Inefficient & hopeless

I worked for the BBC for many years and at one point went on a short-term contract with one of their charities. They put me into a pension scheme with the Prudential, the BBC contributing as well as me personally.

I put this pension on hold when I rejoined the BBC full-time as I began paying into the main BBC scheme. I was not allowed to transfer the Pru money across.

Now I am 55 it is proving almost impossible to get this relatively small pension pot with Prudential paid as a lump sum. I know part of it will be taxed, but there is no point in taking an annuity as it is so small.

The BBC managed to pay my pension annuity on my birthday with no problems. A final salary pension annuity I had with another employer, paid without issue on my birthday.

Not Prudential! When I made my initial call several months ago, they would not discuss anything because apparently I didn't know my first name. I had to send them a copy of my birth certificate to prove they had made a mistake. They tried to blame the BBC for supplying the information - the same BBC that had employed me since 1990 and had always known my name! This took two weeks to sort out. Then Prudential said I couldn't do anything until my birthday - obviously rubbish but I waited until closer to the date.

Each time I called, the pension value fluctuated dramatically. It is now two weeks since my birthday, they still can't tell me how much I will receive (except give a one of the wildly fluctuating estimates), or exactly when it will be paid.

Apparently they are very busy since the referendum. Hmm sounds like a poor excuse to me.

Not impressed as the other pension companies have been helpful and very efficient.