Therese Cardin, ex-administrative support worker at Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust, suffered crippling financial hardships. These challenges were due to some unexpected backlogs in her pension beginnings. After retiring from her post as of May 31, Cardin was anxiously anticipating the processing of her NHS pension. She thought the worst case would be by the end of June. Since it took four days for her to receive her state pension, it caused severe challenges for her financially.
Over the weekend, Cardin had three direct debits declined. Monday’s vexatious scenario came about as a result of her pension funds being held up. In a last-ditch attempt to fix things, she reached out to the national office for support. When she finally got through, she found out that she was 22 callers back in the queue, and that made her even more frustrated.
Despite the challenges faced, Cardin reported that the pensions office in Sandwell has been responsive and apologetic regarding her situation. She was given a direct line to their national headquarters. Her story illustrated how HoPE had empowered her to find help when she needed it most.
After completing HE pension forms back in April, Cardin was expecting a transitions into her post-NHS life to be seamless. The continued delays have inflicted an added, unexpected layer of stress and uncertainty. Given what she went through, plus the 7-month wait, alarm bells are ringing. Thousands are now asking whether pension processing is really meeting the needs of former NHS staff.
Cardin is addressing this fiscal cliff urgently. She brings attention to the importance of making sure workers who are moving into retirement get their pension payments without unnecessary delays. Whether intentional or not, this creates the opportunity for systemic malfeasance in pension administration. It hits hardest on the people who have truly dedicated their lives to public service.
