Gransnet forums

Relationships

Page 1 of 1
Flip | Customise

getting pension from NHS after divorce pension order

(9 Posts)
Add comment | Report
Golddustwoman Sun 31-Jul-22 14:34:59

In 2012 I got as part of my divorce a pension order for my ex husbands NHS pension; I was 60 this year and am entitled to it now (he is part of the 1995 scheme) ; I have all the necessary paper work - the pension order docs etc; very naively I assumed I would just get my pension automatically - and have recently found out I have to apply for it; first I rang the NHS pensions and they said they knew nothing about it and I had to send them the court docs (I have got them now from the court but I have also found a letter from NHS pensions that they sent me in 2013 confirming the pension order, so I am not sure why they said they didnt know about it when I rang them recently); I emailed them and they said I have to fill in an online form (which says you have to send the docs with birth cert); I find the form a bit complicated, it assumes that you are working in the NHS and there is nothing in it for people who are claiming the pension as part of a divorce order; when I ring them its an automated thing and they say they are busy and they direct you to the website which isn't any help

has any one else had to claim an NHS pension from a divorce court order (on their ex partners pension), did they find it complicated (or is it just me being thick?); I am going to go to Citizens Advice about this for help with the form but would be very grateful to hear from anyone else who has gone through the process

Add comment | Report
Luckygirl3 Sun 31-Jul-22 14:43:07

I have claimed an NHS pension on my OH's contributions as his widow.

I am sorry to say that they were very very slow to even reassure me that I was the named person for post mortem benefits. As you can imagine, this was very worrying at a very sad time.

Eventually they did confirm that a proportion of the pension was due to me. They paid the lump sum and started to pay in the pension monthly. Bizarrely - after a couple of months - they got in touch and said they had got the amount wrong, leading to a certain amount of panic! However, it was wrong in my favour, and I am being paid far more than I had expected - I hope that this goes for you too.

I too filled in forms that did not seem appropriate as there was the assumption that you were the retired NHS worker. But I did manage to sort it in the end.

Good luck with all this.

Add comment | Report
Golddustwoman Sun 31-Jul-22 14:47:52

Luckygirl13 thank you that is helpful - your reply has also made me think that I should contact them and ask for some sort of pension statement too in advance of claiming for it; I am glad you got it sorted, it doesnt seem fair you had to go through that in those sad circumstances.

Add comment | Report
Visgir1 Sun 31-Jul-22 16:36:16

Good luck with all of this.

However I have a NHS pension in my own right and we are told to give at least 3 months notice, before we need it.
So fingers crossed you might get it paid in quickly but just to give you the heads up.. Put it in as soon as possible.

Add comment | Report
Golddustwoman Tue 09-Aug-22 21:09:11

Thank you Visgirl, I wish I had known all this before hand. Sorry I thought I had replied to you and have just logged in and found out it hadn't posted.

Add comment | Report
welbeck Tue 09-Aug-22 21:47:29

if you get stuck, you could try Age UK for advice; they are for over 55s, and will try to help or point towards others sources of advice.
good luck.

Add comment | Report
Golddustwoman Tue 09-Aug-22 23:07:53

welbeck, that is fab advice thank you, I hadn't thought of AgeUK

Add comment | Report
growstuff Tue 09-Aug-22 23:15:14

My partner is going through this at the moment - from the other side. His ex-wife has a court order for some of his pension. It's quite complicated and he's had to use a financial advisor.

Add comment | Report
growstuff Tue 09-Aug-22 23:18:32

My partner's pension is part of his assets and needs to be aggregated with his ex-wife's pension and the house he gave her as part of the separation agreement and then split. It depends what your divorce agreement says. When I divorced, my ex and I went for a clean break, which means neither of us can claim anything from each other.

Page 1 of 1
Flip | Customise