OK, this is all very frustrating and I am at my wits end, who do I need to talk to in order to make a serious complaint about JPAC and the pensions agency, I am currently getting nowhere!
This is the scenario: I submitted my notice last June and went to speak to my HR dept to get a Pension Forecast (There is a pension sharing order awarded to my ex-wife so it is a complicated forecast), they gave me the phone number of AFPA. I phoned AFPA who told me I had to submit my request for pension forecast via e-mail and here was the address, so I did. About a week later I get a reply "sorry the process has changed you must now submit in writing, here is the address, you should receive a reply within 6 weeks) I wrote to them at the beginning of August, mid November comes- no forecast I phone up " there is a record of a letter received but I have no details, I will chase it up", the beginning of December nothing so I phone the AFPA and discover there is no record of my application but the guy will chase it up- nothing happens. Just before Christmas Leave I phone again, I will chase it up C-P-O (why do they insist on making me sound like a character from Star Wars?)
Well yesterday I receive my forecast and it is exactly as if I had used the bloody online pension calculator, no pension sharing order! Immediate rage e-mail goes off to JPAC. Today I get an e-mail "sorry but we can't respond to unsolicited unsecure e-mails but if you contact the JPAC enquiry agent they will be able to arrange an immediate re-issue of an accurate pension forecast"
I have just got off the phone to JPAC, I was very polite it's not his fault but what he is telling me is either complete bollox or there is something seriously wrong with the system. I should re-submit my request, requesting a forecast with the pension sharing order in place (I did this the first time with dates etc) I am only entitled to one Pension Forecast per year so there will probably be an administration charge which could be significant as the calculation is complicated and it will take up to 3 months. Bear in mind the pension calculation for my divorce cost me £150 and the pension sharing order cost me £300. What he is saying is that I should submit a new request (probably to satisfy JPAC statistics)
Obviously I am not happy with this and would like to be able to complain about the service in a manner which is robust, who do I need to rant to, I can't find any reference to a complaints dept? I need this information in order to make an informed decision about commutation which must be decided before leaving the service now and the form received by AFPA at least 2 months prior to exit date- the clock is ticking!
Please feel free to pm me if you know anything of use although it would be better for all if any relevant info were posted on this thread. I will obviously be speaking to my HR on Monday but up to now their only advice has been to phone JPAC. If there is no complaints procedure in place I will be pestering my MP to ask why not. Meanwhile I am off to kick shit out of the dog! (not really it's just an expression, he would rip my leg off)
This is the scenario: I submitted my notice last June and went to speak to my HR dept to get a Pension Forecast (There is a pension sharing order awarded to my ex-wife so it is a complicated forecast), they gave me the phone number of AFPA. I phoned AFPA who told me I had to submit my request for pension forecast via e-mail and here was the address, so I did. About a week later I get a reply "sorry the process has changed you must now submit in writing, here is the address, you should receive a reply within 6 weeks) I wrote to them at the beginning of August, mid November comes- no forecast I phone up " there is a record of a letter received but I have no details, I will chase it up", the beginning of December nothing so I phone the AFPA and discover there is no record of my application but the guy will chase it up- nothing happens. Just before Christmas Leave I phone again, I will chase it up C-P-O (why do they insist on making me sound like a character from Star Wars?)
Well yesterday I receive my forecast and it is exactly as if I had used the bloody online pension calculator, no pension sharing order! Immediate rage e-mail goes off to JPAC. Today I get an e-mail "sorry but we can't respond to unsolicited unsecure e-mails but if you contact the JPAC enquiry agent they will be able to arrange an immediate re-issue of an accurate pension forecast"
I have just got off the phone to JPAC, I was very polite it's not his fault but what he is telling me is either complete bollox or there is something seriously wrong with the system. I should re-submit my request, requesting a forecast with the pension sharing order in place (I did this the first time with dates etc) I am only entitled to one Pension Forecast per year so there will probably be an administration charge which could be significant as the calculation is complicated and it will take up to 3 months. Bear in mind the pension calculation for my divorce cost me £150 and the pension sharing order cost me £300. What he is saying is that I should submit a new request (probably to satisfy JPAC statistics)
Obviously I am not happy with this and would like to be able to complain about the service in a manner which is robust, who do I need to rant to, I can't find any reference to a complaints dept? I need this information in order to make an informed decision about commutation which must be decided before leaving the service now and the form received by AFPA at least 2 months prior to exit date- the clock is ticking!
Please feel free to pm me if you know anything of use although it would be better for all if any relevant info were posted on this thread. I will obviously be speaking to my HR on Monday but up to now their only advice has been to phone JPAC. If there is no complaints procedure in place I will be pestering my MP to ask why not. Meanwhile I am off to kick shit out of the dog! (not really it's just an expression, he would rip my leg off)