slow pension admin

katejo

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81969361#Comment_81969361

Mine is slightly early (before reaching 66) and includes AVC 's but has still been processed quickly and efficiently.

YorkshireRich123

Hi, sorry for Hijacking the thread but I do have a question regarding the same admin team, which is Hymans Robertson.

I have tried to sort out my late father’s pension for my mum. I only really want to know what she will be entitled to (for probate purposes). This has been going on since March.

We have had two bits of communication from them in the last 6 months . The communication was poor and half the documents they sent were missing. They did then reply again with the correct ones. I replied with all the documents to proceed which included my mother's bank details/identification etc.

Since then, I have received absolutely nothing. I have probably rang the number around 5/6 times in total. I really don’t want to pester them or write an official complaint, but I do feel the lack of communication is becoming unacceptable now. Am I being unreasonable?

Universidad

Just to be clear, there is no distinction between 'formal' complaint and any other, and it doesn't need to be in writing 

I agree with this absolutely on the facts, but in practice I have found that it often helps specifically to ask to engage the complaints process, as too many companies are bad at training their employees to spot a complaint, or what their duties are when one has been made.

Marcon

I have tried to sort out my late father’s pension for my mum. I only really want to know what she will be entitled to (for probate purposes). This has been going on since March.

If this is a defined benefit pension scheme, the only thing which you would need for probate purposes is any pension payment from the scheme which was due to your father at the time of his death (i.e. if his own pension was paid in arrears and he died between pension paydays).  If your mum will simply have a spouse's pension, then there's nothing you need to know for probate purposes - her pension won't need to be included.

We have had two bits of communication from them in the last 6 months . The communication was poor and half the documents they sent were missing. They did then reply again with the correct ones. I replied with all the documents to proceed which included my mother's bank details/identification etc.

Since then, I have received absolutely nothing. I have probably rang the number around 5/6 times in total. I really don’t want to pester them or write an official complaint, but I do feel the lack of communication is becoming unacceptable now. Am I being unreasonable?

Far from being unreasonable, I think you've been exceptionally patient! Your mother's pension should have been put into payment by now, or at the very least you should have been given some indication of what's going on/whether they are still waiting for any information from you.

Did you speak to anyone when you phoned, or were the calls left unanswered? Either way, I think the time has come to escalate this. If you have an email address, write and make sure your email has 'complaint' in the subject line - otherwise I'd write to them and send it by 'signed for' delivery. If you have a contact email for any of the trustees of the scheme, I'd copy them in so they know what's going on.