Hi,
Trying to keep it as simple as I can, I have a Pensions query.
Basically, I was married for 20 years (I'm 49) until 2022 when my Wife and I got amicably divorced, we remain best friends. My Wife has worked in the Civil service for over 25 years and I worked from 2015 onwards in the Civil service. In our Divorce my wife, who is a significantly higher earner than me, kept the family home and I was given a share of the house (just over half) and also given 48.16% of her Pension.
The Divorce was finalised and we were granted a Pension Sharing Order with an effective date of September 2022.
Unfortunately 'My Civil Service Pension' from then on have been pretty horrendous, phone call waiting times aside, I have been waiting for the Pension sharing order to be implemented. After around a year of 20-25 phone calls, I was told about 8 or so months ago that the order had been implemented and that I must wait for my ABS (Annual Benefits Statement) in July 2024 which would detail the sharing order. After patiently waiting 8 months the ABS arrived and there was no sign of the pension sharing order.
After being told different things by so many different operators I was told that my Pension credit (the amount being transferred from my Wife's Pension to mine) was probably a 'deferred' pension which was the first time I had heard this term from either The Civil service or my solicitor. I am anxious to work out my options but am still unable to as I don't know what the current amount of my Wife's share means. e.g. How much it is worth now, what if I take it earlier etc.
I was was strongly under the impression that they would simply transfer her amount from her Civil service pension to my civil service pension and and don't really understand this. I have begged the Civil Service Pension to sort this issue but after nearly 2 years of trying I am struggling enormously emotionally to resolve this issue.
Essentially, I need to understand why I now seem to have an extra pot for this Pension sharing order and also where it is and how I can use it plan any possible retirement and also how I can actually get My Civil Service to enact this. The Pension sharing order itself cost thousands and it seems that I am not much further forward after 2 years.
I truly appreciate any advice that may be possible, sorry if the frustration of the situation spilled out into this post!
