The UK pension service like to check from time to time that we pensioners who live abroad are still alive and kicking. I don´t get a full pension because of living and working abroad for many years, but every little helps. Incidentally, I think it is very unfair that because I live in another country my pension is never increased, the amount I receive is the same as I was initially awarded with no cost of living adjustment.
Anyway, I received my form a couple of days ago by post, which needed to be filled in and signed before a witness and then returned by post. There is only one problem with that...the form was sent to me on March 22nd, taking nearly 5 months to get here - but I was given only 16 weeks to reply. Considering it will take 3 weeks to get back to them that leaves me well over the deadline. I posted it today, 2 days after receiving it, now I´ll just have to wait and see what happens.
We've got our fingers crossed for you.
ReplyDeleteWendy (Wales)
Thank you Wendy, I just hope it arrives back on the desk of someone with commonsense and not a 'jobsworth'.
DeleteHow infuriating.
ReplyDeleteSome systems work and some .... just don't!! At least you know you did your bit nice and quickly.
Hello and welcome! I just found you in my spam box, thank you for your comment. I thought that cabbage looked familiar - when I went to check I realised I used to read your old blog, I´ll have to do some catching up.
DeleteI responded to a letter from a company registrar based in Bristol regarding shares I hold and was asked to make a declaration re overseas tax and I duly signed and sent the form back in March and forgot all about it. I received the form back this week saying that I had completed it incorrectly! I have now tried again and sent it off hoping for the best. Another share registrar took four months to respond to a request about who had taken over a particular share register and I rang and recorded each call in a notebook until I finally got an answer. When the person rang me with the answer I said I had been ringing and speaking to different people for 4 months requesting the information and he said that there was no record of all my calls, he was merely responding to my last call. Covid was blamed!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the Pension office. I always find them very helpful!
Thank you Rachel. That must have been so frustrating for you. I find trying to sort this type of problem out especially frustrating when living abroad. Phone calls aren´t really an option, neither are e-mails and the post takes forever.
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