I’m an expat and mail provider is sluggish – why does my pension supplier want common signed letters? STEVE WEBB replies

I’m a British male elderly 73 and and reside within the Philippines. I’ve lived right here for over 15 years and I’m married. 

Each month I obtain a small personal pension cost of £69.53 from Hannover Re based totally in the United Kingdom. 

Occasionally, I obtain a Proof of Life Certificate via publish which I duly signal and ship them a excellent scanned replica.

The incoming publish into the Philippines is very sluggish and it is notoriously labelled as snail mail. It can take months to reach. 

On a few events I’ve spotted my per 30 days cost hasn’t come via. 

Then I’ve to telephone Hannover Re and it emails me a certificates to signal. The final time I advised it to simply touch me via electronic mail and now not via publish. Or it might however name me.

Anyway, it is came about all over again and my cost for 1 May 2025, which I depend on, hasn’t been paid into my checking account in the United Kingdom. 

I’ve phoned and emailed and it sounds as if they’ll touch me inside of 10 operating days. That’s now not excellent sufficient.

My query is that this: Surely it has a statutory accountability to me as a buyer to provide me with the right kind paperwork on time and prior to it suspends my bills. 

Why cannot it merely electronic mail me the paperwork? Can it droop bills with out prior understand? It did not tell me it used to be going to forestall it.

I’d be extraordinarily thankful if that you must glance into this subject, now not simply me however for the opposite tens of millions of expats who reside in a foreign country and obtain a pension.

Steve Webb replies: We steadily listen at This is Money from readers out of doors the United Kingdom who’re having issues of bills being stopped, whether or not state pensions from the United Kingdom executive or personal pensions. 

It is exasperating that your bills are time and again stopped with out understand, and that you’re dependent at the nationwide postal device which sounds extremely unreliable.

You have since advised me that you’ve got now were given the most recent cost reinstated and that you just controlled to try this via phoning up and passing safety assessments, and with no need to supply a ‘evidence of lifestyles’ certificates.

This after all raises the query as to why the supplier could not merely electronic mail you and ask you to telephone in every year so it will probably test it’s nonetheless paying a residing individual. 

It would now not essentially wish to do that for all in a foreign country shoppers however may just do it in international locations the place the postal provider is understood to be extra unreliable.

Where you challenged your supplier, it first of all stated it used to be: ‘not able to ship those paperwork to person individuals by way of electronic mail because of technical obstacles’.

It did settle for ‘the velocity and reliability of in a foreign country postal products and services varies via nation’, however the most efficient it might do used to be counsel you telephone proactively every year at across the time that the letters move out. 

It stated when you known as and finished the protection questions to ensure your identification ‘we can settle for this as affirmation as an alternative of a paper shape go back’.

However, I’m happy to mention the corporate have now advised me it has upheld your grievance and can glance to make adjustments which will have to cut back the danger of this taking place once more.

Hannover Re stated: ‘Annual evidence of lifestyles knowledge is contractually required to be sure that legitimate bills are being made. 

‘For in a foreign country policyholders, this procedure is extra complicated as we aren’t in a position to make use of the screening products and services which can be readily to be had in the United Kingdom. 

‘We subsequently ship preliminary requests for a Certificate of Existence a minimum of 4 months prematurely of the due date and apply this up with 3 extra letters prior to taking any movements to droop the coverage. 

‘Historically those requests were despatched out by way of publish, and for nearly all of policyholders this works smartly. 

‘We do then again recognise that for some in a foreign country policyholders this won’t paintings, and we can be updating our processes going ahead to incorporate reminders by way of electronic mail. 

‘We are in a position to simply accept evidence of lifestyles knowledge by way of electronic mail and had suggested your reader of this final 12 months’.

You have additionally since raised a 2nd query in the case of a special insurance coverage corporate, particularly Aviva, who you sought after to inform of a metamorphosis of cope with.

You sought after so as to ship it a signed letter confirming the exchange however it could now not settle for this. 

Instead, it requested for an formally qualified replica of your passport and a separate evidence of cope with. 

You identified doing this used to be pricey, inconvenient… and could not perceive why a letter would now not do.

I put this level to Aviva and it stated its means used to be same old around the business. 

It stated a part of the issue used to be it used to be more uncomplicated to ensure details about UK shoppers electronically, however this used to be now not conceivable the place shoppers are out of doors the United Kingdom. 

Aviva added: ‘We at all times prioritise the protection of our shoppers’ budget and knowledge. 

‘It is subsequently necessary for us to habits thorough due diligence to make sure our shoppers’ coverage.

‘Documents from in a foreign country is also extra prone to forgery, which is why we require them to be qualified via a relied on person who can ascertain their authenticity. 

‘We then test the certifier’s touch main points to make sure the legitimacy of the certification, as stamps will also be cast. 

‘We are dedicated to safeguarding in a foreign country shoppers from fraud in the similar method as we do for our UK shoppers.’

Clearly from the standpoint of suppliers it is more difficult when they’re making bills out of doors the United Kingdom and so they need to steer clear of the hazards for fraud or of creating bills to any individual who has died. 

But it’s excellent that Hannover Re have undertaken to check their processes to strengthen issues for you and different shoppers going ahead.