Pension forecast and JPA- advice from HR staff!

[chieftiff]

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)

 

[Chaz]

Chieftiff, you have my sympathies entirely. I went through something very very similar last year. I also now have a pension sharing order with my ex-wife. The AFPA agency were that long in obtaining a CETV and forwarding it to the relevant authorities that my final court hearing was postponed 5 times.

I don't know if your'e on 2OE or not but I was under the impression that the 'only one a year CETV' rule applied when you were beyond the 22 year mark - I maybe wrong. Thats what I was told anyway prior to myself commencing 2OE(5) last year.

I spoke to a very helpful guy direct at the AFPA direct on the phone while my court case with the ex was on-going. When I get back to work on Monday I'll check my DII account, I may still have his details on there, if I have, I'll PM them to you if you wish?

Good Luck

 

[chieftiff]

Chieftiff, you have my sympathies entirely. I went through something very very similar last year. I also now have a pension sharing order with my ex-wife. The AFPA agency were that long in obtaining a CETV and forwarding it to the relevant authorities that my final court hearing was postponed 5 times.

I don't know if your'e on 2OE or not but I was under the impression that the 'only one a year CETV' rule applied when you were beyond the 22 year mark - I maybe wrong. Thats what I was told anyway prior to myself commencing 2OE(5) last year.

I spoke to a very helpful guy direct at the AFPA direct on the phone while my court case with the ex was on-going. When I get back to work on Monday I'll check my DII account, I may still have his details on there, if I have, I'll PM them to you if you wish?

Good Luck

Cheers Chaz, that would be brilliant, JPAC are very coy and won't give me the contact details of anyone useful. I am on 2OE although I wasn't when I divorced which makes the sharing order valuation a little complicated because my pension had not matured (fortunately) I can find out what % she was awarded but have no idea what the pension valuation was on the day of the court order- JPAC refused to tell me! Please feel free to pm if you can find the phone number.

I have now had a baptism of fire as to how bureaucratic the whole HR system has become it really is a disgrace! But just who do you approach with a legitimate grievance, Service Complaint procedure is probably pointless as I will be a civvy before it achieves anything, I have retained some refs, e-mails and names and from now on will keep a record of anything involving JPAC..... who the feck do I give them to? Interestingly never have I had a follow up call or contact from JPAC, I understand they must do this within 10 days, I am detemined to reveal this disaster waiting to happen to someone in service who can do something about it as my last good deed before I go!

PS. I had similar problems with my CETV, it took so long (nearly 6 months) that her solicitor refused to accept it because it was out of date! I had to pay to get another.......bloody joke!

 

[Chaz]

My court order was a percentage that is calculated from the day I leave the RN which probably makes things a whole lot easier, although I wasn't on 2OE when I got divorced. I've also got in my court order that I MUST fully commute.

I'm sure I have in writing (somewhere!) that the APFA are LEGALLY obliged to respond within 3 months for any request for a CETV. I'll try and dig that out, there maybe a reference of some discription on.

On another matter concerning JPAC and the lack of service, I'm a CT and did an op on a boat trip at the back end of 2006, I'm still awaiting the submarine pay! (which we are entitled to!)

 

[ciderarmy]

Chieftiff,

Im a Unit JPA Administrator. There is now a JPA Complaints cell as well as a MoD complaints procedure which will go via your CO all the way to fleet for investigation. Also I can put you in contact with the JPA Tiger team...

If you PM me, I can pass you all the details

 

[stoke_em_up]

Chieftiff, have PM'd you an e-mail address.

 

[8ungy]

Aint Life Great :wink:

 

[21_Man]

Divorce........a never ending saga for some

 

[SEP86]

I had a brief from a representative of the Forces Pension Society the other day. Most detail I have ever been given on both 75 and 05 pensions ever. If I had any kind of pension issue at all I would join them and gain access to their independent and expert advice. (What is £26 against potentially a sizeable amount of your pension).

Link to their website:
http://www.forpen.org/