Claiming a deferred state pension - 7 months on from initial claim

Stoichkov75

Evening,
My father deferred his state pension (pre 2016 rules) but decided to claim the deferred amount this year. He started the process in April but has had little success. He's been on hold at different points for hours with promises of call backs, action etc but here we are in November and he's still waiting. 

Obviously he's been getting increasingly stressed and anxious about this so myself and my brother are trying to help.

I found that there's a formal complaint process but what he's missing is a department to write to and any form of reference number. 

Does anyone know a useful address that this complaint can be directed to in the first instance rather than the more general address?

We'd like to at least get the complaint ackowledged so there's a reference point to track.

Any other tips around this greatly appreciated...

Thanks in advance

woolly_wombat

I suggest he contacts his MP and asks them for assistance to speed up his claim.

It Is simply not acceptable for him to have started the process in April, to have been on hold for hours at a time and to still be waiting for call backs. 

No wonder he is becoming stressed and anxious.

Good luck.

Dazed_and_C0nfused

Stoichkov75 said:

Evening,
My father deferred his state pension (pre 2016 rules) but decided to claim the deferred amount this year. He started the process in April but has had little success. He's been on hold at different points for hours with promises of call backs, action etc but here we are in November and he's still waiting. 

Obviously he's been getting increasingly stressed and anxious about this so myself and my brother are trying to help.

I found that there's a formal complaint process but what he's missing is a department to write to and any form of reference number. 

Does anyone know a useful address that this complaint can be directed to in the first instance rather than the more general address?

We'd like to at least get the complaint ackowledged so there's a reference point to track.

Any other tips around this greatly appreciated...

Thanks in advance

Is he opting for the extra pension or a lump sum?

Stoichkov75

Dazed_and_C0nfused said:

Stoichkov75 said:

Evening,
My father deferred his state pension (pre 2016 rules) but decided to claim the deferred amount this year. He started the process in April but has had little success. He's been on hold at different points for hours with promises of call backs, action etc but here we are in November and he's still waiting. 

Obviously he's been getting increasingly stressed and anxious about this so myself and my brother are trying to help.

I found that there's a formal complaint process but what he's missing is a department to write to and any form of reference number. 

Does anyone know a useful address that this complaint can be directed to in the first instance rather than the more general address?

We'd like to at least get the complaint ackowledged so there's a reference point to track.

Any other tips around this greatly appreciated...

Thanks in advance

Is he opting for the extra pension or a lump sum?

It's the lump sum

Stoichkov75

woolly_wombat said:

I suggest he contacts his MP and asks them for assistance to speed up his claim.

It Is simply not acceptable for him to have started the process in April, to have been on hold for hours at a time and to still be waiting for call backs. 

No wonder he is becoming stressed and anxious.

Good luck.

Cheers. Yes, that's a good call if we get nowhere with the complaints process. 

Marcon

Stoichkov75 said:

Evening,
My father deferred his state pension (pre 2016 rules) but decided to claim the deferred amount this year. He started the process in April but has had little success. He's been on hold at different points for hours with promises of call backs, action etc but here we are in November and he's still waiting. 

Obviously he's been getting increasingly stressed and anxious about this so myself and my brother are trying to help.

I found that there's a formal complaint process but what he's missing is a department to write to and any form of reference number. 

Does anyone know a useful address that this complaint can be directed to in the first instance rather than the more general address?

We'd like to at least get the complaint ackowledged so there's a reference point to track.

Any other tips around this greatly appreciated...

Thanks in advance

See https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions/about/complaints-procedure

That gives you a summary of the information you need to include, and details of where to send his complaint.

xylophone

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6543909/9-years-deferred-pension/p1

Have a look at the thread above. How far on is your father in the process?

Stoichkov75

xylophone said:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6543909/9-years-deferred-pension/p1

Have a look at the thread above. How far on is your father in the process?

Thanks for that link. He's been able to activate getting his regualr (weekly?) pension paid so its just the lump sum he's waiting for. He's been told his claim was registered in April but doesn't seem to have any sort of actual written reference of that - just verbal confirmation over the phone. He last spoke to them 3 weeks ago now where they assured him he'd get a update so I'll help him with that complaints procedure

Cheers guys

xylophone

Post from 2010 - https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2627169/deferred-state-pension-hasnt-arrived-how-long-does-it-take-anyone-know