Will my church marriage certificate suffice?

Kimmagegirl

Registered User
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My pension provider is asking me to provide a copy of my marriage certificate and birth cert in respect of my pension.

Can I use the church certificate given to me over 40 years ago or do I need to get an official one from somewhere?

Can I use the "short" version of my birth certificate or do I have to have the "long" cert version?

I am based in Dublin. Can both of these items be purchased online and are they both available from Lombard Street if I call in?
 
Thanks, I will have a look at that. I could save myself €20 if they accepted my church certificate that I have an original of. The information would have been provided by my local parish priest in any case.
 
Your passport or driving licence will do for confirmation of date of birth. Your marriage certificate is only required if purchasing an annuity with a spouse's pension for your husband. If so, you will need a proper marriage cert.


Steven
www.bluewaterfp.ie
 
Your passport or driving licence will do for confirmation of date of birth

That makes sense. It would save me the €40 quoted above. I have a short cert in my name but my spouse will have to get a new cert if Mercer insist on it.

Does anyone know if there is still a "short" birth cert and a "long" birth cert anymore or are they all in the "long" format.

Just wondering why Mercer are asking foe a birth cert if a copy of a passport or driving licence will suffice?
 
Thanks moneybox. The long cert had additional information on it. Parents details etc.

Maybe the new style A4 cert also has this information on it. Maybe someone who got one recently might clarify this?

At the end of the day, in my case, it is about my pension provider verifying my date of birth plus my spouses's date of birth for pension payment purposes.

As Steven mentioned above a passport or driving licence should suffice as they are official documents.
 
Do you get two certificates when you get married in a church in Ireland? One legal and one religious?
 
Thanks moneybox. The long cert had additional information on it. Parents details etc.

Maybe the new style A4 cert also has this information on it. Maybe someone who got one recently might clarify this?


I have just checked my own new A4 style one. I find it odd that it provides details of name and surname and dwelling place address of father and just the name, surname and maiden name for the mother. Also it gives Rank or Profession of father but nothing for the mother.
 
I applied on line couple years ago but found out afterwards if I had gone directly to births deaths and marriage office I would have got it for a tenner. I dont know if that's still the case.
Just checked online there for the cost of obtaining a birth certificate online..€40, :eek:
It should be €20 direct from GRO. Don't pay agents to get this for you!
https://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/GRO_Fees.aspx
 
Your passport or driving licence will do for confirmation of date of birth. Your marriage certificate is only required if purchasing an annuity with a spouse's pension for your husband. If so, you will need a proper marriage cert.

Steven. Mercer are insisting that an original Birth Cert is required as per attached.

"To answer your question, it is a requirement for a member to send us an original birth certificate if they are applying to take their pension benefit. This is an Irish regulatory requirement in order to prove the member’s name and Date of birth. Unfortunately an alternative form of identification such as a passport will not suffice.

If you have any other questions we are here to help you. You can also contact Irish customer service at [email protected]"
 
That is an absolute nonsense. Getting a passport needs to be signed off by a Garda!
Life companies do not require birth certs, they will accept passport/ driving licences. Do Mercer know something that the rest of us don't?

Are you part of a group pension scheme with them? Is there an option to deal with the life company instead of Mercer? Or transferring it to a buy out bond and then maturing it through a life company?


Steven
www.bluewaterfp.ie
 
I contacted the Pension Ombudsman's office about this. I thought that I would get a definitive answer on this from them by return. The response that I got was "We will contact you regarding this issue in due course".
 
Last edited:
Update. This is the response from the Pension Ombudsman's Office.

"Unfortunately we cannot answer your question as we are a complaint body. We do not have responsibility for regulatory matters.
I would imagine if it is regulatory then it’s most likely a Revenue matter and they may be able to provide some clarity.
Failing that, the Pensions Authority are responsible for regulating pension schemes and may be able to provide more information."
 
I am in a similar situation. When I joined my company pension scheme I had to provide copies of my birth certificate and marriage certificate to my pension provider. Now that my pension is coming due I have been asked to supply these again?

Are they too lazy to look for the original ones that I supplied or have they lost them.?

Of course there was no Data Protection around in the early 1980's.
 
Just to add. My pension provider was Irish Pensions Trust. This is now a division of Mercer. So the same company who got them 30 years ago now wants them again. Now I know why I have to wait for a month to get a half answer to any query I send them and why the staff dealing with me changes from reply to reply....
 
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