Standard life pension website and app not working

checkleylane

If you are considering taking out a pension do not go near Standard life. Since December we have not been able to access my wife's pension and payments to this account are missing.If you thought they would care then you are mistaken. You get promised a call back as the person you speak to eventually cannot access the system your pension is on.This goes on and on. I suspect they have an IT problem and just push customers around the system to delay any bad news. Now they want proof that the money was sent although our bank has provided the details of the transaction. I have serious concerns about this company. Same story on trust pilot with pension payments so stay well clear of this company.

dunstonh

 I suspect they have an IT problem and just push customers around the system to delay any bad news.

Aberdeen Standard Life sold the Standard Life brand and much of its old legacy book to Phoenix.   Phoenix are currently positioning software to use their systems.   Aberdeen retained the more modern software and plans.

Phoenix Standard Life have only just launched a new plan on its own software.  It is relatively basic but it is done through a different unit to the legacy Standard Life plans.   If you contact someone in the legacy plans side of Standard Life then they wont be able to talk about the new plan option.

  I have serious concerns about this company. Same story on trust pilot with pension payments so stay well clear of this company.

The company is absolutely fine and has the same issues as all the other providers that have legacy options and modern options along with those obtained from old insurers running on different systems.    You need to contact the correct side of the business.

Albermarle

I have been on the SL website this morning and made an investment change with no problem.
I have never had an issue with the website or the app in the past and their customer service response to queries has always been very prompt and helpful. To be fair I have not had contact with them for a while, and I think there have been some changes and a third party provider getting involved.

However I have an older personal type pension plan, started in the days when SL were independent, so I presume this software is tried and tested.

The new owners have recent launched a new SIPP type pension for new customers, and this might be the area causing problems as mentioned in the previous post. Some kind of teething problems.

Anyway are you sure you are calling the right number.

Call us

If you have an Active Money Personal Pension (AMPP) or Self Invested Personal Pension (SIPP):

UK
0800 970 4131

Non UK
+44 131 245 5455

Phone line hours

Monday to Friday: 9am to 5pm (10am – 5pm on Wednesdays)

 

Any other pension plan:

UK
0800 634 7482

Non UK
+44 131 245 8512

Phone line hours

Monday to Friday: 9am to 5pm (10am – 5pm on Wednesdays)

AlanP_2

My wife has a SL pension and has been on the App this morning and a few times over that last two weeks as we have been waiting for a withdrawal to be processed, that, for historical reasons related to communication between her employer and SL a few years ago has been complicated.

I also had a pension with them that has since been rundown and closed.

All in over 10 years elapsed with SL across the two of us and we have always found customer service excellent.

dunstonh

I too have just been on the SL website on the adviser side, which covers legacy plans rather than their current new business plan, and it worked fine. 

Moonwolf

Likewise I checked my balance on my old group pension scheme that I'm still paying into and it shows everything including the most recent payment at the end of December.

MetaPhysical

Works perfectly for me - website and app.

dasherman

No problems for me and can't really fault SL at all over the 20 years I've had a pension with them.

Infact I transferred a Royal Mail AVC over to them a while back and they were fantastic, even emailing off their own back to find out how it was progressing.
The Royal Mail Pension Plan on the other hand, were totally incompetent!

MEL1981

I can't fault the SL website or app. I use the app all the time to track my pension and their mailing system is great, I always get a fast response. 

I've not had to take out any money but I find the app is good and the website and general Comms allot better than my other pension provider (Aegon).

Mel

Albermarle

MEL1981 said:

I can't fault the SL website or app. I use the app all the time to track my pension and their mailing system is great, I always get a fast response. 

I've not had to take out any money but I find the app is good and the website and general Comms allot better than my other pension provider (Aegon).

Mel

A lot better than Scottish Widows as well !

engagedandopen

My new SL pension set up last month is still showing a total charge of 1.613% for Future Advantage 5, whereas they advertise 0.55% as the total charge.  The set up document says "You're invested in this fund:" and then it's blank (19th December, if you're reading this, Jonathan).

Looking at their older AMPP,  I tried to make a payment on the mobile app about a year ago; it gave an error but then they took 3x the amount, clearing that particular account.  They never resolved this and advised me not to use the mobile app.

I first encountered SL through a 1% charge workplace pension.  They have always seemed expensive for what they offer.  Now the service problem seems very much to be due to Phoenix Life.

Just in case anyone finds it helpful, it turns out the minimum net for an annuity with them is £2k for existing customers, even though they advertise it as £10k (after tax-free cash).  Probably poor value for such a small amount but that's their actual minimum, according to a couple of people in their annuities team.