General Chat

:-D

I'll try that if I haven't heard in 2 weeks, Pat :-D

I phone UK pensions at 08.00 UK time and am quickly through to a person, try that time. :-)

Oh my what a sags Maggie,but sadly every Tel I make to some gov dept is the same.Yes if there are so many people unemployed then how come they can't take people on???

Florence in the hebrides

I'll only get a basic pension, so applied for Pension Credit, 6 weeks before my pension age (you can do it up to 4 months before you retire)

This claim was accepted, I received an email saying if I hadn't heard anything by my birthday, to ring up.

This I duly did, I was in the queue for the best part of an hour before it was answered, whereupon my query was 'brushed off' - told it can take up to 2 months to process.

So, today, nearly 4 months after applying, and over 2 months past my birthday, I phoned again.
The first 3 times I phoned, the line was so bad, I couldn't understand the 'robot'.
The 4th time, it was understandable.

So I pressed the relevant buttons and waited........after half an hour, a phone rang, I got excited - only for the phone to stop, and the music change. :-|
This new music went on for about 20 minutes - then the phone went dead.

I tried again.

This time the phone was answered after 35 minutes, only to be asked by the woman for my mobile phone number - 'Ah', was my response, 'I don't know it off by heart, and as I'm using it, I can't tell you'.
'Don't you have it written down? she asked. 'Why would I do that, when it's on my phone?' was my response.

Then she asked me how much I was receiving in pension. Well, I don't know precisely, I've only had one full payment, so I start rummaging around for my latest bank statement, and hope it's on there. I finally found it under the cat, and it's the very last item on the statement *phew!*

Then she said she couldn't tell me when I'd hear, so she was going to pass me over to another department. My heart sank.

20 minutes later, the phone is answered. I'm told how very busy they are, and they're behind - they're snowed under with applications. .

'Well, I ask, could you confirm that I will actually eventually get Pension Credit?'
His response was, well, if your application was accepted - I expect so!!!!

'The problem is', I respond, 'If I, say, go to the dentist, and get free treatment because I say I'm getting Pension Credit, and I don't, get it, I'll be accused of fraud. I'm not sure 'I was expected to get Pension Credit' will go down too well with the authorities.'

'Umm, well we're doing our best' was the reply!

I don't doubt they're doing their best, and can understand why they're snowed under with applications, bearing in mind the energy bills etc, but I always wonder why they don't employ more people - temps, like I was!

So, I sit and wait again....