'They want me to die': 'Disgusted' Falklands War veteran with cancer accuses firm of blocking £104k pension
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Andrew Rossiter said EQ Retirement Solutions originally claimed he didn’t have a pension at all despite working for more than 11 years
A terminally ill Royal Navy veteran is disgusted that he has not been paid his pension - despite being given less than a year to live.
Andrew John Rossiter, who served in the Falklands War, is desperate to access the fund of more than £104,000. He accuses EQ Retirement Solutions, the firm operating his EDS Retirement Plan, of withholding his money intentionally.
The company said the right paperwork needs to be filled in before it can be accessed, despite Mr Rossiter suffering from pancreatic cancer and going through palliative chemotherapy. Mr Rossiter, of Arminers Close in Gosport, said he was “disgusted” and every barrier is being put in his way.
“They want me to die so they don’t have to give me any money,” he told The News. “They’re just batting me away. It’s ridiculous. I haven’t got long to live. They know this and they can drag this out for years. It’s nasty.”
The father-of-two served in the Royal Navy between 1980 and 1990. Part of this was aboard HMS Antrim, spending 72 days in a row on defence watches. He also served in the Gulf War.
Mr Rossiter would go on to work at the centurion building of HMS Sultan in Gosport. While working in an administrative role under the Armed Forces Paid Pension and Administration Contract, he contributed to his EDS Retirement Plan. He amassed a total of £104,350 for working between July 16, 2001, and November 12, 2012.
With his health deteriorating from his cancer battle, he approached EQ Retirement Solutions to receive a final-value lump-sum. The 62-year-old would be receiving his funds three years early.
He said when he approached EQ Retirement Solutions - overseeing some of the legacy EDS UK pension schemes - the business claimed his retirement fund “didn’t exist”; aside from a small sum related to a different contract.
The former sailor added that after four weeks, they found the sum. His choices were to claim it early and lose 4.5 per cent of it per year before 65, or submit an application for suffering from serious ill health.
Mr Rossiter was diagnosed with cancer in 2025, undergoing various operations and 12 rounds of chemotherapy. After originally being given the all clear on December 12, he reported stomach pains in March 2026 and the disease returned - spreading across his body. He is currently undergoing palliative chemotherapy.
Mr Rossiter said four months ago, he was told he was given four months to live. To access the lump sum, he submitted an SR1 form to the company. The document was a medical report used to fast-track benefit claims for individuals with a terminal illness. This was rejected by EQ Retirement Solutions, who asked for more documents to be submitted.
These include a utility bill within the last six months, a lump sum allowance declaration form, birth certificate, spouse’s birth certificate, marriage certificate, AVC annuity election form, a “transfer of AVC benefits request to proceed form”, a bank statement, and other forms.
Mr Rossiter said he issued a complaint because of this and being told his pension didn’t exist He added that the woman on the phone cried and said: “I can’t believe how they’re treating you”. His complaint was denied due to the level of paperwork not meeting scheme rules.
“I went through all that they asked me to via my doctor,” he added, “and since then they’ve elongated the system and made me jump through more hoops. The trustees say no, we’re not going to give you your lump sum. I’ve done my bit and I’ve earnt this money.
“I feel like they’ve given me no explanation. It’s caused me a lot of stress due to the time they have dragged this out. I’m living on borrowed time and they’ve just told me to go and do one. Their priorities are to keep the money in house. They don’t care or show any empathy.
“I’m going through palliative chemotherapy. It’s horrible but I’m going through it to fight this. These trustees want the money for themselves. Does the government and my MP know that working-class people have no rights to their own money they’ve earned?”
The veteran said he paid the maximum he could into his pensions to protect his family. “I didn’t spend it on holidays when I was young, I went to war. I could have been enjoying that money, but now they’re saying I can’t have it.
“I’m worried that other people are being treated like this. I’m worried the people who told me I have this money got into trouble, because others said I didn’t. They lied to my face. I made the mistake of telling them I was dying.
“They made a conscious decision to tell me I didn’t have a pension for four weeks, trying to make me go away. After a month of going around the houses, they said they found it. I wasn’t going mad. I don’t know how I can fight it now. I’m just Joe blogs and nobody. What rights do people have in this day and age?”
A spokesperson for EQ Retirement Solutions said: “While we are unable to comment publicly on the details of an individual case, we are treating this matter as a priority and working urgently to resolve it. We have contacted the member directly to provide an update and have apologised for any distress caused.
“We are committed to supporting every member with care and compassion, and to handling every application and enquiry fairly, sensitively and in accordance with the rules of the scheme.”
Mr Rossiter said he approached HMRC and Pension Wise, who both deemed that an SR1 form should have been sufficient to access a lump sum.
Adam Millar, senior pensions policy manager at the Money and Pensions Service said: “We are very sorry to hear this story and send our best wishes to the Royal Navy Veteran looking to access his pension. Accessing a pension early, particularly in cases of ill health, does require the completion of several forms and will require medical evidence to be provided.
"Early retirement can take several months to process as it may need approval from various interested parties, depending on the rules of each pension scheme. This can also become more complicated when claiming for ill health. If anyone is unhappy with the way their request is being handled, they can make a formal complaint to their pension scheme.
“Use MoneyHelper's free guide on making pension complaints for support when doing so. For more guidance, people can visit MoneyHelper.org.uk, where our free guide on how to take your pension early if you are in ill-health may help, as well as our phone-line to speak to a pensions expert for free."