Expat pensioners discriminated against again by UK Government

Ivor the Engine said:
Agree with above but how much notice were they (or anyone) given when the ‘goal-posts’ were changed???


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It would depend on their ages at the time that those goal posts were moved in 1995. I was an IFA until 2004, and future changes to women's pension ages were announced in 1995 on a staggered basis. It was to be at least 18 years notice, as the first changes only affected ladies born after April 1952 so that their state retirement age became 63, then the Coalition Government legislated in the Pensions Act 2011 to accelerate the latter part of this timetable, starting in April 2016 when women’s SPA was 63 so that it reached 65 in November 2018, at which point it started to rise to 66 by October 2020. The Government’s initial intention was that the equalised SPA would then rise to 66 by April 2020.
 
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CO-CO said:
Bugger!

As a former IFA, I had you outside the top 40 Merlin :grin:.

Just to clarify, “completely f**ked” does not mean sacrificising one case of LEO per month......... it means foregoing LEO completely....
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See the Micawber Principle:

1. Something will turn up.
2. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen pounds nineteen and six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery.

:)
 
CO-CO said:
Just to clarify, “completely f**ked” does not mean sacrificising one case of LEO per month......... it means foregoing LEO completely....
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During the last part of my house building here I had to lay the hands off for 7 days because I'd temporarily run out of liquid funds (it's a long story). During said week, the foreman saw me in a bar in Surin and said "I thought you'd run out of money?".

I'd run out of available money to pay the wages but still had sufficient to buy beer. One must have priorities.
 
For UK pensioners.

Part of a speech by Sir Peter Bottomley to Parliament on 11th March 2020.

''While I am talking about pensioners, the biggest stain on this Parliament is that overseas pensioners in dominion countries and some others do not get the increases in the state pension. The law, as judged by case judges, is that while what the Government are doing may be legal, it is quite clearly wrong. The fact that we had pension agreements with Canada, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and some of the Caribbean countries from the 1950s, when inflation was not an issue, should not leave us going on defending the indefensible. Why do half of our overseas pensioners get the increase and the other half do not? The Government really must build in getting rid of that anomaly by the end of this Parliament. It is unfair and unjustified, and it should not continue.''
 
While I worked in Portugal, Thailand and Hong Kong I paid class 2 National Insurance back in the UK to ensure that I paid the qualifying 30 years for a full state pension. I have continued to pay when I turned 49 and retired in Thailand. Shortly before reaching the 30 years requirement it was increased to 35 years.

On Thursday I made the final monthly payment for the tax year 2019/20. So I have now paid 35 years. My summary on Gov.uk does not yet show the year 2019/20, but says I need to pay an additional 4 years, which is strange. I will call them on Monday.


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A few years back, after I had paid in 40 years' worth of subscriptions, I was informed by the DWP (Department of Works and Pensions) that the number of qualifying years was being reduced to 30. They suggested I suspend all future payments pending official notification of the change and that no refunds would be given for the extra payments. A couple of months later I received another letter from the DWP, a different department, asking, "We have not received your monthly payments for the past couple of months. Why?" The left and right hand of DWP.
 
Bandersnatch said:
While I worked in Portugal, Thailand and Hong Kong I paid class 2 National Insurance back in the UK to ensure that I paid the qualifying 30 years for a full state pension. I have continued to pay when I turned 49 and retired in Thailand. Shortly before reaching the 30 years requirement it was increased to 35 years.

On Thursday I made the final monthly payment for the tax year 2019/20. So I have now paid 35 years. My summary on Gov.uk does not yet show the year 2019/20, but says I need to pay an additional 4 years, which is strange. I will call them on Monday.


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Whilst it clearly states you have already paid 34 years of full contributions, pre the final 35th year you have just paid, bear in mind the forecast pension payable "is not a guarantee and is based on the current law"

Between now and 10 August 2029, the law on pensions may well change. They could demand 40 or even 44 NI contributions as once was the case. The current frozen pension as applies to those residing in Thailand and other places worldwide could well change, and having raised the possibility previously, it would not surprise me, if at some time in the future, and possibly before August 2029. it will be a requirement that to receive any pension, pensioners must reside in the UK for a minimum number of months a year -likely 6.
 
Merlin said:
Not always worth it Ivor - the Q&A in this link explains: https://www.moneywise.co.uk/pension...shortfall-my-national-insurance-contributions
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I was Self Employed (reduced NIC’s) for my last 7 years of work till 2006. Went back and signed onto the ‘Rock-n-Roll’ (for the first time ever)for about 6ish months in 2012/13 for which time was given credit for NIC’s.
I hope I am able to ‘pick and chose’ the 2012/13 years to pay back as the bill will be slightly less for the reason mentioned above. We will see.


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Prakhonchai Nick said:
Whilst it clearly states you have already paid 34 years of full contributions, pre the final 35th year you have just paid, bear in mind the forecast pension payable "is not a guarantee and is based on the current law"

Between now and 10 August 2029, the law on pensions may well change. They could demand 40 or even 44 NI contributions as once was the case. The current frozen pension as applies to those residing in Thailand and other places worldwide could well change, and having raised the possibility previously, it would not surprise me, if at some time in the future, and possibly before August 2029. it will be a requirement that to receive any pension, pensioners must reside in the UK for a minimum number of months a year -likely 6.
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Hopefully not before I make my claim in December!
 
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