Scottish Widows Pension from 1999 - been sending all letter to another address for 25yrs.

[DebtUpToMyEyeBalls]

Recently I thought I would check how my pensions are doing and noticed that I have been paying Scottish Widows £6 per month for the last 25 Years and tried to find any paperwork I have regarding this pension. I did find the original pension plan letter with the policy number etc but nothing else.

I called them to see why I have not received any updated statements etc,  only to find they have the completely wrong address and contact details on record for this account and the wrong NHI number. The name on the pension and my bank details are correct but everything else is somebody else.

I made a complaint so I can get to the bottom of why this has happened and this is still ongoing, they offered me £500 as compensation and said they have corrected all the mistakes and will send out an updated statement.

I received the updated statement yesterday but it also seems to be incorrect, with payments different from ones being paid from my account to the ones shown on the statement.

I'm concerned about what information the person at the address has about me over the last 25 years.

Any advice on what actions I should take would be appreciated.

Mark

 

[BankFodder]

Start off by sending them a subject access request. Do it now. It's completely free and they have 30 days to respond. You will have to verify your identity and I hope that won't be a problem with all the database errors they seem to have but you better get started.
Maybe some kind of passport identity would be a good idea.

I suggest that you do it by calling them because you are allowed to make a subject access request verbally. If you can get through their security checks then that should be enough to satisfy them.
If they try to say that you must complete some form or other then maybe you should do that but legally you are entitled to make a verbal request as long as you can satisfy them as to your identity.

Do you recognise any of the addresses or details et cetera that they have been using? Could there have been an address which you used previously and which was never corrected by them?

Also, if they have offered you £500 without blinking – then you can be certain that it is worth more than that

[DebtUpToMyEyeBalls]

 

Thanks BankFodder

I have called Scottish Widows now and spoken to 'Rose' to request a Subject Access Request, She has never heard of a Subject Access Request before but will get somebody who knows, to action this. I will be surprised if this turns up.

Should I send a request in the post and is there a standard letter template available to use?

 

[honeybee13]

Click on the words Subject Access Request in your post or mine and you go to a new page with information and a template.

HB

[BankFodder]

It is astonishing that they haven't heard of a subject access request. This shows the very poor level of staff development.

Yes I supposed to get things done quickly you will have to send a letter – as my site team colleague above has said follow the subject access request link.

But also if I were you I would add a complaint in their that you are trying to make the subject access request verbally on the telephone and that you spoke to somebody called Rose who had not even heard about their statutory obligations.

I think it is important to get this down. When you send it by letter you will have to send some kind of proof of identity and I'm extremely worried that what with all the errors they have made, that you will have difficulty.

Send the letter – but then if I were you I would make more phone calls and try to sort it out over the phone. At least you will understand whether or not they are accepting your identity at the address that they now have – or not.

[dx100uk]

ive sadly had cause to deal with skittish Widows twice now on an old joint mortgage life policy where no mortgage agreement was ever signed up too.

they are one of the most incompetent companies i know.

3 times for the two differing people on a joint mortgage (that never existed) life policy they were sent an SAR , all 3 times they sent someone elses details. 

the whole matter took 2yrs to resolve.

this included the involvement and the eventual two separate rulings from the FOS for both named parties telling SW to refund.

they rejected the FOS rulings and refused to refund either party claiming statute barring as the claimed mortgage policy was taken out more than 6yrs ago.

one party then died during the 2nd FOS investigations period.

They then claimed that because the deceased party neither signed nor made any specific instructions upon death over the policy, the survivor was entitled to nothing. 

there never was a mortgage agreement in the 1st place that created the joint life policy they took the premiums for.

they are are a box of frogs.

it took almost 2 yrs to get all the money back + 8% interest 

.............

get that SAR running.

[DebtUpToMyEyeBalls]

Finally got my SAR from Scottish Widows

Looks like every yearly statement from 2013 to Present Day has been going to the incorrect address.

They have redacted, with a black box, all the incorrect address details etc but left the other persons National Insurance Number clear.

No Statements prior 2013 for some reason, which is strange, considering the Insurance was opened in 1999.

What are your thoughts guys

See below, Red has been done by me, the black squares by Scottish Widows

sar.pdf 

[BankFodder]

I'm trying to understand this so bear with me. I will probably ask more questions.

However the first thing to ask is what date did you send your SAR? It should have produced a disclosure within 30 days. As you only just now received the disclosure?

Do you have the name and address of the other person?

Also could be a good idea to send your bank an SAR as well to get full details of any transactions that they have been involved in

[BankFodder]

The PDF document which you have put up contains only one page. Is this the entire disclosure? Is this all that you were expecting? What did you actually ask for?

[DebtUpToMyEyeBalls]

In the SAR, I received the original application, lots of computer print outs, yearly statements from 2013 and the new emails regarding my complaint.

They sent me a £50 cheque after I chased them for the SAR after the 30 days. They said they was waiting for me to respond to an email (which I never received) before sending the SAR

[BankFodder]

Okay please go through the disclosure very carefully. I suggest that you use the technique broadly in line with the advice we give on preparing your court bundle.

You want to know what is there – but also very importantly you want to know what is not there. For instance, the email that they said they sent you before responding to the SAR – did you see that?
Is there any trace of of the phone call that you made to the woman who didn't know anything about SAR's?

On what basis was the £50 sent to you? Was it unilateral or did they offer it and you accepted it on some condition? When did they send you this £50 cheque? Have you banked it?

Also, I think that we need to start understanding what you have lost here. Have you lost any money – and if so how much?

Send the SAR to your bank as advised above

[BankFodder]

Waiting for you to address these questgions please