What Clients Say About Their Experience

Challenge

A client in their early sixties had left their employer ten years earlier with a deferred pension entitlement. On approaching retirement age, the benefit calculation presented by the administrator appeared significantly lower than expected based on the scheme rules the client had retained. The administrator's customer service team had been unable to explain the discrepancy satisfactorily over several months.

Solution

Following an initial consultation, Ashmeridian was instructed on the correspondence service. A formal submission was prepared identifying three specific points where the administrator's calculation appeared to diverge from the scheme rules, with the relevant provisions quoted directly. The submission was sent with a request for a written response addressing each point.

Result

The administrator's legal team responded within six weeks acknowledging an error in one of the three points raised. The revised calculation increased the deferred benefit by approximately 14%. The remaining two points were not conceded, and the client was advised honestly that those points were unlikely to succeed on further challenge given the scheme rules as written.

Challenge

A client with twelve years remaining until planned retirement held a combination of EPF savings, a preserved benefit from a previous occupational scheme, and a newer defined contribution arrangement from their current employer. They wanted to understand their overall position and whether there were any legal steps they should take before retirement to protect or clarify their entitlements.

Solution

A retirement planning review was conducted, covering all three arrangements. The review identified that the preserved occupational benefit had not been subject to a required revaluation in line with the scheme rules during the period it had been deferred. This was identified as a point that the client could raise with the scheme at any time before retirement, with a reasonable prospect of correction.

Result

The client received a written advice note setting out the position across all three arrangements and the specific issue identified. On the basis of the advice, the client raised the revaluation point directly with the scheme administrator. The scheme confirmed the shortfall and applied the missed revaluation. No further legal engagement was required beyond the initial review.

Challenge

A client approaching retirement found that their EPF contribution record appeared to show a gap of approximately two years during which they had been continuously employed. They were uncertain whether this was a presentation issue in the statements or reflected an actual deficit, and whether they had any legal recourse.

Solution

An initial consultation was arranged, with the client bringing their EPF statements, payslips from the relevant period, and their employment contract. The practitioner reviewed the documentation and identified that the apparent gap reflected a period of maternity leave during which contributions had been calculated on a reduced basis and displayed differently — not a shortfall in actual contributions made.

Result

The consultation resolved the client's concern. No further engagement was needed. The written summary confirmed the position clearly and gave the client a document that explained the calculation, which they found helpful for their own records. The consultation fee was the only cost involved.