State Pension

wkt54

Hello

I have been getting the state pension for 4 years every 4 weeks.

Every year they have stopped my pension and I have to fill out a Life Certificate to get restarted.

Last February they stopped it and I sent the form.

They paid me March, April and May and then stopped it again.

One person sent me an email and said they had made a mistake but another person said I have to complete the form again which I did.

They paid me February this year and have stopped it AGAIN.

I have just received an email and they told me to phone them.  I said I am living in Egypt and it would cost me a fortune.

3 times in a year they have stopped it.

Surely something is not right.

Does anyone have any idea why?

Thanks

comeandgo

Do they have a uk address for you that they may be sending mail to and getting it returned and they are then stopping the pension?

wkt54

No they have my Egypt address.

But ordinary mail that gets sent from the UK to Sharm el Sheikh never arrives - Birthday, Xmas cards etc.

They send me an email and say it's because you didn't return the form.

I tell them mail never arrives and print off the 2 documents and send it.

But why have they stopped it 3 times in one calendar year?

wkt54

Could someone advise me on this please.

If they ask me to print off and complete the Life Certicate for the 3rd time in one year, if I leave it for 5 or 6 months before sending it, would that be ok?  And get 6 months backdated.

Thanks

Silvertabby

Much simpler all round for your pension not to be stopped in the first place, rather than stopped and back-dated.

As you are able to down load the Life Certificate, I wonder if being pre-emptive would work - ie, send it in every 3 or 6 months without being asked for it.  Or do you have to pay daft money to get it witnessed?

wkt54

Thanks for your reply.

No don't pay daft money to my egyptian doctor to countersign.

I will pay daft money if I call them which they have asked me to do to discuss your pension payments, as we are unable to advise the information regarding your payments via email due to data protection.

What is there to discuss or advise.

In February last year they stopped it and I sent them a Life Certificate, then they stopped it again in May and I sent them another one.

Silvertabby

Then there's something more to this than just the Life Certificate.  If 54 (1954) is your year of birth, then it's not as if you are over 100 and so subject to more stringent "proof of life checks"!

I know it must be annoying (and expensive!) to have to ring them, but looks like that will be the only way of getting to the bottom of their problem.  Are you ringing from your mobile?  Would it be cheaper to use a landline if you can access one?  

QrizB

Silvertabby said:

Then there's something more to this than .  Are you ringing from your mobile?  Would it be cheaper to use a landline if you can access one?  

Or one of the many VoIP internet calling services, assuming that the OP has a reliable internet connection.

wkt54

My mobile.

When they reply I am going to ask them if they can phone me or if my sister can call them from the UK.

What can there be something more to this?

Thanks for your help.

Silvertabby

Something's got their knickers in a twist.

I can only go on my experiences as a LGPS administrator, when we received reports of pensioner deaths from more than one Government agency.  But these had to be carefully checked, as they sometimes muddled those with same/similar names, dates of birth  and NI numbers.

One of my cases involved two ladies with exactly the same first, middle and last names AND dates of birth.  Not only that, but they both had LGPS membership covering similar dates.  The only difference being that they worked for different Local Authorities.  You wouldn't believe something like this could happen, but it did....