Old Age Pension

[mikey4444]

Just had my "get your Old Age Pension" letter today, rather earlier that I had anticipated, as I am not 65 until June 4th.

Can hardly wait !

[Buenchico]

Claiming your pension could be fun though, Mikey.

As required, I logged in via my Government Gateway account to check what I'd get. No problems.

Then I tried to log in to actually claim my State Pension. However I kept getting an error message.

When (after listening to the same 10 seconds of Haydn for ages) I finally got through to the help desk, the guy told me "Oh, that will probably be because you've got an HMRC Government Gateway account. It's meant to be the same as a DWP one but it isn't. So you need to register for a new Government Gateway account. However you can't do that from the Government Gateway page because that will just give you another HMRC account. What you have to do is to tell our computer system that you've got an account already and start the claim process. Then, when you get to question 3, say that you've not got an account after all. That will then give you the correct link to apply for a DWP account".

Easy peasy, eh?

[Tilly2]

You'll be able to shop at Waitrose, Mikey. You can get a free Guardian in there and a cup of coffee.

[gness]

Blow Waitrose!!!! Think of all that extra Lidl wine...... ;-)

[Baldric]

I just rang the number on the letter telling my Pension was due, spoke to a very pleasant Lady who sorted it all out for me in 10-15 minutes, ID check, Bank details, etc simplesssss!

[mikey4444]

Chico....actually, things have gone very smoothly for me. I have been asked for regular estimates for the last 5 years, and the last one was early January. Its very easy to do on line.

Today's' letter couldn't have been plainer or easier as well. Within a couple of minutes of logging in, with my Special Code ( ! ) I had it all done and dusted.

Easy peasy !

The hard bit is going to be waiting until June !

[bhg481]

Mikey - I would seriously consider reducing your working time, if your employer will let you, at the same time as you start getting your pension. My wife did that and I followed suit when my time came. It has two advantages; you get used to having the extra leisure time and learn how to make use of it and you get used to having a little less income rather than, at some point in your life, going from employment+pension down to bare pension. Many people have problems when they go from full-time employment to full-time leisure and changing gradually makes it much easier.

[mikey4444]

Thanks bhg....I will have to see how it turns out this summer.

Tilly....my nearest Waitrose is 45 miles away ! But when ever I pass one, I stock up on jars of their own 3 Fruit Marmalade, which is scrumptious !

[Buenchico]

>>> my nearest Waitrose is 45 miles away

The next time you drive towards Cardiff, Mikey, take the A48 instead of the M4. Then you'll get to your marmalade quicker ('cos the Cowbridge branch is only 33 miles from Swansea).

[Peter Pedant]

I think it is an invitation to apply for a benefit called
Old Age Pension - innit ?

this is the benefit (!) they said I would never live to see !
enjoy....

oh and then you get a snottsville letter saying that your application has been graciously granted by a few bloated bureaucrats

[mikey4444]

Chico....how right you are.....I had forgotten about the Cowbridge branch !

( very posh is Cowbridge ! )

[douglas9401]

Woody might have cribbed it but:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_and_taxes_(idiom)

[Buenchico]

They do 'posh' in Wales?

Does that mean you have to wash the coal dust off your hands before tackling your Bara Brith, then?

[Peter Pedant]

// They do 'posh' in Wales? //

bathe the sheep every year - special sheep pools for this.

[Bathsheba]

It's fab, Mikey! I was an unpaid housewife for 12 years, and it's just fantastic to have my own money!!

Baths
x x

[Jackdaw33]

Something of a paradox, but when I retired my income dropped from £35,000 p.a. to £17,000, yet I've never been so well off. Before that I was continually overdrawn with large credit card bills yet I haven't touched my overdraft in 4 years. I put it down to having none of the expenses involved in working.

[woofgang]

yes jackdaw.....before DH and I did the retirement thing, we did the sums....petrol, car insurance, clothing and so on and were shocked to see how much better off we would be, especially as part of the lump sum wiped our mortgage.