We continue to see an increase in the number of enquiries from FPS members who have received a letter from Equiniti titled “Overpayment of Armed Forces Pension.”
The letters say Equiniti has “received instructions to revise your AFPS benefits…..as payment of AFPS benefits are made from public funds, Equiniti Paymaster are required to seek recovery from you.” The letter gives instructions on how repayment can be made and how to contact Equiniti.
There are several reasons why such overpayments have occurred, and we are aware of specific issues relating to Pension Sharing Orders, Early Departure Payments, Guaranteed Minimum Pension, National Insurance Abatement and more general calculation errors.
The Secretary of State (representing the government) has an obligation to protect public funds and recover overpayments when possible. But there are some circumstances where write off action may be possible or the amounts owed / repayment plan negotiated. Veterans UK have confirmed that their Debt Recovery Team will consider all reasonable repayment plan offers and Veterans Services will actively support members facing repayment.
The Forces Pension Society is actively engaged, supporting affected members and seeking clarification across a range of linked policy issues. This process remains ongoing and we will provide further updates when we can. In the meantime:
If you receive such a letter, and before committing to pay the amounts reportedly owed, we recommend the following action:
1. Verify the correspondence is legitimate, if necessary, by calling Equiniti on 0345 121 2514 Option 2. This will also enable you to discuss the contents of the letter and the overpayment request.
2. Request information: Follow up in writing using the email ddress veteransukpensions@equiniti.com. The recent National Insurance Abatement letters state that the subject heading should be Complaint: NIA26 followed by the letter reference number. Ask Equiniti to show you a detailed breakdown of the methodology and calculations they used to come to the revised pension figures they are quoting. DBS Veterans UK have confirmed to us that this must be provided by Equiniti when asked for. Copy the correspondence to Veterans UK.
3. Where maladministration of an Armed Forces pension has occurred, you have the right to complain using the Internal Dispute Resolution Procedure (IDRP). Once armed with the information from Equiniti you will be in a good position to do this. Indeed, you are entitled to submit an IDRP at any stage and may choose to do this from the outset.
4. Consider writing to your local MP seeking their support and asking that your concerns are addressed effectively based on your individual circumstances and ability to pay.
Remember, whilst the likelihood is that an overpayment has occurred, and the government is obliged to seek recovery of such overpayments, there is a case to answer in respect of maladministration. You have the right to a reasonable standard of administration over your pension.
FPS members can of course contact us to receive individual guidance on how to approach any overpayment recovery demand including suggested questions to ask of Equiniti.
Further Reference
Overpayment of Pension Recovery: IDRP Guidance
IDRP Factsheet – IDRP Customer Journey Map
News item updated 24 March 2026 to include further guidance for members
