JESSICA BEARD: End the pensions logjam

Checking your state pension forecast takes ‘a matter of minutes’, a rather optimistic civil servant told me last week.

If that’s true, why do we hear of families waiting months to get their hands on this vital information?

Without it, you don’t know if you can take advantage of the fantastic offer to top up your AOW benefit by filling gaps in your policy schedule from the past 16 years.

Thousands of people could get their pensions boosted, but when they call to find out more about the scheme, they get stuck in a phone log.

Our reporters tried the official phone line of the Future Pension Center this week – without any success.

Every call we had was disconnected after two minutes of listening to an automated list of options. Which, annoyingly, warn you to take action before the approaching July 31 deadline for using the current top-up scheme.

What the honchos at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) don’t realize is how harrowing this is for anyone retiring.

You have until the end of July to fill in gaps in National Insurance records from 2006. After that you are limited to the previous six years. But with so little help at hand, some find it impossible to act.

If you miss the deadline, you could lose tens of thousands of pounds later in life. No wonder many panic.

The government has already extended the application deadline once after being inundated by a tidal wave of calls from savers who feared they would miss out.

A reader told us that she had been trying unsuccessfully to top up her state pension since January. Let me know if you can beat that.

Once (or if you do) you receive your forecast, you will need to request specific information and codes from HMRC and the DWP before finally buying that extra income. It’s about time this byzantine upgrade scheme was made a lot easier.

Flying high

What a pleasant change to hear that an airline is doing its utmost to improve the lives of customers.

A reader, James Smith, tells me that airline Jet2 did everything they could to get his mother to his grandmother’s deathbed before it was too late.

James called the airline to warn her of the urgency of the situation when his mother was mid-flight. His grandmother only had a few hours to live.

To James’ surprise, the crew prioritized his mother’s disembarkation, helped her through customs and quickly arranged a taxi for her from Leeds Bradford Airport. A few hours later, her luggage was safely delivered to the care home.

Hats off to those in charge at Jet2 for going out of their way to help a customer in need. James and his family were moved by the act of kindness.

Airlines are so often guilty of losing mountains of luggage or refusing refunds for canceled or delayed flights. But Jet2 has shown what they can do if they put their mind to it.

Dementia collection

It’s horrible to see a loved one with dementia deteriorate over time. My own grandmother has battled with Alzheimer’s for the past few years, so I’ve seen it first hand.

Even simple tasks become tricky, especially when money is involved. Counting change at the till is a challenge, let alone managing a pension or investments.

It’s a sad reality that people with dementia are easy targets for callous scammers who go out of their way to identify them. They put them on a list of “suckers” distributed by criminal gangs so they can be targeted repeatedly.

Sibstar’s new debit card for people with dementia is therefore a step in the right direction.

It is a much-needed option for families who are concerned about the expenses of their loved ones. The major drawback is the hefty fee.

Now let’s see how the big banks follow in his footsteps with similar cards (and please make them free).

There is so much more banks, retailers and government can do to make spending safer for a rapidly growing number of families living with this horrific condition.

j.beard@dailymail.co.uk