Finding missing pensions

Temas

Hi there. My wife has had power of attorney over her mother’s estate for a few years now. Her mother is 74 and has had Parkinson’s and Dementia for about 5 years, and her husband died 19 years ago when he was 64. 

We know for sure that her husband, (my wife’s father) had at least one private pension scheme as he was self employed most of his life and also possibly at least one workplace pension for a short time he worked for Enfield council.

My wife’s mother has always said that she receives his pension into her bank account, but when looking through her statements, we have found no evidence to support this. Maybe she once did, but now doesn’t or maybe she never did. 

I’m wondering if there is any way we can get clarification as to what pension, if any, she should have been receiving and whether she is / has been receiving everything. We believe the probate solicitors’ company that was used is no longer operating; we do have a few emails from them but none mention any pensions. 

Any advice as to where to start investigating would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Yorkie1

Finding lost pensions on the main website has some useful ideas.

For the Enfield council, try the LGPS (Local Government Pension Scheme). It's possible that her ongoing entitlement to any widow's pension was dependent upon her confirming ongoing eligibility (i.e. that she had not remarried). I mention this because my mum's pension from my late father's scheme ended temporarily as they thought she hadn't returned a form to them (she had, and they'd lost it). Once it was resolved, they paid everything in a lump sum of arrears. We are still trying to unpick the higher rate tax that HMRC charged as a result, but one step at a time.

xylophone

Your MiL is in receipt of State Pension and started to receive it pre 6/4/16?

Was she herself ever a member of a contracted out pension scheme?

Does your wife have her mother's state pension letters from inception?

What exactly is shown regarding the makeup of her pension on her SP letters?

Do you have any papers relating to your wife's late father's affairs?

Temas

xylophone said:

Your MiL is in receipt of State Pension and started to receive it pre 6/4/16? Yes (she gets state pension, but think it was from earlier than that because of the gradual increase from age 60 to 65 from 2010)

Was she herself ever a member of a contracted out pension scheme? She has a small workplace pension, also from Enfield Council, approx 260 a month)

Does your wife have her mother's state pension letters from inception? Maybe

What exactly is shown regarding the makeup of her pension on her SP letters? I’ll have to check, but she gets £263 a week which is more than the standard amount.

Do you have any papers relating to your wife's late father's affairs? Maybe some but Not a lot to go on really and my MiL had a brain injury from before she got dementia so never really had full mental capacity. 

. 

My wife thought she had done everything needed when my FiL died, but recently started questioning why her mum gets none of his pension. 

We are close to the stage where everything she gets from her state pension gets consumed with care costs and selling her house is the only way to retrieve enough equity to pay the care bills

Thanks for your support

Temas

Yorkie1 said:

Finding lost pensions on the main website has some useful ideas.

For the Enfield council, try the LGPS (Local Government Pension Scheme). 

Thanks for this tip. We willl look into it.

i think his private pension would be the bigger one though. 

Silvertabby

If the LGPS pension was very small your MIL may have opted to take it as a one off lump.  Still worth checking, though. 

xylophone

It would seem that your MIL started receiving her State Pension at some point in 2011?

Does your wife have the letter she would have received at that time showing how her pension was made up?

And the latest letter?

The full Basic State Pension is currently  £176.45

She receiving some £87 a week more than this - this may be from additional state pension on her own contributions or possibly her late spouse's contributions when not self employed or a mixture of both.

Or some other addition?

In view of her condition, does she receive Attendance Allowance at the higher or lower rate?

If her late spouse had a private pension, did your MIL/your wife/his executor check on any provision for a widow at that point?

LHW99

Although he was only 64, is it possible that he had purchased a single life annuity with the private pension? That would have paid out while he was alive (into whatever bank account he / they preferred), but could have died with him unless there was a guarantee period.

Silvertabby

LHW99 said:

Although he was only 64, is it possible that he had purchased a single life annuity with the private pension? That would have paid out while he was alive (into whatever bank account he / they preferred), but could have died with him unless there was a guarantee period.

He was 64 19 years ago, and so would have retired before the introduction of 'pension freedoms'.  So, yes, it's more likely that he bought an annuity and quite possible that he (mistakenly) bought a single life policy. Back then, he would have been told the sum of his fund and given any number of options.  Single life/no index linking/no guarantee would have offered the highest monthly pension amount by far, and FIL wouldn't have been the first to think that that was the better deal.

Does your MIL still have any hidden paperwork relating to this scheme?

xylophone

Given his age and self employment, he may have had a S226 Retirement Annuity Contract. If he died before taking benefits, it may be that his widow was offered a lump sum pay out (I gather that this was an option offered under some contracts).