Retired teacher Eileen McGrath, 85, has had her pension payments stopped multiple times by Teachers’ Pensions because they mistakenly believe she is deceased. McGrath received letters twice asking if she was dead, which she promptly addressed. However, the pension provider sent two more letters asking the same question, and ultimately, her payments were halted. McGrath has been asked to prove her existence since 2020 and faces the possibility of losing her income each time. Despite her complaint, she received no apology for the inconvenience. The Department for Education, which oversees Teachers’ Pensions, explained that the vetting procedure uses the death register to prevent ineligible payments, but erroneous matches can occur even with differing personal details. After the Guardian raised concerns, the DfE assured that McGrath’s name would be separated from the deceased person and that she would not be contacted concerning it again.
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2024/jan/20/retired-teachers-pension-stopped-as-provider-refuses-to-believe-she-is-not-dead