State Pension approval delay

S

Starbuck

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Hi all, I'm looking for some advice on my situation. I just turned 66 in August and I applied for my Irish State Pension (Contributory) three months before the birthday, as the Welfare.ie website says to do. I did the application online because I'm living overseas now. The system acknowledged the application - all seemed correct. It said wait for an 'officer' to review it.
My birthday came and went and I never heard a thing.
After a week or so I emailed them. Another week passed before I got a reply saying that my application was still being reviewed, and telling me I should have applied SIX months before, because I had mentioned in my application that I had worked abroad for a year, and that 'complicates' things.
I worked in Hong Kong for a while a few years ago, and although there's a tax agreement with Ireland (and I paid tax there) their pension system is very different, you get a lump sum on reaching retirement age, so there's no 'fund' that owes me anything. I get no pension from them.
I kind of regret mentioning my work there now because it may be what's holding things up - but it's now almost 2 months past my birthday and I haven't heard anything more from the Irish pensions officers.

Is this kind of delay unusual?
Should I be doing something more about it?
Who can I approach? Do Welfare answer phone calls?
Thanks for any suggestions!
 
Sorry, can't help, but I did apply exactly six months before being 66. That was in June, and so far I've heard nothing. I realise there's still a lot of time before my birthday, but I've not had any kind of communication.
 
A delay of several months is normal if you have worked abroad and contributed there. I experienced the same having worked in Germany as well for a while decades ago. I had to phone the pension office several times to get things moving. I had applied 6 months before my 66th birthday- and finally got the pension decision 3 months after my 66th birthday.
They are totally overworked and suffer from a shortage of staff. You need to be patient- you will get your pension sooner or later for sure.
 
@Starbuck

Did you make any progress with this ? I started a thread earlier, which has been deleted for having a nonsense title. It was called applying for state pension.

Does anyone know, when you apply, does it get acknowledged? I'm not talking about a letter telling you what you'll get etc. I'm talking about acknowledgement of the application?
 
Starbuck said:
I presume they paid the 'back money' you were due when you finally got approved?
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For what it's worth, I know for a fact that DSP/SW definitely pay back money where it's due. E.g. where you qualify for a payment from one date but they only start paying it at a later date due to processing delays or an appeals process.
 
Yes- the DoSP pays your pension from the day you qualify. If you turned 66 in August, you have an entitlement as of your birthday. All arrears will be paid 100 % in due course if there is a delay.

No- I did not get an acknowledgement that my application was received. The place is totally overworked already. You will hear from them when your application is decided on. Patience is needed for sure.
 
I would encourage anyone suffering these unreasonable delays to contact a TD who will write to the Minister in their behalf which may speed things up. Even if you’re abroad just approach a TD for the constituency where you grew up. Most of them have staff who answer the phone.

It’s an awful system but the best one we have.
 
I turned 66 earlier this year and applied for my contributory pension 6 months beforehand, I had the required 2080 reckonable contributions. 6 weeks after applying and 4.5 months before my first payment I got the letter awarding me the maximum contributory pension from xx/xx/25. I have heard of others with unacceptable long delays but for straightforward cases like mine they were very efficient.
 
Sort of reassuring in a way, to know that there are delays. I applied back in June, six months before reaching 66, via the international pensions centre in the UK. I know I've read people saying they were going to apply separately, and in a way, I know wish I had!

The UK side was done very fast. Can't remember when I got the award letter, but it was in plenty of time, and the pension is now already in payment.

As I'd heard nothing from Sligo, I rang them in late November. They said they knew nothing, and had no record of an application. They can see me on the system, PRSI record etc, but just no application. So, spoke to the UK side again, and they told me the application had gone to Sligo on 10th October, and gave me a long reference number, of over 30 characters. Told me to ring Sligo, tell them that number, and they'd immediately see my application. Anyway, when I spoke to Sligo again, they just said, there's no point in you telling us the number, there's been no application received. If there was, we'd see it on our system under your PPSN number. Told me to speak to UK side again.

It's frustrating when each side just says speak to the other lot. As you know, it can be pot luck as to who you get on the phone. Some are helpful, some not so much. One lady said straight away, you shouldn't be ringing us, it's nothing to do with us, speak to the UK side. I explained that the UK side are saying the application has been made, and if they can see it on the system, then Sligo can see it too. But she was having none of it. She said there is a separate department that deals with EU pensions , but there's no phone number for them, and that she can't put me through to them, which sounds very odd.

Eventually a lady in Sligo said, I'll send you the application form, just fill it in and return it. So, I've now done it that way. I know that the form has been delivered, due to An Post tracking, on the 10th December. So that's why I was wondering if I could expect a notification that it had been received.

Even if it takes six months from now to process it, that's ok, but it would be helpful to know that they are actually doing it. I'm not sure now, how many weeks I leave it before asking again. I'm not asking them to hurry it up or anything. I'm simply asking do they have the application.
 
It is true that there is a separate section in the Sligo Pension Office called the "EU section". It also deals with the UK and other foreign countries. The rest of the entire pension office does not have a clue about EU or foreign pensions. Always ask specifically for the "EU section" if you have any question about EU/UK pensions. Ask the first person who picks up the phone to do so. Don't pay any attention if the person says to you that s/he might be able to help you. Insist on the EU section. If that person asks you to wait a second, ask the next person speaking to you on the phone if s/he is really from the EU section. Insist again to be put through to the EU section if that person does the same as the first one. You might have to do that for a third time. If you finally get a voice with a Polish or Chinese accent, you know you are through to the right place.
It is very frustrating and time consuming. The place is a mess.
 
@Forumuser

That's interesting, thanks. I was definitely told they couldn't put me through to that department. Which is odd if they can, as apart from anything else, you'd think the first person would just be happy to have got rid of the call.

I had wondered if it was the case that the EU side were dealing with it, but are behind, and the people who take the phone calls are just not aware that it's being processed. The frustrating part is the not knowing what's going on, if anything.

I'm ok for a while, but the partial pension was part of my planning.
 
I went through all this. The foreign pension office (Germany) was very fast and efficient with my pension application. But the Irish side was taking ages. I suspected first that it was the Germans who caused the delay. So I contacted them and asked them what the story was. I was told that they have sent all their details months ago to Sligo.
Someone who had worked in the Sligo Office had told me how to deal with the whole thing- see above.
The main part of the Pension Office seems to be a cosy club of long term civil service members who are at this craic for years. All trade union members, all covering up for each other. They are working to their own rules. No need for any hurry. When the Lord created time, he made plenty of it. I noticed over the years that you can achieve something if you get a younger person on the line. They are not that cynical or "professional" at the game yet and try to help you. It is all back to square one if your query is handed to somebody who has clocked up many years.
This behaviour won't change. I can see only one way out: The place needs to be dissolved and all services need to be privatised.
 
I have a question concerning a delay. I will be 66 in January and want to claim my pension since that date. I submitted my application by post. Online version didn't allow me to omit my time working abroad. So after correspondence with Sligo I did it by post at the beginning of August. I asked in it not to apply for me in another country (I can't claim my pension there, if still working). Still they need my records from there. After few days I got an sms from DSP that they received my application. No answer from them since. I suspect that because I plan to keep working after my Bday (I guess they need the exact number of my stamps till then) and because of my foreign record that it will be delayed few months.

My question is what I should do. Normally I should have my pension awarded on my Bday and DSP should let revenue know about it to alter my credits for my employer. But what if it is a delay? Should I wait till it all happens or should I contact revenue myself? I already told my boss to stop paying my PRSI from my Bday. Was I right?
 
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GeJoan said:
I already told my boss to stop paying my PRSI from my Bday. Was I right?
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Don't worry about this. Your employer might or might not be contacted by DSP to cease your Prsi contributions.

If they cease at age 66, this would be convenient for you.
If they continue beyond age 66 you can apply to DSP for a refund.

No need to contact Revenue. When your payments begin DSP will notify Revenue.
 
@GeJoan

Good that you at least got an SMS notification that it was received. I've not got that far yet. First applied in June. Does anyone know would Sligo be working tomorrow? Or would the place be closed now until after new year?
 
I have been in this forum for over two years now. There have been constant reports here about the pension office in Sligo having big trouble with its communication with the public and pension applicants. Is there no opposition TD around who could raise the issue in the Dáil ? Could someone approach such a politician?
 
Lisgoold said:
Does anyone know would Sligo be working tomorrow? Or would the place be closed now until after new year?
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Holiday opening arrangements

This page provides information about opening hours during Christmas
www.revenue.ie www.revenue.ie

Holiday opening arrangements​

Apart from public holidays (25 and 26 December 2025, and 1 January 2026) Revenue will generally provide normal services over the Christmas and New Year holiday period. Our public offices will remain closed from 25 December 2025 - 1 January 2026.
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