It's simpler online

‘Get your state pension’ the letter from the Pension Service says. Yes I’m coming up to that age so I think I will. All I need do apparently is go to www.getstatepension.dwp.gov.uk, type in the ‘invitation code’ on my letter and away we go! Not quite. The greeting on that page says ‘Something’s gone wrong. You can’t use this service just now. The problem will be fixed as soon as possible. Please try again later.' 
I try an alternative route on Google. www.gov.uk/claim-state-pension-online.Here it says ‘The online service is closed to new claims. You can make a new claim online from 1 March 2018.’ So that’s it. The letter from the Pension Service didn’t say anything about not making new claims until 1st March. Except this page I’m now on goes on to say
‘You can continue your claim if you’ve already got your:
o    Government Gateway ID 

o    password 

o    State Pension activation code
You’ll need to finish it by 28 February 2018.’
But not if you are relying on your letter from the Pension Service, which only contains your ‘Invitation code’ not your ‘activation code,’ which as a later page says is not contained in your letter. Oh how doing things online – where the government wants you to go – is making everything simpler. I think I’ll watch I, Daniel Blake again to remind myself how bad it is for those less fortunate than I.