wmpfonline.com Arvostelua 

If only you can give zero stars that would be more appropriate for the shambolic service that is called West Midlands pension fund, whilst the odd member of staff is sympathetic to your situation the majority of staff do not give a hoots you have not received any paperwork, to them your just another number in the stats, whilst I except their will be a delay in the process of administering my pension I do object to finding out that the fund have processed the pension of a former colleague of mine who left after me, buck up your ideas WMPF you are playing with peoples lives here

Absolutely disgusted with the amount of time these people take to give you your pension figures. Applied in June, still no pay out. Apparently I have to wait another 6 weeks!

Retired early in July, paperwork submitted to WMPF by local authority in June but still waiting to receive required quote and documents to be paid lump sum and pension.
WMPF website states that waiting times have reduced and the majority of retirement quotes are now being provided within 3 months and payments of benefits should then commence within 6 weeks following submission of documentation. However these delays are still ongoing 15 months after the original IT issues last year and WMPF just apologise for the 'inconvenience caused'.
It's a scandal that has featured in the press and on TV several times. Therefore, I'm rather surprised that, to date, a group legal claim hasn't been launched for, or by, those people who are still awaiting their pensions, or who now have them but had previously been subject to a delay. Delays which, given other WMPF reviews and my own experience, are causing varying levels of financial hardship to pension scheme members.

If I could give a zero I would.
My husband retired at 64 due to ill health, was told that he would be a priority. WHAT A JOKE.
Retired 30th April 24 and still waiting my payout 30th October. He has had no income at all as too young for state pension, can't work, I can't claim benefits as he is younger than me and according to DWP we come as a pair. We have lived on my state pension alone for past 6 months.
They have had all the relevant paperwork as we took it directly to their offices over 2 weeks ago. Today received a letter telling us it would be another 6/8 weeks to process WHY??? I know he will he back paid what is due to him but promises don't pay the bills, buy food, let us live.
When speaking to them, there is no compassion, no responsibilities, no concerns. Why does it take 6 months to pay the pensioner his money !! Somebody needs to be held to account but they all hide behind telephone line ( which takes 30 minutes plus to be answered ) BUCK UP, DO YOUR JOB WITHIN A REASONABLE TIMESCALE AND BE CONCERNED FOR THE PEOPLE YOU SERVE.

When will someone take over the running of this fund. This is a joke that this company have your money yet will not communicate and then close cases saying clase complete yet there is no answer. This is their default reply. No wonder this company are on the tv and reviews are as they are. I have been trying to communicate for months. I will be going to my MP now and trying to get the press involved. This is people's pensions here they are playing with.. I wonder if the money is really there. 1 star is not what they are worth

I guess i should have expected a wait … but to not hear anything or be given any timelines is so frustrating. They must have an idea how long the delay is but when you ask they said they don’t know, doesn’t fill me with much confidence that my money (yes my money) is safe !
I will probably join the hundreds of us that have complained but got no where.

Update would still give Zero .had my forecast come through via email returned the relevant paperwork all signed chased them up for payment date to be told it takes up to 8 weeks to set payment up if lump sum and monthly . Another point my colleague attended a roadshow held by the fund recently he asked them how long to get pension paid was told no later than 3 months .Why are they are lying to there fund members be honest.Amazing that the CEO still is in post disgraceful.

This company is absolutely shocking my mother passed away in March 2024 and the delay in their processing is absolutely disgusting. I have made numerous calls for updates and have been fobbed off with the same nonsense about having a new system, this has caused an backlog and how the case is complex . I made a complaint in June they acknowledged my complaint stating the complaint process has started and has been noted with management but haven’t heard anything since. It is absolutely frustrating and I am now making a second complaint.

My own pension is with this company and if I was to pass away I would hate for my own children to be waiting this amount of time and therefore due to this I am considering to move my own pension.

I echo the same 1 star review as everyone else the company is so frustrating and something legally needs to be done.

It is so frustrating with the incompetences of the senior management team at WM-LGPS. I informed of my planned retirement in February 2024, and retired on 30th may 2024. I am still to receive any information on when I can expect to receive what is my money. It’s the same automated fob-off each time that they are working on a resolution. The web site states you will have an initial quote on within 8 weeks, still waiting. I wonder what Rachel Brothwood would say if her £106k + annual salary was delayed 6-8 months? This needs to go legal and we should find a lawyer to represent the nearer 2000 members still waiting for late payments, it’s nothing short of theft.

Disgrace! As all the other reviewers have remarked, this is a complete shambles, I'd like to say from start to finish...but there hasn't been a finish!!! My wife has recently retired, over her working life she has acquired a number of pensions at various providers. Having a background working in banking and finance I started the process 3 months in advance because I was aware if how slow some companies can be. To be fair the majority have been very good, with no issues and payments have already started.
However, WMPF have been poor and blame it on a computer system upgrade, well unlucky that was 12 months ago and that should have been sorted by either them, the company writing the software, or employing the correct number of staff to undertake the administration. As an institution that is licenced by the FCA it is beyond belief that they are allowed to continue to operate by the regulator and the pension trustees appear to have no understanding of their role. I would suggest that the company is still taking a fee for their work and I suspect that the CEO will be a large salary.
After 3 months and they can't provide a quotation, doesn't inspire me with confidence that they will be actually paying any money out soon. Until either the FCA starts to do it's job and instigates financial sanctions or a legal firm starts a class action, they will continue to get away with their scandalous behaviour and blame it on a computer. Somewhere behind this are hundreds or thousands of loyal retirees who are merely asking for what is due to them. Hang your heads in shame!!!

If it helps, the CEO is Rachel Brothwood. If you do a quick Google search her email address is available!

Would give Zero but not possible.shocking ran fund I am waiting now 5 months for this fund to pay my pension and my lump sum .CEO emailed but she comes out with same old excuses as her staff blaming the system that they installed in 2023 .Complaint submitted heard nothing from them . If you are thinking of putting you pension money with this company Don’t move it to another fund that looks after you and cares .Dont believe me look at BBC midlands today and central news both have ran this on there shows

My wife retired on 31/5/2024 and was told initially that there was problems with the fund paying out due to a software issue but everything would be resolved within 8 weeks. What they fail to tell you is that is the first step of the process ! she has waited 8 weeks for her quote and then you get a letter telling you that you wait for a further 8 weeks for your pay out !! She has waited 4 months ! And is due to be paid on the 19/09/2024 and up until today she still hasn’t had confirmation of that’s going to happen .. sadly that isn’t the case she has rang today and they are still unable to confirm when her money will be paid. She lost her temper today with them as she is so frustrated!! No one can give you any updates and we are
now desperate for money ! Absolutely shocking customer services !! Would never recommend them to anyone !!!

My wife pass away on the 18th January 2024 I've sent all relevant documents in within a month. I've had the same problem with them as the revenue posted by the Widower regarding her husband pension. Dont they realise when your partner passes away it can effect your finances .But do you think they care !!!! Bet the head ot the organisation is getting his/hers salary for doing a crap job but what changes !!!!

My Husband died on Jan, 8th. I was due some of his pension. I was sent a letter asking for the relevant paperwork, dated Feb. 3rd.which I sent pretty quickly. I heard nothing for approx. a month so I phoned the bereavement dept. to check it had arrived & they said that they had received it & it was passed to the relevant dept. Again I heard NOTHING. I phoned & was put through to what I was told was the relevant dept. at least thrice. Each time I was told my message would be passed on. Heard NOTHING. Frustrated I went back to the Bereavement Dept. The lady said she would hurry it up. I then received on July 2nd. a letter saying that the administration of my Husband's account was complete with no mention of me. Again I phoned the Bereavement Dept. The same lady looked info. up & said I was on the list. She must be fed up with complaints as none of this is her fault! Still NOTHING. Surely when they see my age, I am 84, they should see the need for more haste. As I am unwell I would like to see the pension while I can. I saw their excuses today on the news but the faults should have been sorted months ago. Wmpf only deserve 1 star . I have only given an extra one because of the kind attitude of the Bereavement Dept.

6th June I put in for my pension still nothing . Been told they can't give me a date . So wrong how can they still be taking people's money but you can't get it back .if I could of given it an 0 star I would of .

I am fed up phoning for updates on my pensions, same response every time, I am in so much pain with my teeth that I need my pension to go privately to a dentist, I keep being told they’re waiting for the pensions to be deferred and can’t give me a time scale. This has been going on since June.

This pension provider just fobs you offf every time you call them o was so looking forward to my pension but I don't think I will ever receive it hey don't appear to be interested I have called them all year thousands of times. I have learned my lesson I will never save another penny in pension what the point when they won't give you back your hard earned money. I

I took flexible retirement in June year requesting my pension from West Midlands Pension Fund, their response and attitude are deplorable the latest newsletter states if you have requested a retirement quotation you should receive your full benefit options within 3 months and once all retirement forms are returned and fully completed payments of benefits should be made within 6 weeks, which is completely untrue, if you call them chasing an update they say they can't give you a timescale for retirement quotations and are quoting 8 weeks for payment once completed forms received! I have a number of work colleagues in the same situation with 1 waiting since mid April. I wonder if we were company directors or executive members of West Midlands Pension fund we would still be waiting - I think not, we are just ordinary little people and the way we are being treated is scandalous. I have raised this with my local MP and so have my colleagues.

I made a simple request to increase my pension contribution last September. It was the most awful experience. They ignore emails, only had phone lines open during my working hours, insist on things being done online with no alternative for those who are not good with technology and took 8 months to fulfil my request.
A further email I sent requesting information on what benefits were available for my wife in the event of my death, was totally ignored.
They have increased the phone hours, which we didn't know about, but today I managed to get through when phoning on the off chance. Apparently, something should have been set up for me, but hadn't been!
All in all the worst service I have ever come across. (and I have come across many!)

I opted for redundancy when opportunity arose and being over 55 was able to access my pension I'd paid into for 30+ years. All documentation was sent to wmpf prior to my leave date on 31/1/24. Late March I received a benefit statement and options papers to complete and return, so I was very optimistic at this point as I was aware of the problems with their new IT system and the backlog of cases incurred (we've all encountered that scenario in the workplace im sure!). However, my optimism soon turned to despair when I realised my leave date and pension calculation was based on leaving in Jan 2023! I duly notified wmpf who advised that my employer made the error so I contacted them and they promptly rectified the error and sent on revised forms to wmpf early April.
It's almost September now and to date I've still not received a pension statement let alone a penny in payment. Ive made numerous portal enquiries and telephone calls only to be advised my case has been 'escalated' to the appropriate team and they can't say when it shall be processed? So almost 8 months on, I've yet to know what my pension will be, let alone receive any of it. I've been very patient and understanding of their problems, contrary to reading their newsletters stating the backlogs have reduced and services have improved, so why hasn't my case been dealt with yet? A work friend retired after me in feb and she's receiving payments already, fair play to her I say ! So how are they are prioritising dated cases ? Seemingly they arent ! Needless to say ive lost trust & confidence in wmpf, and its time for the pension ombudsman to step in and investigate their service shortcomings. WMPF can't continue to negatively impact on people's livelihoods and wellbeing - I'm struggling with both now like so many others i expect.
It's not been a great start to what should have been an exciting life changing event. Instead, I'm left at the mercy of WMPF getting their act together and one day soon I'll have my hard earned pension contributions realised so I can get on with my life!