State Pension approval delay

Appeal time is changed from 21 days to 60 days now. I am abroad at the moment and have no problem with logging in.

Now I think it is a good idea just to log in every few days. I logged in yesterday and after finding this notification I then clicked on pensions in the main dashboard and it was a button, which allowed me to manage my claim, so I uploaded payslips for my missing stamps and explained why I did it. At least I have a proof that I gave them this information before the payment. I will call them tomorrow.
 
I'd say you must have a verified account. That's why you can log in, even while not in the country. I can't get a verified account as it needs an Irish passport and proof of Irish address. Currently I have neither of those.
 
@S class

Just a quick update. Still waiting on this, and had no contact from Sligo. I spoke to the UK international pensions centre again this morning. I call every 2 or 3 weeks, just to see if they've heard anything. They haven't though. It should have started paying around 11 weeks ago, and was originally applied for in June 2025.

The biggest puzzle about the delay, for me anyway, is that it's such a simple calculation. You don't need a computer or software to work it out. They have the contribution record, they know the start dates etc. Takes less than a minute to work out the figure.
 
Lisgoold said:
The biggest puzzle about the delay, for me anyway, is that it's such a simple calculation
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There seems to be a serious staff shortage in DSP.
I was talking to a person who applied for a pro rata COAP but then decided to defer to get over the 520 Reckonable paid target.

They phoned DSP to enquire about defering. They were told to post a letter to the relevant section, because there is a few months delay answering emails enquiries.

The postal enquiry response took a few weeks.
 
With me they were very efficient. I was to have the first payment made on the 23rd. They managed to take into account my missing stamps for 2025 and paid almost correct amount. Next Friday they paid missing 40 cents. Funny thing is they sent me a letter by post about this small additional payment but never sent me a letter about awarding my pension! Weird hierarchy of importance...
 
They are very efficient when a person applies for a Jobseekers or BP65 benefit. These are approved and payments start in a few days.
 
@GeJoan

So at no point did you get an award letter? The payments just started? I do keep an eye on my bank account, just in case that happens with me!

If it's true that it gets backdated to 66th birthday, it's not as if they're saving any money by putting it off.

I've no problem with delay as such, but more the lack of communication. It would be better if when they receive the application, they sent a letter, email or just text, saying something like
'We have received your application, and we are processing it. There are currently delays of xx weeks or months. You should expect to hear something by xx/xx/xxxx. '
 
Result. Never in doubt. Today I received two separate letters. One saying that I've been awarded a pension of 242.30 euro per week. The other saying there are arrears of 2,758 euros, which, it says, will be paid shortly by EFT.

The letters are both dated 10th Feb. There's no sign of anything reaching the bank account yet, so hopefully it will be soon. Strangely, there's no mention of the account number it's meant to go to. I thought they might have put that, just in case it was wrong and you could change it.

That weekly amount is based on 90% using the old method, and 10% of the new, and exactly matches what I'd calculated it to be.
 
Lisgoold said:
Result. Never in doubt
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Thanks for keeping us in the loop - I'm sure there were many watchers. Good to know the delay didn't impact anything other than your cash flow.

Having said that....I wonder will the arrears be treated as all 2026 income for tax purposes or will it be split as it would have been if they had paid out on time...?
 
@Kev1964

Good question. Though if it pays before April 5th, it will be in 25/26 year, UK based. Once I've received it, I will contact HMRC and sort out the tax. After that, I can update income figures online, so they can set the correct tax code on the DB pension, and SIPP withdrawals, or more likely, they'll move me to self assessment.
 
My 66th birthday is next month. I applied online just before Christmas and received a letter online in early January awarding the full pension (which I knew I was entitled to) and giving the date when it will be in my bank account, which is the Friday before my birthday - very impressed by their efficiency but then my situation was straight forward.
 
@S class

No sign of anything today. The letter dated 10th Feb, said arrears will be sent shortly, and take into account from birthday up to 12th Feb. So was kind of hoping that it may have gone in today.

The other letter said the four weekly payments would start after that, so would think that as we're now one week into that period, that might go in to the bank in three weeks time.

Half the reason I'm writing this is to tempt fate and see if it goes in this afternoon:), but I would have thought if their payments go in on a Friday, it would have been there first thing.
 
Lisgoold said:
I would have thought if their payments go in on a Friday, it would have been there first thing.
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In the case of BOI, the SPC appears in your account late on Thursday night (since SEPA Instant went live - I'm not saying that it's paid via SEPA Instant which it probably isn't, but whatever changes they made to enable SEPA Instant moved it forward so it appears earlier). In the case of AIB, it appears some time on Friday morning between 4am and 6:30am. Other banks will differ.
 
@Freelance

I'll see if anything happens this week, as still no sign. Other wise I'm going to have to call them again. I'm beginning to wonder if it's somehow been paid , but gone to somewhere else. As the letter dated the 10th said the arrears would be paid shortly. The first proper 4 week payment should be 12th March.
 
DSP 4-week foreign state pensions used to be paid on the same date for all pensioners (I don't know if it's still the case). If it is still paid that way, your first payment will depend on when the next payment run is. It won't necessarily fall 4 weeks after your award date.
 
I am digging up this thread, as I was reading it last year and hoped I wouldn't experience delays.
I live in Ireland and have 30 years PRSI credits. I will also claim a UK State pension separately, as I have circa 35 years of NI credits - thanks AAM.:)

1st July this year, I applied online via Mywelfare.ie for my State Contrib Pension - dashboard says its being processed. I am 66 at end of December. I did my husbands application in April online and he got a calculation letter within 2 weeks!

My understanding is that Sligo would send a record request to the UK, so today I rang Newcastle just to have that extra info up my sleeve before calling Sligo. The guy who took my call said, no nothing received as far as he could see, but if I spoke to Sligo and they had sent the request, ask them for the International ID number, it's got 28 numbers, it's they way they securely deliver that info.

Next I called Sligo. Told her about the application online 1st July - " oh it takes a while to filter through the website" :confused:. She said no one would contact the UK until my Irish pension had been calculated, it was currently " suspended" - I don't think she meant that, as I could tell she was getting flustered. Basically, it's being dealt with and that I would " hopefully" hear before my birthday !

I could feel my cortisol levels increasing and just had to come off the phone, as there was no point continuing to talk to her.

So do I just sit tight and hope they get to it? Any point in writing a letter about the delay?

Any advice gratefully appreciated.
 
Why would they need to contact the UK, @Yam1960 you have a full UK pension, all you'll get on the Irish side is 30/40th. It would be different if your combining insurable weeks, or am I missing something?
 
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