Some of us are still alive and kicking and the poorer for it.

I often wondered if this was a deliberate ploy, after all, if they can trace you for your state pension, I cannot see why they can't for your service pension as well.

I too have met people that simply did not know, one was well past his due date, like 10 years plus! he was staggered when he got a pile of money paid into his account and a monthly income that he never thought he was due. Pleased was an understatement.

The Teachers' Pension people tracked my wife down so why can't the military pension folk. The lump sum in back pension paid for a trip to NZ and left some change.

same for me

There's all sorts of GDPR nonsense involved in chasing people and firing letters off to addresses where you think someone lives. Granted a lot of folk don't realise they're entitled to a pension, the majority would be short term service who left in their '20's. That gives them almost 40 years to forget their entitlement and lose their discharge paperwork. It really is down to the individual to take charge of their own affairs; should they do so then the money is there.

I have a friend who served (80s/90’s) who’s convinced she’s not got a preserved pension as she took a gratuity. Was there a gratuity in lieu of preserved pension?

Pension at 60
 

Yes. In fact, right up until the early 2000s it was possible to serve on 'gratuity-earning terms', which meant that no pension was earned but a gratuity was paid if the engagement was completed satisfactorily.

Can you change the payment date of your pension does anyone know?

In what way? Day of the month or delay it?

The date it is paid in the month, so say move the 19th to the 30th?

I had my payment moved to the end of the month wef July just gone. So yes, it can be done.

I am afraid you can't - it is set when the pension is awarded.

I wrote to Equiniti to adjust my pension payments to the first working day of each month - simples!

So which is it?

Hmmm. When I asked them they said no. I am pleased that they seem to have taken a more flexible view. My question to them was a theoretical one so, as they have actually done it for Gulf Flyer, the answer must be yes. Sorry for the bum steer.

I wonder if this is because GF is overseas and effectively their bank are sitting on the payment (interest, thanks very much!)? Equiniti Paymaster pays Armed Forces pensions for veterans living overseas on the date they are due. Payments are then routed to overseas bank accounts via Citibank. So they, or a bank down the line may be changing the payment date whilst holding the money owed? Or, maybe it’s the delay of transfer that has effectively moved the dates?

My pension gets paid on 10th of the month. Not sure I would want to delay it by 20 days to give Equiniti another 20 days of interest. Better off in my account earning interest than theirs!