Overseas Pensions Department.....

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13 Oct 2009 12:00 AM by floella Star rating in SE Spain. 803 posts Send private message

...and stopping pension BEFORE sending the letters out !!

Has this been covered on the forum before?

 

 





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13 Oct 2009 8:50 PM by myra cecilia Star rating in Manilva Malaga. 213 posts Send private message

Hi. Floella. What did you mean by stopping pension? Can you please expand on this as I am sure it is important



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13 Oct 2009 10:11 PM by floella Star rating in SE Spain. 803 posts Send private message

Certainly Myra,

It was until our bank statements arrived from UK that we realised there was a problem. Our state pensions hadn't been credited.Contacted the OPD who told us the letters they had sent us ,requesting we had them signed and witnessed by notary,lawyer etc, hadn't been returned . Transpired that they had been sent to the wrong address !! Odd considering that 3 years previously I had recieved, to my present address, a form on which my email address was also included.

Fortunately we were able to collect the mail and then found out that the letter to my husband was dated 16 August 09 telling him his pension had been stopped from the 3 August 09. I fared a trifle better. My letter  dated 14 August 09 gave me 9 days ( 23 August) to return the signed and witnessed Life Certificate.

Regardless of when the letters were dated neither arrived until early September.

What we found totally unacceptable was each letter stated that if not returned before pension was stopped then there was NO RIGHT OF APPEAL. As I pointed out to everyone I spoke to at OPD this could be extremely distressing  situation for an older and possibly infirm expat.

The officers who signed the letters are apparently "unknown " to the staff and therefore uncontactable. Have you ever heard such a thing ?????

It took me a week to sort out . Well hopefully it is, Will know definately when Bank statement arrives next week.

The other very annoying factor to all of this is that when one speaks to a call operator to change address or other details ,although they say it has been done, IT IS A LIE  because they are NOT permitted to do it.  But a memo is sent to the "back room" people. So suggest that when people contact the OPD do this they follow up to check. Because as in my case 3 years on the address still hadn't been changed !!

Every expat will be required to sign Life Certificates so please make people aware to check that their address details are correct.

 

 





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13 Oct 2009 10:18 PM by myra cecilia Star rating in Manilva Malaga. 213 posts Send private message

Floella. Interesting. You certainly have explained this very well and I will certainly look out for our members. I hope that this will be solved for you urgently. It must be a very distressing situation. If you wish and are registered as residents I will advise you of all the advantages available for you as pensioners in spain. It helps to make a fair balance between sterling and  the strong euro.



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Myra Cecilia. www.costaadvicebureau.com




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15 Oct 2009 5:42 PM by Acapulco Star rating in Costa Blanca South.. 342 posts Send private message

Acapulco´s avatar

 We had problems with the UK pensions people also but eventually got it sorted. Now we have a problem with the Tax office, an even more disorganised outfit who seem to conveniently lose letters and have "computer upgrades" that cause weeks of delays.

Looks like we will have to get a tax advisor involved,it will cost but I would rather pay them than be ripped off anymore by the UK Government..

We are residents and would be interested to know of the advantages you refer to Myra.



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09 Jan 2010 2:45 PM by KP Star rating. 229 posts Send private message

Are you having probelms with your pension in Spain? If so please read the following news letter from the British Consulates in Malaga,it may help some but not all.

 

Pension, Benefit & Healthcare Team

Newsletter – December 2009

ASSOCIATION TALKS

This year the Pension, Benefit and Healthcare Team have been invited to attend a number of local association meetings all over Spain. In these meetings we have the opportunity to provide information on topics of interest and clear up doubts about pension, benefit or healthcare issues. After a short presentation, we run question and answer sessions and we can also offer individual appointments for those who wish to discuss their personal circumstances. These events allow us to meet our customers, find out about their needs and the feedback we receive is always excellent. If you know of an association who would like us to run a session in 2010, please contact your nearest PBHT representatives at the British Consulates in Malaga or Alicante so that we can discuss the possibility of doing a talk.

PENSION CONFIRMATION CERTIFICATES

Have you been asked to prove your income?

When applying for means-tested benefits/healthcare (‘sin recursos’), free prescriptions, or welfare help through social services, such as a place in a residential home, you will be asked to provide evidence of your income and savings. The Pension, Benefit and Healthcare Team can provide a certificate in Spanish which confirms the amount of UK state pension or benefit that you receive, which will help you to complete this process. If you wish to visit us in the British Consulates in Madrid, Malaga or Alicante, you should bring along your passport and proof of your pension (this could be a bank statement or correspondence from the Pension Service). If you cannot visit us in person, you can make a request for this certificate by phone by providing us with your full name, date of birth, National Insurance number and your address. Once we have consulted the Pension Service to confirm your pension or benefit and identity, we can issue you with the document in person or by post. This service is free of charge.

What does ‘means-tested’ mean? An individual’s eligibility for a means-tested benefit is determined by their financial circumstances. Examples include Spanish non-contributory pensions, family benefits or access to healthcare by way of ‘sin recursos’ or ‘ley de menor’.

GOOD NEWS STORY!

A customer in the Canaries fell ill in August 2008 and was unable to work. He applied for incapacity benefit but had his claim rejected. After speaking to the Pension, Benefit and Healthcare Team, he appealed asking for his UK contributions to be taken into account. However the appeal reached stalemate with both the Spanish and UK authorities waiting on information from each other. The Pension, Benefit and Healthcare Team liaised between the two authorities to get the information required and the customer is now in receipt of incapacity benefit from Spain.

Pension, Benefit and Healthcare Team, Malaga.

OVER 52 AND UNEMPLOYED?

As covered in a previous edition of our newsletter, unemployment benefit is becoming a hot topic among the British community in Spain. There are, in fact, a number of different types of Spanish unemployment benefit available. For example, if you have not worked long enough in Spain to get a contributions-based benefit, but are unemployed and over 52, you may be eligible for the subsidio de desempleo para mayores de 52 años.

If you have paid Class 1 NI contributions for at least 6 years in your working life (in any EEA country), have entitlement to a Spanish pension (see information in our last newsletter) and are on a low income, you may be entitled to this benefit. Contact your local employment (INEM) office or see www.sepe.es for details and to make a claim.

 





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