Occupational Pension Details

Hello...

My husband was on incapacity benefit for years and two years ago was transferred to ESA (support group - thanks to this website!). He recently received a letter saying that he had told them that his 'occupational pension' was for a given monthly figure.

1) His company pension is an ill-health pension, not an occupational 'retirement' pension.

2) He did not give the DHSS any figure (was never asked) and when he contacted them and asked where the info had come from, the person he spoke to was very defensive and wouldn't tell him the source.

3) His pension supplier has said that they haven't given any info out and haven't been contacted.

4) We assumed the info had been ?illegally given by the Tax Office but he has just spoken to them and been told that, although they might have given the DHSS a Tax Code, they never give out detailed information and pension figures. They agreed that the info might have been acquired from some database which would mean that the DHSS would be breaking the data protection act.

I know you can't give personal advice but I'm wondering if you are aware of this? He surely can't be the only person to receive one of these letters? Is there anything people can do to find out where the information is coming from? Is the DHSS acting illegally?

We're also concerned that they're trying to regard the pension as a straight (?early retirement) one rather than a ill-health one. Can they do this and what should people do?

Finally beaten on this one! Hoping someone can clarify this situation and possibly suggest a course of action in these circumstances.

Many thanks

Hello there, Can I just clarify for the purposes of "pension" there is no difference between Occupational and Ill health. Il health just means that your occupational pension has been awarded because of your ill health retirement. it is still an occupational pension.

Hello......

Update to the above post! My husband finally got an answer on this from the DWP. The government have 'merged' the two departments i.e. DWP and Tax Office so they can now look at both lots of records 'legally'.

That's how they know everything about you. Shameful!