The money has been withheld for two months and I’m struggling financially

My last two months of pension payments have not been paid by Teachers’ Pensions. Its customer service line told me this was because someone with my name had died, and they thought it might be me. They said no check is made as to address, date of birth or National Insurance number, yet I needed to confirm my identity in several ways. I was told I must wait 10 working days before my missing payments will be credited, which will leave me struggling to pay my next credit card bill.

ME, Market Harborough

Your bizarre predicament, which deprived you of income over Christmas, is sadly familiar. Last year, I exposed how Capita, which administers Teachers’ Pensions, regularly matches beneficiaries to names in the death register, even if personal details differ, with the sanction of the Department for Education (DfE).