A retired teacher, identified as MW from Port Talbot, has reported ongoing issues with Teachers' Pensions, which incorrectly assumed their death, leading to the suspension of their pension payments. The former teacher had previously contacted The Guardian after receiving multiple letters demanding confirmation of their continued existence. This time, MW's pension was stopped without warning due to a missed letter, which subsequently arrived when the teacher made inquiries.
This situation follows an earlier report by The Guardian highlighting the practice of Teachers' Pensions sending threatening letters to retired teachers, based on death register matches, demanding proof of life. The letters, which avoid direct mention of death, have also been sent to partners of deceased teachers, inquiring about new relationships.
Despite MW's repeated confirmations since 2020 that they are not the deceased individual, the Department for Education (DfE) refuses to decouple their records, citing time and cost concerns. The DfE justifies its process as a means to prevent "financial hardship" for bereaved families who might otherwise have to repay pension payments made after a beneficiary's death. They also admit that the death register matches do not need to be exact.
In comments given to the article, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) stated that "continuing to chase an individual based on details they have confirmed are inaccurate may be a breach of the [UK] General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)." The spokesperson went on to say, "Organisations have a responsibility under the law to ensure the personal information they hold on an individual is accurate and up to date. If an organisation becomes aware that information is incorrect, it should take all reasonable steps to correct it."
However, the DfE maintains its position, only considering electronic communication as a potential concession. The article encourages affected pensioners to file complaints with the ICO for potential GDPR violations.
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