# UK pension service Proof of life forms



## expatuk2016 (Mar 20, 2016)

hi all, just thought I would let you know that the UK pension service has been sending out " Proof of life forms "

that have to be filled in to prove we are still living ! we never got ours ! and it was posted in January ! 

hence the wifes UK pension was stopped ! After phoning them they are going to email us the forms 

and we will send them back by lbc !

NOTE --UNTIL THEY RECEIVE THE FORM DULY WITNESSED BY SOMEONE SUCH AS A DENTIST-BANK MANAGER ETC

THEY WILL ASSUME YOU ARE NO LONGER LIVING !! SO IF YOU HAVE NOT RECIEVED A FORM i ADVISE YOU TO PHONE THEM !

WE PHONED THEM FOR FREE USING THE TAP4CALL APP ON OUR MOBILES .

IF YOU PHONE THEM ASK THEM TO CALL YOU BACK !! WHICH THEY WILL DO RIGHT AWAY !


----------



## Datchworth (Jul 5, 2015)

Yes, ExpatUK2016, the proof of life forms were obviously arranged to be sent out by people who have no idea of the workings (or otherwise!), of 3rd world postal systems. Mail nearly always takes ages to get to our rural subdivision in Cavite and the proof of life form was no exception. Just managed to get it back in time. 
I suggest that in future you monitor, or even join, the Philippines BritishExpats forum as this was an extensive thread there a few weeks ago.


----------



## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

I like that Tap4Call app, I might try that but then again I have a landline. Not sure about UK tax and pension procedures but I keep my Social Security number active by filing my taxes every year online.


----------



## expatuk2016 (Mar 20, 2016)

the TAP4CALL APP ONLY LETS YOU MAKE 1 FREE CALL ( WE USED IT ON MY ANDROID AND THE WIFES APPLE ) SO 2 FREE CALLS. WE HAVE A LANDLINE ALSO BUT WE COULDNT CALL THE UK EVEN THE OPERATOR COULDNT ! LUCKILY WE DONT PAY TAXES !


----------



## fmartin_gila (May 15, 2011)

M.C.A. said:


> I like that Tap4Call app, I might try that but then again I have a landline. Not sure about UK tax and pension procedures but I keep my Social Security number active by filing my taxes every year online.


Thats what I do also. I file each year just to show them I am still kicking, even though it always comes out to owing them nothing. They can cross-check and find that I am still breathing.

Fred


----------



## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

*Proof of life through filing taxes?*



fmartin_gila said:


> Thats what I do also. I file each year just to show them I am still kicking, even though it always comes out to owing them nothing. They can cross-check and find that I am still breathing.
> 
> Fred


That's what I read, even though I don't need to file taxes I still do in order to show some sort of foot print that I'm alive, it's a pain but I feel it might be easier than sending off letters. So basically I was wondering if this would work in the EU, the positive is that everything can be accomplished online within minutes.


----------



## bidrod (Mar 31, 2015)

M.C.A. And fmartin it is my understanding for the US proof of life this is only sent if you receive your SS in a foreign country, if it is deposited in a US bank it will not be sent. Filing your yearly income tax plays no part in the process.

Chuck


----------



## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

*Proof of life, pension sent abroad*



bidrod said:


> M.C.A. And fmartin it is my understanding for the US proof of life this is only sent if you receive your SS in a foreign country, if it is deposited in a US bank it will not be sent. Filing your yearly income tax plays no part in the process.
> 
> Chuck


Okay that makes sense, well eventually I'm going to have my bank set up a pension account because I'm getting tired of dealing with ATM cards and checks, so it's something I'll need to deal with eventually.


----------



## fmartin_gila (May 15, 2011)

M.C.A. said:


> Okay that makes sense, well eventually I'm going to have my bank set up a pension account because I'm getting tired of dealing with ATM cards and checks, so it's something I'll need to deal with eventually.


Very good possibility. They know more about us than we do, so they probably know each time we make a withdrawal and thereby know if we are still breathing & kicking. Filing the Tax Return may be redundant, but it is a bad habit I will probably continue.

Fred


----------



## expatuk2016 (Mar 20, 2016)

I am a member of the "Other expat forum " but since the website was changed its no longer the same as it was so I tend just to look and no longer post things


----------



## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

*Los Banos Laguna*



expatuk2016 said:


> I am a member of the "Other expat forum " but since the website was changed its no longer the same as it was so I tend just to look and no longer post things


Hopefully I can hear more from you on this board ... :fingerscrossed: as we are living in the same general area, I was just in Los Banos Laguna last Wed, had to find some legal paper, it's not sold anywhere else? I did find it at a spot called "Maces" 8.5 x 14" or legal paper (watch out) most Philippine shops I went to think 8.5 x 13" is legal paper (used for High School), but the Philippine Bureau of Immigration makes it clear if you submit 13a Visa renewal documents they will have to be on legal paper, had redo all my stuff before the next day but got it done. 

Notice the police standing in intervals of 100 feet from the entrance of the University all through the main road coming out of the University.


----------



## expatuk2016 (Mar 20, 2016)

aah yes legal paper !!
I am renewing my ACR card around July depending on the rules ( expires November )
you can get most sizes of paper here mainly because of the University and the students.
The police you mention are mostly Trainees doing their observation training and the odd traffic control.
been here since 2011 lovely place we dont travel too far from here only calamba for SM but the wife and her sister have discovered Japanese surplus stores so that is why we travel around now !


----------



## expatuk2016 (Mar 20, 2016)

Just to add further to the proof of life forms fiasco. both mine and the wifes pensions were stopped in April ! we had no knowledge of the proof of life forms ! I emailed them several times and got back the auto email telling me they will take 10 days to reply !! so I phoned them and they emailed me the forms from wolverhampton.
which we filled in and sent back the next day Thursday may 26th by LBC and was received at wolverhampton on Tuesday may 31st and not a word from them as of today !!
funny thing was 2 days after we sent the forms by LBC we received 2 letters containing the proof of life forms which were dated may 3rd we got them june 1st !!
And we have still not recieved any payments as of this morning !


----------



## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

*Local mail system*



expatuk2016 said:


> Just to add further to the proof of life forms fiasco. both mine and the wifes pensions were stopped in April ! we had no knowledge of the proof of life forms ! I emailed them several times and got back the auto email telling me they will take 10 days to reply !! so I phoned them and they emailed me the forms from wolverhampton.
> which we filled in and sent back the next day Thursday may 26th by LBC and was received at wolverhampton on Tuesday may 31st and not a word from them as of today !!
> funny thing was 2 days after we sent the forms by LBC we received 2 letters containing the proof of life forms which were dated may 3rd we got them june 1st !!
> And we have still not recieved any payments as of this morning !


Most of my letters or packages take from a month to two months but one time I did receive a letter from an uncle in 3 days. My Balikbayan boxes took two months.

Hope you get this resolved soon.


----------



## hogrider (May 25, 2010)

bidrod said:


> M.C.A. And fmartin it is my understanding for the US proof of life this is only sent if you receive your SS in a foreign country, if it is deposited in a US bank it will not be sent. Filing your yearly income tax plays no part in the process.
> 
> Chuck


My UK pension is paid into my bank account in England and they still sent me the POL forms.


----------



## expatuk2016 (Mar 20, 2016)

After not hearing from the pension service and no pension since April or email replies !!
we decided to phone them using PLDT ! silly me ! kept getting " this service is not avail from your phone "wife calls the customer service as we were not able to dial direct 30 mins waiting time she was told ! got through to another operator who told us we need to buy a prepaid card ( 200pesos)
costs 12pesos a minute so that was no good !
I searched the net for a free calls to the UK service and found the IEvaphone app which worked
first time call lasted 13 mins with no disconnection !! no credit card need either can make 4 calls a day before having to buy credits and it still only costs 1peso a minute !!
Any way pension now sorted and should be in the bank tomorrow ! we shall see !!


----------



## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

*PLDT International Line*



expatuk2016 said:


> After not hearing from the pension service and no pension since April or email replies !!
> we decided to phone them using PLDT ! silly me ! kept getting " this service is not avail from your phone "wife calls the customer service as we were not able to dial direct 30 mins waiting time she was told ! got through to another operator who told us we need to buy a prepaid card ( 200pesos)
> costs 12pesos a minute so that was no good !
> I searched the net for a free calls to the UK service and found the IEvaphone app which worked
> ...


Expatuk... With your PLDT package did you also apply (another application) for an International line? This is something you have to apply for it's not given out, one sign that you don't have an International line is that you can't dial from your Land line to your PLDT SIM card but you can call from your cell phone to the Land Line. 

Hope you get your pension that's a nice back pay for sure.


----------



## bidrod (Mar 31, 2015)

hogrider said:


> My UK pension is paid into my bank account in England and they still sent me the POL forms.


As my previous post stated it was US pension proof of life not UK. Since I have no UK pension I have no clue as to their procedures.

Chuck


----------



## hogrider (May 25, 2010)

bidrod said:


> As my previous post stated it was US pension proof of life not UK. Since I have no UK pension I have no clue as to their procedures.
> 
> Chuck


Yes Chuck, I appreciate that you were referring to the situation in US. My comment was aimed at the few UK members here.

David


----------



## JonHig (Jan 22, 2010)

I use my son's address in the UK for the Pensions Office to send important documents to. He can then scan anything urgent and send it to me. I return the document to the PO by registered post (2-3 weeks) OR DHL to be super sure.


----------

