I have my company pension paid into my bank account on or before 23rd of each month (24th being my birthday). I checked this Friday (24th) as I knew I needed it to pay a bill on Monday - no pension in the account. I checked again this morning - still no pension - so I rang the relevant office. After the usual wait on the phone I got through to a very nice lady who told me that every month they get a list of registered deaths from the Government Records Office and if any of these people are members of the scheme they write to them to ask if all is well (without directly asking if they are dead!). If they do not get a reply they try again a month later, and if still no reply they assume the person is dead, and they cease the payment of the pension.
In November 2024 there was some blip in the system and the computer search facility was corrupted, so no letters were sent out that month or second copies in December, but also as there were no replies received either, the pensions to those pensioners were cancelled with the January payment.
For whatever reason they have only just become aware of this error.
On further questioning, she told me that the person on the list provided by the GRO would not have been me but someone with the same name and similar birthdate, which is why they send the letters (to confirm it is or is not the same person).
I thought it was amusing at the time, so thanked her for her explanation and ended the conversation after she told me my pension payment would be paid within 24 hours.
But now I've had time to think on it I actually find it quite disgraceful. If I were short of money, the lack of this payment could be very serious. If I were currently suffering a life-threatening illness (which I was in 2024), it could be very distressing.
What do others think? And should I do anything about it, e.g. complain to someone?
It's a pension scheme that serves a large number of people (nearly a million current claimants) so it not a "noddy" body.
