Five pensions going into one, and one phone call a day
The advice has been given and the client has signed. Their old workplace pensions are being consolidated onto a platform. The administrator submits the transfer requests, some through an electronic transfer service, some by paper forms to schemes that still only accept post.
Weeks go by. Two transfers complete. One ceding scheme wants an extra form. Another is waiting for a discharge form it says it sent to the client. The fifth has not been heard from at all. The client calls to ask why their money has not moved, and the administrator starts ringing round.
Why transfers go quiet
Each leg of a transfer has its own path, and its own status that nobody tells you about unless you ask. Electronic transfers show some status online, but not every provider uses them. Paper transfers depend on letters crossing in the post. The case sits in the back office as a single item, so the fact that one of five legs has stalled is not visible.
Requests from ceding schemes for additional forms often go to the client, not the firm. The client may put it in a drawer. The firm learns about it when it chases, if it chases.
What stalled transfers cost
| Delay point | Usual cause | How it is found today |
|---|---|---|
| Ceding scheme not acknowledged | Form lost or not received | Phone chase weeks later |
| Additional requirement | Form or signature needed from client | Client mentions it, or chase uncovers it |
| Awaiting funds | Payment in progress between providers | Platform shows nothing yet |
| Completed but not recorded | Back office not updated | Next valuation looks wrong |
Transfers that run on a mix of electronic and paper routes are the hardest, because the electronic legs look healthy online while the paper ones are invisible. A case can appear to be mostly done when the largest pot has not moved at all.
Clients experience the delay as the firm's delay. Staff spend long spells on hold. And while money is in transit, clients understandably worry, which generates more calls.
The case tracker we build
- Each transfer is recorded as separate legs, one per ceding scheme, linked to the client and the receiving platform.
- Where electronic transfer services such as Origo Options, or platform APIs, provide status, we pull it on a schedule.
- Paper legs have expected milestones and dates. When a milestone is overdue, a chase task is created with the provider's contact details.
- Emails and scanned letters from ceding schemes are read and matched to the right leg, with requests for extra forms highlighted immediately.
- When a client needs to sign or send something, they get a clear message with the form and a way to upload it back.
- A board shows all transfers by leg and status, with stalled legs at the top.
- Completion updates the back office record so valuations make sense straight away.
What your team gets back
Administrators work from a list of legs needing action today, not from memory. When a client calls, the answer is one screen away, leg by leg. Requests for extra forms reach the client quickly rather than sitting in a drawer. And the firm gets a picture of which schemes are slow, which helps set expectations at the start of the next case.
Advisers benefit too. They are no longer surprised by a client complaining about a transfer they thought had finished.
Signs your transfer tracking needs work
- You learn about stalled transfers when the client calls.
- Staff ring ceding schemes on a rota without a clear list.
- Requests for extra forms go missing between client and scheme.
- Completed transfers are not updated in the back office promptly.
- Multi-leg cases show as one item with no detail.