

housebuyer143

Update: I got a call and they said I need a medical sign off letter to buy additional pension and they will give me a month to get this to them before they refund me the payments.
Drs want money for signing the paper and will take 30 days to do it... Not sure on the cost yet. 

Frustratingly I wanted to do AVCs and was told to to APCs by payroll and it's a mess. Still a risk of a refund coming my way as well 🙄

hyubh

housebuyer143 said:

Frustratingly I wanted to do AVCs and was told to to APCs by payroll

That sounds odd - an LGPS AVC and APC are fundamentally different things. How far had you got setting things up with the AVC provider...?

housebuyer143

hyubh said:

housebuyer143 said:

Frustratingly I wanted to do AVCs and was told to to APCs by payroll

That sounds odd - an LGPS AVC and APC are fundamentally different things. How far had you got setting things up with the AVC provider...?

I didn't get too far, filled in the form and then when I mentioned to payroll what I was doing, she basically swayed me on APCs, says it is better etc. 
I don't know about DB schemes much so took her word for it. I would have said no, the moment she mentioned paying for a medical letter.

I am going to have to send off for the form to sort these, and then what I'm going to do is make any extra payments I need to, direct into my personal pension and bypass these guys in future.

Haven't been at my work very long so it's very awkward and I don't want to cause waves, but this !!!!!! up is costing me money and stress.

Silvertabby

housebuyer143 said:

hyubh said:

housebuyer143 said:

Frustratingly I wanted to do AVCs and was told to to APCs by payroll

That sounds odd - an LGPS AVC and APC are fundamentally different things. How far had you got setting things up with the AVC provider...?

I didn't get too far, filled in the form and then when I mentioned to payroll what I was doing, she basically swayed me on APCs, says it is better etc. 
I don't know about DB schemes much so took her word for it. I would have said no, the moment she mentioned paying for a medical letter.

I am going to have to send off for the form to sort these, and then what I'm going to do is make any extra payments I need to, direct into my personal pension and bypass these guys in future.

Haven't been at my work very long so it's very awkward and I don't want to cause waves, but this !!!!!! up is costing me money and stress.

Payroll telling a LGPS member that APCs are better than AVCs ! Ye Gods, that would have been a sackable offence in my day.  Even a LGPS administrator can't 'advise' - just explain the differences.

Reading through all of this thread, I'm afraid this is a right sorry  tale. Yes, an APC contract (ie, paying monthly over X years rather than by one lump sum) is subject to a satisfactory medical report, because someone who takes out a contract and then retires on  ill health shortly after would be awarded the full value of the (unpaid for) contract.  The medical assessment and the Dr's declaration (that they know of no reason why Mr X won't remain fit for work until the end of the contract) isn't covered by the NHS, so  not only will OP have to book a private appointment with their GP they will have to pay.  The average cost 6 years ago was at least £80, so expect it will be substantially more now. 

The LGPS administrators are really stuck between a rock and a hard place.  The forms and the medical assessment must be supplied before the contract can be set up, so I can understand them saying that they may have to refund.  Especially if OP opts not to pay for the private medical assessment. 

This is not 'advice' - just a suggestion.  OP, if you have a look at AVCs instead of APCs then see if your HR /payroll can divert your payments made thus far to an AVC account.  No medical assessment required, as AVCs aren't enhanced in the event of ill health retirement.