Advice re lost pension.

[Nascal]

I worked for a company from 1968 to 1977 and contributed to the pension scheme and the pension should be payable from 2012.
I was made redundant in 1977 and was issued with a letter detailing the amount of pension payable at age 60.
I have contacted the company and trustees of the pension scheme as instructed in the letter and scanned a copy of the letter to the company and trustees.
I have received a response that the company has no record of me working there. I have told them the area and the location I worked in and they have stated they have contacted several people who worked in that location at the time and nobody remembers me.
I have named some of the people I worked with and the company has said they have no contact address for these people but admit they did exist.
They have now asked me to take the original letter into their head office so they can examine it.
As it is a big building I am concerned the letter may be taken from me and not returned.
Where do I go from here?.

Nascal

[mccfluff]

make a copy of the letter and giove them the copy, when you are there if they take anything from you, ask for a receipt

[Nascal]

Hi mccfluff

I have to admit I have doubts if the company is being honest.
I worked in a department of 80 people and given the company names of 23 people and they are the very people the company has no contact details for.
I understand some of the people may be deceased now but most of the people I worked with were under 30 at the time.
As they have admitted the existance of the 23 people I have named I would have thought that this combined with a copy letter would be sufficient evidence.
What I am concerned about they are asking me to take the original letter to the 10th floor of a large building.
There would be opportunity for me to be almost mugged for the letter.

[tonywiltshire]

Sorry mc saying similar to you.
This is most odd, they must have a very poor HR department if they are unable to find a record of you working there. I appreciate your doubts over leaving your ex employers with an original document, if you take the original document to almost any solicitors they will issue you with certified copies, obtain several, but keep your hands on the original, the cost of certifying copies should not be great.

[smart1]

If you have a scanner, you could scan it and email it to them.

[jackthehat]

Would it be possible for you to get a 'Certified' copy via a Solicitor?

You could then keep the original safe and sound and they have a copy certified as being a direct copy of the original by a practising Solicitor.

[jackthehat]

<note to self> Type more quickly.............:o)

[moonraker558]

Would the Inland Revenue keep records going back that long, It might be a long shot.

[Old_Geezer]

Gosh, I'm tending to trust my ex employers. Still at least they do send my bumf on the pension every now and again, which is reassuring. I must read the next lot I suppose.

[brenda]

Nascal -- very sorry to read of your dilemma. You may know this already and if so apologies -- would the Gov Pensions Tracing scheme be of any value. There is a web site with phone nos and an address to write.

Another thought was -- did you have a line manager or supervisor whose name you could recall?
Another thought was would the dept of Nation of Insurance be able to help?
I sincerely wish you all the luck in the world tracking your dues.

[Nibble]

Have you got anything from 1977 showing old pay slips, or anything like that? I must admit I have - I keep all my P60s.

Have you had nothing from the pension scheme in the last 30-odd years, keeping you up to date or sending you an updated forecast?

It might be worth your while not only getting a certified copy from a solicitor, but actually getting a solicitor to send the letter for you, rather than you having to take it in person (which seems extraordinary to me). I feel it's time to get some legal clout behind you, not try to fight this on your one. Go see a solicitor.

[cathfromsaron]

if all else fails, why not write to a 'troubleshooting' money man in your daily newspaper? they seem to clean up these type of queries!

again, don't ever part with the orginals of any letters!

cath x

[madmaggot]

My OH had the same problem Nascal; however he didn't even have a letter or any proof at all. The business had been taken over and all records transferred to the new head office and they did not acknowledge that he has worked there. He got nowhere until he accidentally 'bumped into' a woman who used to work in the wages office when he was there and she wrote and confirmed that she remembered my hubby.
So the only advice I can offer is to persevere as you do at least have your letter. I would take advice either from a solicitor or citizens advice if I were you.

[MartinBev58]

Hi Nascal

I worked in a pensions department for a substantial part of my working life and we took over several schemes due to mergers etc.
It appears you joined the pension scheme when you were 16 which was unusual in the company I worked for but I have to admit I was one of those unusual people.
Paper records were kept at that time.
I am just wandering if your records were accidently placed in a box containing records of pensions in payment.
This happened a few times where I worked but I am surprised nobody has thought of trying that box / file if it exists there.
I would have thought your records would have also been put on computer.
I would go back to the company with this suggestion but if this fails I think you will have to get some legal advice.
Just a long shot. Were you a member of a union at that time. They may be able to help.
You did leave 35 years ago but I am surprised nobody remembers you who the company contacted in addition to nobody being contactable who you named.



Martin

[Nascal]

Hi Brenda

As it happens 2 of the people I named were my line managers but according to the company they can not be contacted. I did see 1 of my ex line managers almost monthly until about 3 years ago walking his dog in the park but this suddenly stopped.
The company phoned me back and have now said they have contacted 15 people not on my list and they have all said they can not remember me.
I am finding this most strange.
They may have a think over the weekend and my existance may suddenly click with one of them.
I realise it is a long time ago but I am really astonished some of the 23 people I named can not be contacted and a further 15 do not remember me.
When you say the Nation of Insurance do you mean the National Insurance People?.
I will try them and also the Inland Revenue and they may be able to say I worked for the company but they may not be able to say if I was a member of the pension scheme.
I do have my letter and if all else fails I will have to see a solicitor.
I hope I will be able to recover the fee from the company.
I am hoping the company will not try to say the letter was forged or something.

[factor-fiction]

I don't understand why there is any need to have to name work colleagues. You have a letter indicating your entitlement. That should be sufficient. The onus should be on then to show it was false.
I'm not sure though why you didn't get periodic statements and why you didn't ask about this over the years

[brenda]

Hi Nascal -- yes dept of national insurance-----sorry was so angry that this could happen to someone -- must have mis typed. Apologies . Brenda.

[themas]

This does seem very strange. However, if they won't accept a copy certified by a solicitor you should think about going to their office with the original. But if you do, make sure you take at least one other person with you who can vouch for what is said and what happens (just in case of problems), and insist on the letter being examined in your presence - i.e. don't hand it over & let them take it away even for a short time.

[twix123]

At the company I first worked for, male staff did not join the pension scheme, albeit non-contributory, until aged 25, which then allowed 40 years to earn the maximum 2/3rds of final salary as a pension. As you were made redundant by the company at age 25, are you sure that you made contributions? When was the letter issued to you, recently or 35 years ago, when it could have been a standard letter issued to all the employees made redundant?

[Nascal]

Hi Twix123

The scheme I was in was contributory ie money was deducted from my salary.
The letter was issued to me in 1977 and states the amount payable if I was 60 on that date and also says the amount will increase in accordance with the Retail Price Index.
I can remember my ex manager saying it was the first time anybody asked him about joining the pension scheme at 16 but he enquired and it was possible.
I joined in the middle of the month. They were unable to take the contributions from my first salary but they took just over 6 weeks contributions from my second salary ie back to the day I joined the company.
If I had still been there at 56 no more contributions would have been taken but I would have got my pension at 60.
I have only had 2 jobs. I have been with my second company for nearly 35 years.
I started paying AVC'S on the day I joined so I have now got 2/3 of my salary with them ie I have paid in to make my pension worth 40 years service.

[MartinBev58]

Hi Nascal

I think it may be worth you trying the Pensions Ombudsman on 0207 630 2200.
I worked in the pensions department of my copany for a total of 18 years but I left twice to join other parts of HR so my service to pensions was not continuous.
By the nature of pensions they went on for years and in most cases the people who set them up were not in the department when they were paid.
Yes mistakes were made and sometimes we had to contact people who had retired from the pensions department for advice.
We never had a situation like yours however.
I am not sure what would happer if it went to court and the company says the letter was forged and they get 15 employees into court to say you were not employed by them at the time.
I am sure the Inland Revenue would know where you were employed. Another thought is you would have been given tax relief for pension contributions which I am sure the Inland Revenue will have records of.

Martin