Missing Aviva pension

System

This discussion was created from comments split from: Aviva pension policy disappeared from MyAviva.

99sunnyplace

I’m having trouble with an Aviva policy also which I think was FP at some point.
have a letter 21/8/92  with total guaranteed pension at age 65 of £612.91

Over the years different companies acted as administrators the latest being Aviva so I followed all advice to try to locate

Aviva dispute this pension belongs to me and Pension ombudsmen agrees with them but I believe my pension was mixed up with someone else 

In trying to find my pension they kept asking for proof of dob and marriage certificate which I sent more than once
During the correspondence exchanges Aviva thanked me for changing my dob - who changes their dob?

One telephone operator told me there had been a mix up and I needed to restart the complaints process
When I did I was told my complaint could not be reopened

I lost the will to fight them further but I believe mal- administration is the problem for low value pensions taken on from another administrator

What action can one take to?

DRS1

If you can prove the pension is yours why did the Pensions Ombudsman rule against you? There will be reasons in the decision.

dunstonh

During the correspondence exchanges Aviva thanked me for changing my dob - who changes their dob?

I've changed dates of birth plenty of times for people. Handwriting errors on plans is not uncommon.

Aviva dispute this pension belongs to me and Pension ombudsmen agrees with them but I believe my pension was mixed up with someone else 

If the Ombudsman agrees with Aviva, then this would suggest that you lack any evidence to back up your claim.

If this is a legacy pension, which it sounds like it is from what you say, then you would have the policy document, years of statements that were issued annually etc. Aviva would have previous address records, and I number, etc. So it should be relatively straightforward to see if this belongs to you or not.

I have had someone who had a pension that was mixed up with someone else previously. It was an administration failure by the pension provider. However, it was quickly identified because the sheer weight of evidence made it clear that it did not belong to the other person. One error or missing bit of information is one thing, but when you have current and historic address history, National Insurance numbers, dates of birth, bank details, etc, the chance of all those being wrong is extremely low.

You may well have been better placing this on your own spread rather than this one, which is unrelated to your subject.

MallyGirl

I have split this out into its own thread

Baldytyke88

One telephone operator told me there had been a mix up and I needed to restart the complaints process
When I did I was told my complaint could not be reopened

Are they trying to say that their communication to you in 1992 was an error; that was not your pension. Ask them to find your pension, if you have proof that you worked there.

Ask your MP for help?

flaneurs_lobster

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82093017#Comment_82093017

The Pensions Ombudsman publishes their decisions. Perhaps the OP could provide the date of the decision (the site doesn't seem to allow searching by Reference)?

Marcon

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82092983#Comment_82092983

FOS deals with poor financial advice. This is about maladministration - there doesn't seem to be any 'advice' component.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82093096#Comment_82093096

Worked where? A policy with a particular provider doesn't mean someone was ever employed by them.

What help do you envisage an MP could provide, when the Pensions Ombudsman has already rejected the complaint?

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82093107#Comment_82093107

Not all of them - especially the Early Resolution Service decisions - but what's the point of OP giving such information? Speculation on this thread won't alter the decision.

Unless OP has some sort of proof of continuing entitlement (a letter dating back more than 30 years isn't of itself sufficient evidence, for all sorts of reasons - and it appears the Pensions Ombudsman has already told OP this is the case), I think this one is, sadly, dead in the water, frustrating as that may be to accept.

Baldytyke88

The poster has only made one post, they could be an older person who is not good online. MPs can give some very good in-person advice.

Marcon

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82093435#Comment_82093435

Indeed - but my point was entirely specific to OP's question i.e. What help do you envisage an MP could provide, when the Pensions Ombudsman has already rejected the complaint? The PO has powers and jurisdiction far outstripping anything an MP has in respect of pensions, and suggesting that an MP might have some miracle wheeze up their sleeve, or be able to force Aviva/the PO to change their view, is only going to raise false hopes.

Baldytyke88

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82093554#Comment_82093554

I am not raising any false hopes, I am suggesting the OP visit his MP for advice.