State pension award

eastcorkram

There's often a lot of stick for DWP, but I'm impressed with their speed and efficiency of my state pension. 

I received the invitation to claim letter on the 8th August. Applied online same day.

Today, 16th August, received the state pension amount letter. 

£34 payable on my 66th birthday, then exactly £952 every four weeks after that. So, exactly £238 per week, which is what the forecast said a couple of months ago when I checked it. That's pretty fast, given how long letters take to arrive! 

Dazed_and_C0nfused

eastcorkram said:

There's often a lot of stick for DWP, but I'm impressed with their speed and efficiency of my state pension. 

I received the invitation to claim letter on the 8th August. Applied online same day.

Today, 16th August, received the state pension amount letter. 

£34 payable on my 66th birthday, then exactly £952 every four weeks after that. So, exactly £238 per week, which is what the forecast said a couple of months ago when I checked it. That's pretty fast, given how long letters take to arrive! 

They introduced an award winning new system (Get Your State Pension) a few years ago and I think if you apply online it does seem to work well.

https://dwpdigital.blog.gov.uk/2021/02/26/double-celebrations-after-winning-2-civil-service-awards/

Qyburn

A shame that claiming online doesn't allow weekly payment. 

Silvertabby

4 weekly suits us.  Calendar monthly would be even better, but appreciate that is unlikely to be an option for some years. 

JoeCrystal

Especially you will eventually have two payout in a single month! 

GrubbyGirl_2

how far ahead of your birthday do you get the invitation letter?

Flugelhorn

GrubbyGirl_2 said:

how far ahead of your birthday do you get the invitation letter?

I got mine just under 4 months before - then it took them 3 months to sort it out before I got the letter. Some issue to do with a refund of NI from 2013.. 
I spoke to them and they were v helpful, they said that most of the calculations / letters are done within days of the application being completed 

p00hsticks

GrubbyGirl_2 said:

how far ahead of your birthday do you get the invitation letter?

I beleive they produce and post out the invitation letters four months prior to the date you are due to reach State Pension Age (which these days will not necessarily be your birthday as the SPA increases). 

GrubbyGirl_2

Flugelhorn said:

GrubbyGirl_2 said:

how far ahead of your birthday do you get the invitation letter?

I got mine just under 4 months before - then it took them 3 months to sort it out before I got the letter. Some issue to do with a refund of NI from 2013.. 
I spoke to them and they were v helpful, they said that most of the calculations / letters are done within days of the application being completed 

Thanks.  My pension is due in January so I'll keep a look out from mid September. Hopefully mine will be straight forward as I have a full NI record and getting max, one of the advantages of working for the NHS from the day I left school until to my 60th birthday - though I did have to buy my last 4 years as I needed 48 years because of contracting out.

Flugelhorn

GrubbyGirl_2 said:

Flugelhorn said:

GrubbyGirl_2 said:

how far ahead of your birthday do you get the invitation letter?

I got mine just under 4 months before - then it took them 3 months to sort it out before I got the letter. Some issue to do with a refund of NI from 2013.. 
I spoke to them and they were v helpful, they said that most of the calculations / letters are done within days of the application being completed 

Thanks.  My pension is due in January so I'll keep a look out from mid September. Hopefully mine will be straight forward as I have a full NI record and getting max, one of the advantages of working for the NHS from the day I left school until to my 60th birthday - though I did have to buy my last 4 years as I needed 48 years because of contracting out.

yes hope it goes OK - I worked for NHS but had 3 or 4 jobs in some years so overpaid NI and hence the problems, my OH's statement came through very quickly (also NHS but less complicated work history!) 

It is definitely more straightforward than the NHS pension where they are taking huge amounts of time to sort out retrospective problems like McCloud Remedy

eastcorkram

GrubbyGirl_2 said:

how far ahead of your birthday do you get the invitation letter?

As others have said, it came a few days after the 4 month mark. I assume that's just automated. As I applied online, I assume that's automated too. The second letter, informing me of the amount, was dated the same day as I made the application.