NatWest pension scheme mail out

NORFOLKBART

If like me you are one of the approx 190,000 NatWest pension scheme members, you will recently have received/will receive a letter in the post requesting that you complete a form to confirm your personal details.

I have contacted the scheme administrators, Towers Watson who have confirmed that the mail out is genuine and there is no way the information can be confirmed by logging into their site securely. Apparently, although the information they hold as administrators may be correct, the trustees need written confirmation from all members of the personal details.

Unbelievable in this digital age....thought I'd post in case any other scheme members are wondering if this is a scam!

Brie

I wonder how much of it is a "tidy up our IT" exercise.

Many letters will be returned as "gone away".  Some as "deceased".  

Many won't get any response because the individuals will go online anyway and see that everything is correct.  And some won't get to TWT as people will use their old address instead of their new one.  

And lots will assume it's a scam and will bin the letter.

Marcon

NORFOLKBART said:

If like me you are one of the approx 190,000 NatWest pension scheme members, you will recently have received/will receive a letter in the post requesting that you complete a form to confirm your personal details.

I have contacted the scheme administrators, Towers Watson who have confirmed that the mail out is genuine and there is no way the information can be confirmed by logging into their site securely. Apparently, although the information they hold as administrators may be correct, the trustees need written confirmation from all members of the personal details.

Unbelievable in this digital age....thought I'd post in case any other scheme members are wondering if this is a scam!

Not unbelievable at all - very common practice with occupational schemes. One major reason is to identify those who don't respond or whose letters are returned as undeliverable. It also saves the administrators from having to deal with a stack of phone calls from those who think it's a scam.

Why not just get on and provide the requested information?

NORFOLKBART

Brie said:

I wonder how much of it is a "tidy up our IT" exercise.

Many letters will be returned as "gone away".  Some as "deceased".  

Many won't get any response because the individuals will go online anyway and see that everything is correct.  And some won't get to TWT as people will use their old address instead of their new one.  

And lots will assume it's a scam and will bin the letter.

Thanks Brie, I went online myself and checked my details - all OK. I had a webchat with a member of staff and was told that the form would need to be completed/returned regardless