Newbie pensioner here

debbiedoo

Hello. I have recently retired and currently receive a state pension and a small amount from a private pension. I will also be receiving (when they stop dragging their heels!) a LG employers pension (worked in a school for 29 years). I have been on the Government website to ask about tax payments I should have to make but have run headfirst into a brick wall. I have a GG Account but when I try to access anything _such as HMRC - they want forms of ID that I do not have. I do not have a passport or a driving license, really no photo ID at all. I tried ringing but just got deluged with options and texts and no real person to talk to! I don't want to wake up one morning in the future with a tax bill that I cannot pay! All help and advice would be appreciated! X

Devongardener

When you start receiving the LG pension it will be taxed at source, using a code number that that will be adjusted to account for your state pension.
You should receive notification of how the code has been calculated.  You may be able to split the code to cover the small pension you already receive, there is probably a tax code already assigned to that.  Don’t worry it will all get sorted out under PAYE, you shouldn’t have a tax bill to pay unless your circumstances change.     

molerat

Everything's done through coding and speaking to HMRC is unlikely to achieve anything until all income streams are in payment.   Just wait for the coding notices to come through and work out if it all looks OK.  If you do end up owing tax for this year they will take it through coding in future years. Unfortunately without a DL or PP you will not get access to your tax account since they changed the rules. 

DRS1

What ID do you use when you want to vote?

Marcon

DRS1 said:

What ID do you use when you want to vote?

https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voting-and-elections/voter-id/accepted-forms-photo-id

Marcon

debbiedoo said:

Hello. I have recently retired and currently receive a state pension and a small amount from a private pension. I will also be receiving (when they stop dragging their heels!) a LG employers pension (worked in a school for 29 years). I have been on the Government website to ask about tax payments I should have to make but have run headfirst into a brick wall. I have a GG Account but when I try to access anything _such as HMRC - they want forms of ID that I do not have. I do not have a passport or a driving license, really no photo ID at all. I tried ringing but just got deluged with options and texts and no real person to talk to! I don't want to wake up one morning in the future with a tax bill that I cannot pay! All help and advice would be appreciated! X

You are far from alone, and although you can use alternative ID for election purposes (link in post above), in this increasingly digital world you might think about whether it's worth investing in a passport even if you don't intend to use it for travel. It could make your life a whole lot simpler if you can afford to do so.

JoeCrystal

Especially, the Passport and the Driving Licence databases are somehow interlinked. I remember the last time you had an option to use another ID's photo, so I did not even need to update with a fresh photo.

Besides, you should get a Provisional Driving Licence; it is cheaper and got proof of address on it, unlike a passport. However, I am not entirely sure if it works with Provisional Driving Licence for HMRC.

Albermarle

debbiedoo said:

Hello. I have recently retired and currently receive a state pension and a small amount from a private pension. I will also be receiving (when they stop dragging their heels!) a LG employers pension (worked in a school for 29 years). I have been on the Government website to ask about tax payments I should have to make but have run headfirst into a brick wall. I have a GG Account but when I try to access anything _such as HMRC - they want forms of ID that I do not have. I do not have a passport or a driving license, really no photo ID at all. I tried ringing but just got deluged with options and texts and no real person to talk to! I don't want to wake up one morning in the future with a tax bill that I cannot pay! All help and advice would be appreciated! X

There is no point informing HMRC about income you are not yet receiving. They can not do anything until you receive your first payment from the LG pension. The pension provider will inform HMRC of the first payment and then they will be set up in your tax account. Then new tax codes will be issued to LG and your current private pension.
It maybe that only one of them will be taxed rather than both, but the tax overall for the tax year should be correct, although it might vary from month to months as it settles down. 

The cost of a new passport is around £100 ( depends how you apply for it) and lasts 10 years.
Could be worth having one for the sake of £10 a year.

debbiedoo

DRS1 said:

What ID do you use when you want to vote?

I do have the Voter Certificate with my photo on but I couldn't see anywhere on the HMRC site if it was acceptable.

debbiedoo

Marcon said:

debbiedoo said:

Hello. I have recently retired and currently receive a state pension and a small amount from a private pension. I will also be receiving (when they stop dragging their heels!) a LG employers pension (worked in a school for 29 years). I have been on the Government website to ask about tax payments I should have to make but have run headfirst into a brick wall. I have a GG Account but when I try to access anything _such as HMRC - they want forms of ID that I do not have. I do not have a passport or a driving license, really no photo ID at all. I tried ringing but just got deluged with options and texts and no real person to talk to! I don't want to wake up one morning in the future with a tax bill that I cannot pay! All help and advice would be appreciated! X

You are far from alone, and although you can use alternative ID for election purposes (link in post above), in this increasingly digital world you might think about whether it's worth investing in a passport even if you don't intend to use it for travel. It could make your life a whole lot simpler if you can afford to do so.

Yeah, seems like the best bet is to get a passport. Thank you.

debbiedoo

JoeCrystal said:

Especially, the Passport and the Driving Licence databases are somehow interlinked. I remember the last time you had an option to use another ID's photo, so I did not even need to update with a fresh photo.

Besides, you should get a Provisional Driving Licence; it is cheaper and got proof of address on it, unlike a passport. However, I am not entirely sure if it works with Provisional Driving Licence for HMRC.

Hopefully it should work as it does have a photo ID on it. Many thanks