But since Thursday, I have been smiling even more than usual. Eighty one days after my 66th birthday, and seven long phone calls, my OAP pension has finally arrived in my bank account. My thanks to Paul, Linda, Gail, Umar, Davish, Becky and Neil @ Gov.UK who took note of the situation, apologised for the delay, and assured me they would get it sorted. The money has gone into the right account, and the letters have come to the correct address, and I think I am properly in the system now.
I have transferred the greater part of the money into a separate bank account, which Bob calls my "Tooth Fairy" account, so that when I finally do find a dentist who is taking on new patients, I can afford to have this temporary [but now quite elderly] filling replaced with a proper crown. The TF account has accrued money from Etsy Sales to pay for a NHS crown, but definitely not for a private one
There are not enough dentists in East Anglia, next to no NHS ones, and very few who are currently accepting patients. I have discussed 'Dental Insurance plans' with a couple of family members- but it appears that your premium is based on an assessment of the state of your teeth. Mine are not exactly in the best position right now.
Today I am rejoicing that the whole OAP admin saga is sorted, that I have not had any toothache for a long time, that the temporary filling is still in place, and I am convinced that before too long, I will get the offending molar crowned.
Do any you of you have a good dental plan?
I would be truly grateful to hear your recommendations [and reservations]
I'm glad that you have your pension sorted at last. I quickly got a letter from HMRC telling me that with my State Pension and the Spouses pension from the County Council I shall have to pay a small amount of Income Tax!
ReplyDeleteAs for dentists I gave up trying to find a NHS one many years ago - they just dont exist in Suffolk unless you've lived in one place and been on their list for about 20 years. So I grit my teeth(!) and pay up. This latest delayed batch of crown and fillings will be over £1,000.
Glad your pension has come through too. I too am paying a small amount of tax for the first time in a decade. At least this means I can tick the Gift Aid box on my charity donations now! The dentist situation in Norfolk - Suffolk is quite ridiculous. Friends here have told me that they've been with an NHS practice forever, and then it's 'gone private' and they are stuck with it. We will just grin and bear it...with gappy smiles like 7 year olds
ReplyDeleteWe had anew NH dentist open in Melton a couple of years ago, DB signed on and he has made good use of them. Last year he had to have a denture made, what a saga, originally they were going to put a couple of extra teeth on his old plate, the techies lost it. Impressions made for a new plate...... did not fit, the practice ended up having to make a complete new plate and bearing the cost themselves. I hate the blooming thing it looks like a mouth full of grave stones, so in a couple of months I am going to take him to my techie who looks after my bridge and get him a decent top plate made. It will cost, but be very much worth it.
ReplyDeleteI have had my bridge for a number of years and am also going to get a new one made, my old one is showing signs of old age.
In this day and age, one would have hoped they could make better fitting dentures!
DeleteHa ha, you have to be a tourist from abroad to see a dentist in the UK. When we lived in Fakenham sone years ago my sister came to visit us from Holland. She had some trouble with a crown, I phoned the dentist just round the corner from us and she could come straightaway. This was before Brexit.
ReplyDeleteThe last sentence says it all...
DeleteMy birthday is in January but my state pension date wasn't until May of that year. I also deferred my pension for a year but unbeknowns to me, the taxman cometh not long after I starting drawing it!I was on a dental plan for years but it didn't cover everything e.g. crowns so I stopped it. I've just paid a hefty sum to my dentist who is NHS but I chose the 'private' option for better quality reasons. All-in-all this month, it's cost me the better part of £1,000 for my eyes and my teeth, using my savings to pay for it because the state pension doesn't even look at this kind of expenditure, which in my case was totally necessary. I may have to give my car up.
ReplyDeleteThat's so hard... I do hope you can keep your car for as long as you need it.
DeleteI'm glad your pension came through at last. By the way, did you know that expats living in Canada do not have their UK pensions indexed? (and yet in the USA they get their full pension). Some pensioners who move to be near family can be in dire straits when the years go by and they are still getting the amount they started out with! https://www.express.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/1409516/state-pension-news-UK-canada-expats
ReplyDeleteThat seems rather inconsistent!
DeleteYes, that is what is strange, an expat living half a mile over the border in the US, will receive a fully indexed pension, while another on the Canadian side is being cheated! A lady called Anne, WW2 veteran aged 95 is still only receiving £72.50 a week instead of the £134.25 per week she would be getting in England! There are other countries where UK pensions are frozen, too. There is an ongoing fight for justice.
DeleteMy husband had a generous dental insurance plan when he was employed. (We are in Canada.) Once he retired, we decided not to take up dental insurance as the cost of the premiums would have been about as much as we pay for two cleanings and examinations (each), each year. In addition, the insurance only covered 80 pct of basic services like cleaning, x rays and examination, and only 50 pct of the more expensive things like crowns, root canals, etc. All this to say, be fully aware of the costs vs benefits of insurance!
ReplyDeleteGreat news that your pension finally came thru!
Peggy
Glad you are now receiving your pension. I hope you will find a good dentist and your TF account will be ready for when the bill comes. :)
ReplyDeleteEek, not sure what to say about the dentist! I've not been for 2 years now as my appointment was due during the first Lockdown.
ReplyDeleteWe are very blessed because we are still NHS - although I can't get a hygienist on the NHS because it is considered cosmetic even though my dentist says it isn't cosmetic for me because I have crooked teeth.
ReplyDeleteGlad your pension came though. Did I ever tell you about my friend who, two years before she retired, discovered that her entire working life's contributions had gone to another lady with exactly the same name! It took them nearly two years to extricate my friend's payments.
Oh that must have been awful for your friend. I knew someone who wanted to work in childcare, and her police check came back saying that she'd been in prison - it was confused with another woman of the same name!
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