HMRC "Proof of life" certificate,
#1
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Joined: Aug 2023
Posts: 28

Every 2 years i fill in and send off the Proof of life certificate to HMRC international pension centre, then after a couple of weeks i phone to make sure they have received it. 10 days ago i sent in the form as normal and low and behold to day i received a text from HMRC saying they had received my form, they have never ever acknowledged the receipt before. i bet that after the fiasco in 2022 they started sending texts to confirm receipt of form, but at least its a step in the right direction, now they just need to give us the yearly increase , but i cant see that happening any time soon with the new govt who seem to want to stick it to pensioners any way they can.
#2
Forum Regular



Joined: May 2021
Posts: 170
From: Stony Plain, AB











Every 2 years i fill in and send off the Proof of life certificate to HMRC international pension centre, then after a couple of weeks i phone to make sure they have received it. 10 days ago i sent in the form as normal and low and behold to day i received a text from HMRC saying they had received my form, they have never ever acknowledged the receipt before. i bet that after the fiasco in 2022 they started sending texts to confirm receipt of form, but at least its a step in the right direction, now they just need to give us the yearly increase , but i cant see that happening any time soon with the new govt who seem to want to stick it to pensioners any way they can.
Always believe that Starmer will do the right thing for us seniors. I wrote to my newly appointed Labour MP about indexed pensions and the promised UK pension review but yet to get a reply, will prod him again in 5 or 6 weeks if I've not heard back by then.
#6
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Joined: May 2021
Posts: 170
From: Stony Plain, AB











My wife and I mailed our POL certificates today, Saturday 28th Sept. Be interesting to see if we get texts in a week or two, I will post again if and when they do or not.
Always believe that Starmer will do the right thing for us seniors. I wrote to my newly appointed Labour MP about indexed pensions and the promised UK pension review but yet to get a reply, will prod him again in 5 or 6 weeks if I've not heard back by then.
Always believe that Starmer will do the right thing for us seniors. I wrote to my newly appointed Labour MP about indexed pensions and the promised UK pension review but yet to get a reply, will prod him again in 5 or 6 weeks if I've not heard back by then.
#8
Every 2 years i fill in and send off the Proof of life certificate to HMRC international pension centre, then after a couple of weeks i phone to make sure they have received it. 10 days ago i sent in the form as normal and low and behold to day i received a text from HMRC saying they had received my form, they have never ever acknowledged the receipt before. i bet that after the fiasco in 2022 they started sending texts to confirm receipt of form, but at least its a step in the right direction, now they just need to give us the yearly increase , but i cant see that happening any time soon with the new govt who seem to want to stick it to pensioners any way they can.
#9
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Joined: May 2021
Posts: 170
From: Stony Plain, AB












#10
Forum Regular



Joined: May 2021
Posts: 170
From: Stony Plain, AB











Canada has requested the UK to make a reciprocal agreement to cover pension uprating (even though it's not necessary) multiple times but the UK has said not interested so it's not Canada's fault (for a change!). It's just about the political will in the UK, now that we have votes for life we should have more clout but people need to reister as overseas voters. See www.britishpensions.com
#11
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Joined: May 2021
Posts: 170
From: Stony Plain, AB











A calamitous situation was created two years ago when thousands of ‘Proof of Life’ forms mailed (or not?) to Canada by the Department for Work and Pensions went mysteriously missing, leading to pensioners, many of them members of Canadain Alliance of British pensioners, finding their frozen pensions suddenly and without warning stopping. Since then, CABP was astonished to discover that this could never have happened to our fellow pensioners in Australia. British pensioners in Australia have never even heard of ‘Proof of Life’ forms. A Freedom of Information request to the UK government has revealed that the UK has an arrangement with Australia and a few other countries to be informed when anyone in receipt of a British state pension dies, so there is absolutely no need for these forms to be issued and returned. CABP has asked British High Commissioner Susannah Goshko to take steps towards having this arrangement enacted with Canada as well. She has assured us that her government is working on a solution. Watch this space!
#12
A calamitous situation was created two years ago when thousands of ‘Proof of Life’ forms mailed (or not?) to Canada by the Department for Work and Pensions went mysteriously missing, leading to pensioners, many of them members of Canadain Alliance of British pensioners, finding their frozen pensions suddenly and without warning stopping. Since then, CABP was astonished to discover that this could never have happened to our fellow pensioners in Australia. British pensioners in Australia have never even heard of ‘Proof of Life’ forms. A Freedom of Information request to the UK government has revealed that the UK has an arrangement with Australia and a few other countries to be informed when anyone in receipt of a British state pension dies, so there is absolutely no need for these forms to be issued and returned. CABP has asked British High Commissioner Susannah Goshko to take steps towards having this arrangement enacted with Canada as well. She has assured us that her government is working on a solution. Watch this space!
- that the foreign organisation can identify a UK state pension as distinct from a different UK pension (there is more than one DWP in the world
) - That they have enough information to correctly identify the dead person so the right one is actioned (Dear DWP, Our bank customer Alan Jones of Australia has died
) - That there even is a foreign organisation receiving it because some people have it paid to a UK account and then transfer it to their foreign account where it merely shows as a deposit.
- That the foreign organisation gets to know of the person's death - because if you want to carry on getting a dead person's pension you won't be telling anyone that might result in it stopping will you

#13
I sent mine on October 21.
My gopher took it to the PO with instructions to have it registered for tracking advantages but he forgot that bit so it went ordinary mail.
I had seen others say they got texts conforming receipt and as I don't have that capability I asked for email confirmation.
Which I didn't get. I wondered if there was some automated procedure to send the text that would be unable to recognise non-receipt in the same way a fax machine indicates the fax didn't work so they'd never now.
Anyway I used the email function on the website mentioned earlier - I have previously used it for other matters - to ask if all was in order. After two goes they eventually confirmed it was all finished on Nov 4, so done within 2 weeks, and apologised for not having emailed as requested on the form.
My gopher took it to the PO with instructions to have it registered for tracking advantages but he forgot that bit so it went ordinary mail.
I had seen others say they got texts conforming receipt and as I don't have that capability I asked for email confirmation.
Which I didn't get. I wondered if there was some automated procedure to send the text that would be unable to recognise non-receipt in the same way a fax machine indicates the fax didn't work so they'd never now.

Anyway I used the email function on the website mentioned earlier - I have previously used it for other matters - to ask if all was in order. After two goes they eventually confirmed it was all finished on Nov 4, so done within 2 weeks, and apologised for not having emailed as requested on the form.
#14
This presupposes
- that the foreign organisation can identify a UK state pension as distinct from a different UK pension (there is more than one DWP in the world
) - That they have enough information to correctly identify the dead person so the right one is actioned (Dear DWP, Our bank customer Alan Jones of Australia has died
) - That there even is a foreign organisation receiving it because some people have it paid to a UK account and then transfer it to their foreign account where it merely shows as a deposit.
- That the foreign organisation gets to know of the person's death - because if you want to carry on getting a dead person's pension you won't be telling anyone that might result in it stopping will you

#15
I suspect that you have this process backwards, that it's not a process dependent on Australia identifying British citizens receiving a UK pension, but that it's the British government who has sent a list of names and DOBs of British citizens receiving a British state pension, and asked the Australian government to let the British DWP know when anyone on the pops their clogs.




