Delays in accessing figures for HSE pension, never mind the pension itself

G

Gordanus

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I'm wondering if everyone retiring from the HSE is having the same difficulty. I retired in January this year. Haven't got the figures yet. Without the figures, can't access AVC pension or other pensions. I was told on handing in my retirement notice that there may be a delay of 5-6 months in getting pension, and I should consider going on social welfare. However, now - 6 months on - I'm told people are waiting 12+ months to get the figures, never mind the pension itself.
They have offered me an advance of my lump sum.

Luckily I'm in a position where I don't need it, I certainly don't want it. And I'm still able to service my mortgage, which will -hopefully- be paid off with the lump sum eventually.

I'm just wondering if this is related to the profession you had in the HSE. Does this apply to EVERYONE retiring from the HSE? Or just from certain jobs?

And what is everyone doing about it? Complaining to the HSE? To the Financial Ombudsman? To politicians? And how do you survive while awaiting your pension?

It seems to me to be a ridiculous situation. Especially as I got my NHS pension - about €40pm! - within 30 days of submitting all required documents.
 
A fairly regular complaint about HSE pension. There is simply no excuse for such a delay, especially if you gave reasonable notice of retirement (say 2 or 3 months).
I think you put in a formal complaint to the HSE and advise them that you are also referring your case to the Financial Services Ombudsman.
If this happened in the "private sector " the various "civil service " authorities would be demanding a public enquiry.
 
Conan said:
I think you put in a formal complaint to the HSE and advise them that you are also referring your case to the Financial Services Ombudsman.
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Write a letter saying you are making a complaint, are being deprived of financial rights, and next step will be FPSO. It should get things moving.

But their powers are pretty limited. I have a preserved PS pension and took former employer to FPSO for failing to advise me of entitlements for three months.

FPSO found against my former employer bit it was a slap on the wrist, no sanction.
 
When writing your letter of complaint to HSE pension provider, include in the letter that you are complaining under their IDR procedure.
This is a procedure which has strict rules regarding the time period in which a resolution is given. If the resolution is not to your satisfaction you are then automatically allowed to take your complaint to FSPO.
 
I left the HSE and wanted a statement of service.
It took 2years. I think it’s a disgrace to be waiting so long for your pension.
I had success only after contacting the Pension Authority.
 

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Pinkpanter said:
I had success only after contacting the Pension Authority.
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The Pensions Authority is not competent to deal with complaints about the HSE.

You have to go to the FSPO following steps outlined above.

Otherwise I assume that calculating HSE pensions is a mess as compared to most public service employers health staff tend to move employer and grade a lot, as well as having more flexible work patterns.
 
In my wife's case the following happened.
She worked in a HSE hospital part time, 4 hours per week for about 18 years.
HSE supplied pension figures based on her working full time for approximately 2 years. This gave an accurate calculation of her pension entitlement. However when these figures were supplied to the AVC provider she had no entitlement to any extra tax-free lump sum.
I had to send a letter to HSE requesting her employment start and end dates. I also had to send them details of her pay for a 12 month period and ask them to verify the pay figures. When this information was sent to the AVC provider she was allowed just over 8000 euro extra tax free lump sum.
 
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I'm having some difficulty in processing the original post. When I worked in the HSE I submitted my retirement forms a few weeks prior to leaving and my pension kicked in on the due date and lumpsum followed at worst two weeks later. Perhaps I was lucky? And I had previous accountable added service.

But, had the OP accountable service in another employment(s) before joining the HSE?. If so, did previous employers submit details of the previous service to the HSE? Or, is it only now the OP is seeking the addition(s) of the previous service? If so, there is no gripe as all added service due should be submitted to the HSE within days of joining. I get the feeling the problem is with the previous employer(s).
 
This is a widespread problem now in HSE & utterly disgraceful. Some of my colleagues have recently retired & they too have been warned in advance it will take months before their pensions are paid to them. These are retirees with 40 years service old scheme. God knows what way things will be by the time people like me (new entrant scheme) get to retirement age. As it is, there is no pathway for us to even make enquiry about our pension fund.
 
Leper said:
I'm having some difficulty in processing the original post. When I worked in the HSE I submitted my retirement forms a few weeks prior to leaving and my pension kicked in on the due date and lumpsum followed at worst two weeks later. Perhaps I was lucky? And I had previous accountable added service.

But, had the OP accountable service in another employment(s) before joining the HSE?. If so, did previous employers submit details of the previous service to the HSE? Or, is it only now the OP is seeking the addition(s) of the previous service? If so, there is no gripe as all added service due should be submitted to the HSE within days of joining. I get the feeling the problem is with the previous employer(s).
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When did you retire?

All pensions are now paid out in Leitrim which was meant to streamline it. As far as I can see it has utterly failed but managers at grade 8 and above have multiplied.

Same with the recruitment function. They are proposing to bring recruitment back to the local areas (it continued locally in most areas) but the Leitrim office will remain open.

I wouldn't mind if this was a teething or settling in issue but it 8 or 10 years now. It really annoys me.
 
becky said:
When did you retire?

All pensions are now paid out in Leitrim which was meant to streamline it. As far as I can see it has utterly failed but managers at grade 8 and above have multiplied.

Same with the recruitment function. They are proposing to bring recruitment back to the local areas (it continued locally in most areas) but the Leitrim office will remain open.

I wouldn't mind if this was a teething or settling in issue but it 8 or 10 years now. It really annoys me.
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Just to answer your questions:-
1. (i) I retired from the HSE within the last 10 years and my pension and lump sum were paid within a month of leaving.
(ii) I went about transferring previous service due within one month of joining the Health Service 20 years earlier.
2. If HSE employees are retiring on the normal retiring grounds where there are no "external" issues and left waiting for months before their pension and lump sum kick in, I agree it is disgraceful. (I don't think trade unions would let this continue without opposition).
3. If the employee waited until retirement was approaching to go about transferring previous service, the fault is likely with the employee.
4. I checked with several retirees of the HSE who retired within the past six years and all of them informed me their pension and lump sum were paid almost immediately on retiring.

Were the HSE people known to me who retired just lucky?
or
Did we get the "full truths" from all posters? (Or was it:- Dúirt bean liom gur dúirt bean leí)

I should add that I never worked in any HSE Pension section. Also, wherever I worked there the recruitment process was conducted locally. Furthermore, I agree there are many inefficiencies within the service which should not be happening.
 
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Leper said:
Just to answer your questions:-
1. (i) I retired from the HSE within the last 10 years and my pension and lump sum were paid within a month of leaving.
(ii) I went about transferring previous service due within one month of joining the Health Service 20 years earlier.
2. If HSE employees are retiring on the normal retiring grounds where there are no "external" issues and left waiting for months before their pension and lump sum kick in, I agree it is disgraceful. (I don't think trade unions would let this continue without opposition).
3. If the employee waited until retirement was approaching to go about transferring previous service, the fault is likely with the employee.
4. I checked with several retirees of the HSE who retired within the past six years and all of them informed me their pension and lump sum were paid almost immediately on retiring.

Were the HSE people known to me who retired just lucky?
or
Did we get the "full truths" from all posters? (Or was it:- Dúirt bean liom gur dúirt bean leí)

I should add that I never worked in any HSE Pension section. Also, wherever I worked there the recruitment process was conducted locally. Furthermore, I agree there are many inefficiencies within the service which should not be
Leper said:
Just to answer your questions:-
1. (i) I retired from the HSE within the last 10 years and my pension and lump sum were paid within a month of leaving.
(ii) I went about transferring previous service due within one month of joining the Health Service 20 years earlier.
2. If HSE employees are retiring on the normal retiring grounds where there are no "external" issues and left waiting for months before their pension and lump sum kick in, I agree it is disgraceful. (I don't think trade unions would let this continue without opposition).
3. If the employee waited until retirement was approaching to go about transferring previous service, the fault is likely with the employee.
4. I checked with several retirees of the HSE who retired within the past six years and all of them informed me their pension and lump sum were paid almost immediately on retiring.

Were the HSE people known to me who retired just lucky?
or
Did we get the "full truths" from all posters? (Or was it:- Dúirt bean liom gur dúirt bean leí)

I should add that I never worked in any HSE Pension section. Also, wherever I worked there the recruitment process was conducted locally. Furthermore, I agree there are many inefficiencies within the service which should not be happening.
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Not the case. I know loads of people who have had to wait months. They will give you 10k from lump sum if pushed. You have to give 6 months notice as well so that should give them time to get your service. If you are thinking about retiring and ask them for estimate you will be waiting forever.
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@partnership said:- "Not the case. I know loads of people who have had to wait months. They will give you 10k from lump sum if pushed. You have to give 6 months notice as well so that should give them time to get your service. If you are thinking about retiring and ask them for estimate you will be waiting forever."

1. (I'm repeating myself here) - It is up to the person retiring to have any previous relevant service from other employments to be supplied by (i) The Retiree and (ii) Former employer(s). The HSE must wait for the information to be supplied. For obvious reasons the HSE just needs proof of all previous service. I've had experience of asking new entrants to the Health Service to provide details of previous service from their former employer and in almost 100% of cases the process became drawn out and fault is not applicable to the Health Service. The important word here is "proof."
2. Again let me reiterate if no previous service is applicable and if there is delay suffered by retirees, it is nothing short of disgraceful.
3. If details of previous service are not provided accurate calculations for pension purposes cannot be made. With the paucity of information provided by several posters here just proves how awkward it can be to have any accurate information provided. So the easy target to point the finger at is the HSE, but there are four fingers pointing back at the complainant.
 
Leper said:
I've had experience of asking new entrants to the Health Service to provide details of previous service from their former employer and in almost 100% of cases the process became drawn out and fault is not applicable to the Health Service. The important word here is "proof."
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I have had my own experience of this. Fortunately I went about it quite a few years before retirement. Getting a former employer to provide confirmation of service was time-consuming and not at all straightforward. It took much more than a few months. Whether previous service verification is a significant factor in the current delays in pension processing I have no idea, but it would be very foolish for an employee to leave this until they are coming up to retirement.
 
NoRegretsCoyote said:
I’m not sure the burden should rest with the employee.

The state should be able to keep track of who it employs.
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There are a wide variety of employers in the Health Sector - they are not all HSE, although employees are members of PS pension schemes. Service has to be verified and reconciled for pension purposes. I agree that it should run smoothly but it often doesn't. I would be fairly sure that similar issues arise between different regions and sectors of the HSE. It is in the employees interests to ensure that service has been verified well before retirement time.
 
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