When can I apply?

[ttsdriver]

Hi,

I will be 55 at the beginning of September.

When am I allowed to apply to start the ball rolling to take my NRA 60 benefits early? I am intending leaving my NRA 65 benefits alone but will they automatically include them in the quotation? Do I contact them by phone?

Many thanks in advance

Andy

[RobertT]

There are others on this forum who can probably answer this better than me because they have personal experience. But if you want any chance of getting your pension in September, you should be applying for it now.

There are threads about how long it takes for Capita in particular to get their act together – basically they're cr@p! So if you get it when you want it, you'll be doing quite well.

[stephen500]

Hi,

I will be 55 at the beginning of September.

When am I allowed to apply to start the ball rolling to take my NRA 60 benefits early? I am intending leaving my NRA 65 benefits alone but will they automatically include them in the quotation? Do I contact them by phone?

Many thanks in advance

Andy

I was told by the pensions centre 6 months. I will be applying on the 1st of June for Nov.
Join the queue.
I just hope they have enough staff back for both of us!
I had heard from others that capita were not accepting any new requests for those who had not reached their pension ages yet. Ie you have to be nearly 60 or 65 to get the ball rolling for your NRA60 or NRA65. Although whether more return to work this week, who knows.
The actual flow chart shows 17 weeks from the ball rolling to payment. Althought many have waited much longer and some have even gone past their pension age and still not had payment yet.
Btw the delays I talk about, were before Corona, so who knows how long we will wait.
I hope to have my pension at the end of Nov to leave early Dec. But I could be at work till next Easter! (all depends on payment)
Oh btw, yes ring the Royal Mail pension plan.

[Steve_claret]

It's a right royal PITA now as you have to apply to 2 different administrators for NRA60. I would email them rather than phone them detailing exactly which pensions you want to take at 55. They will then send you your estimates in the post. You will lose about 25% for taking your 60 pension at 55

RMPP (PSC) email address is pensions.helpline@royalmail.com

RMSPS (Capita) email address is enquiries@rmsps.co.uk

[lordthornber]

My Section C Pension taken in May last year took about 6 to 7 weeks. I rang them late Feb I think, was told I'd be put on file for communication.

Capita did exactly what they said they would, lump sum and pension paid as per my choices. The paperwork was childs play.

They made one admin error which had I not noticed would've slowed matters, inexplicably there was no request for identification. I rang them, they couldn't explain why the sheet requesting ID was missing but thanked me for spotting it.

[Steve_claret]

My Section C Pension taken in May last year took about 6 to 7 weeks. I rang them late Feb I think, was told I'd be put on file for communication.

Capita did exactly what they said they would, lump sum and pension paid as per my choices. The paperwork was childs play.

They made one admin error which had I not noticed would've slowed matters, inexplicably there was no request for identification. I rang them, they couldn't explain why the sheet requesting ID was missing but thanked me for spotting it.

Capita don't ask for ID now whilst the PSC still do. I sent PSC a copy of my passport. Capita now do electronic ID verification checks. It's not as if the Cabinet Office don't already have every minute bit of detail on you.

[david3595]

I applied for my NRA60 at 55 last September which was exactly 4 months before my 55th Birthday. Finally received my lump sum 3 weeks after my birthday and this was only because I had to make numerous phone calls to Capita and RMPP as a straight forward process somehow got stuck at Capita. RMPP saying it’s Capita’s fault and Capita saying it’s RMPP fault. I ended up having to email the CEO of Capita whose details had been kindly supplied by this platform. If I had just left it to the “experts” at Capita and remained silent I believe the delay could have been months and not weeks. This was all before Coronavirus so I can only imagine it won’t be straight forward. The full monthly pension went into my account at the end of the following month that I received my lump sum and a pro rata pension just after the lump sum which was paid on 26th January.

[ttsdriver]

Thanks for all the advice.

I'm assuming that the process is the same for a deferred member like me who left the business in 2012?

[Steve_claret]

My NRA60 process was started mid November 2019. I will get my 1st pension payment at the end of this month.