Recently we have seen 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, 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.
The Forces Pension Society is actively engaged, supporting affected members and seeking clarification across a range of linked policy issues. We are at the start of this process and 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:
- Verify the correspondence is legitimate if necessary, by calling Equiniti on 0345 121 2514.
- Request information: Ask Equiniti in writing for a detailed breakdown of the overpayments including the period and amounts – you are owed an explanation. Copy the correspondence to Veterans UK.
- 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.
- 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.
Once we have received the clarification we seek, we will provide further updates. FPS members can of course contact us to receive individual guidance on how to approach any overpayment recovery demand.”
Further Reference Documents: IDRP Factsheet & IDRP Customer Journey Map
