I won’t be back in the UK till early October. I’m due my state pension early September, so I can process it now. I would rather do it by phone. What information will I need to give? Thanks, John
Hi John…
This is the government link…
and details required are clearly laid out in this other link below…
Thank you, Stella. Got it clearly now. Really much appreciated; I’m not good with bureaucracy.
John
My husband did his by phone- very quick and easy. Needed last employer, last UK address, NI number, my NI number the rest of the info needed was personal detail-DOB ECT. French bank details and that was about it. The lady he spoke to also contacted the dept. that supplies S1 for him and letter arrived from them a week or so later with S1’s no-one for him and one for me as his dependant.
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Thank you, Sue.
I thought I’d drag this thread up rather than start a new one. It’s just an update on the subject, reflecting my recent experience.
Having realised that I had to be proactive about getting my UK state pension I checked out the options on the HMRC website. I discovered that there’s no proper online way of claiming your UK state pension, which was disappointing.
What is on offer is a download of a 15 page form (or they can post one to you) that you then have to complete & post back by snail mail. However, it also says that you can call them, which I did at 10.00 UK time on Monday. I fully expected along wait.
Having got through the usual automated stuff to direct the call to the right department I was gobsmacked to have a real person on line almost immediately. Even the caller handler admitted that it was unusual to have got through so quickly.
Having established all my credentials I was able to apply for my pension simply by asking for it over the 'phone - no need to fill in a form. I’m now expecting things to progress within 4 months, with a confirmation letter due to arrive in a week or so. My actual pension start date is my 66th birthday at the end of February.
I would recommend this route to anyone applying for their UK state pension. It was quick & easy & did not rely on an ever unreliable postal service. If you do it this way it’s polite to have all the necessary info to hand, being…
- National Insurance number.
- Your partner’s NI number (no idea why - I didn’t have that to hand but was able to tell them other details which meant that need went away).
- The date you officially left the UK.
- Your last employer in the UK.
- IBAN details for payment - can be a UK or foreign account.
That’s it! I await my confirmation letter & hope to update with good news eventually.
P.S. I already have a French pension & saw no point in applying for my UK one through the French system.
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Glad it worked for you @Badger. It’s different if you can call the DWP Overseas telephine number direct and in fact I gather that people residing abroad are supposed to phone them rather than going online.
For people still residing in the UK there were awful stories in recent years about links not working or impossible to find, impossible to reach a human, very long processing times so people were being started months after due etc… and what wete they supposed to live on? and also earlier applications being refused thus condemning UK resident pensioners to this.
The phone number to reach the Pensions line for those residing abroad is +44 191 218 7777.
The Daily Mail doesn’t get it all wrong, you know 
ISTR they were one of the newspapers that covered all this going on at the time.
For once we living abroad got through quicker and got things done quicker. Perhaps the better more accessible service was funded by the removal of the Winter Fuel Allowance. Due to the tropical climate the UK decided France has in the winter. Such as all over the Massif Central, in the Jura and in the French Pyrenees.
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I had at least 22 pages arrive leaving about 20 to send back. UI also had to include details of OH and his death certificate so they could adjust payments to include any via his previous contributions but being self employed before we left UK and class 2, those were very little. I then heard nothing so had to ring and confirm my details and they found the returned papers in a huge backlog pile which was then sorted quickly and I got my pension backdated due to the backlog but you don’t get it from your. date of birth, it is done via your NI number and where that comes in the month
Well I am only a sample of one, but as a UK resident I had no trouble at all claiming my State Pension in 2023. I got a letter from DWP early in the year telling me I could claim it, I did so and it duly arrived in July 2023 the month after my birthday.
I don’t now recall how I requested it but it would have probably been online:
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Sample of 3 now, both my OH and I had the same experience as you Chris. Our letters arrived and we then applied online and pensions arrived on the due date, no problems at all.
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And 4 (+1). Both OH and I did it by phone with no problems whatsoever.
I can confirm that is the number I called earlier this week. I should have mentioned it.
I have nothing but praise for the guys in Newcastle. They’ve always been great to deal with.
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I second that.
I had to call them this morning about a refund of tax claimed back via 2 x FFIs (100% withdrawal of 2 x UK pension funds). I’d already complained about not having all the money returned & it was supposedly going to be sorted out. It wasn’t (stuck in an in-tray somewhere) so I moaned again & had a very positive experience on the 'phone earlier today. If the money doesn’t turn up in a few days I’ll be very surprised, such was the excellent treatment I received.
I always find them charming too, but the system is creaking. Don’t assume anything is moving along. Pop a regular polite telephone prod in your diary 
It’s nice to have a chat in English anyway.