Helene’s story

Meet Helene

Helene is a skilled production operative who has always been hardworking and independent. After moving to the UK to support her family, she built a stable life through years of consistent work. She enjoys being part of a team and takes pride in what she does.

Now her children are grown up, Helene has more time to think about herself and what she wants from the future. She’s starting to consider retirement but isn’t sure what her options are yet.

Although  Helene is confident speaking English, she sometimes finds written information harder to follow. She doesn’t always feel comfortable asking for help, as she worries about getting something wrong or what others might think.

What happens next

When her pension is moved to Canada Life, Helene receives a welcome pack within a few weeks explaining what this means for her.

A few weeks later, she’s invited to set up her online account. Once logged in, she can:

• Check her details and update her address straight away
• Use a simple tool to see what her pension could be worth and what that might mean for her future income

When she’s ready, Helene requests a retirement quote online. She receives a clear quote, along with everything she needs to decide what to do next, within around 10 working days.

If she has questions, she can contact the team and get a clear response within a couple of days. This helps her feel more confident in her decisions.

When she decides to retire, Helene:

•  Completes and submits her forms
• Receives confirmation everything is being set up
• Gets her tax-free cash shortly after retiring
• Starts receiving her regular pension payments soon after

How we can support Helene

Speak to someone when you need to
Helene may not always feel comfortable reviewing her documents online. If she’d prefer, she can call our customer support team, who will talk her through her options step by step and answer any questions in a clear and simple way.

Clear explanations when things feel unclear
We provide simple explanations of pension terms to help make things easier to understand. Helene can look these up whenever she needs to, helping her feel more confident about her decisions.

Support that fits around her routine
Helene works long shifts, so finding time for appointments can be difficult. Through WeCare, she can speak to a qualified GP at a time that suits her, helping her manage her health alongside her busy schedule.  

Looking for support