Overseas pensioners cheated by the British government

[Retiredandhappyhere]

On 10/7/2018 at 3:27 PM, Just Weird said:

By refusing to pay them the annual increases that other pensioners who have made the same contributions receive, it's explained in the link. 

That has been the case for many years.  I still receive the same UK State Pension at the rate at which it started 12 years ago and will do so until I die, even though I lived and worked in the UK until I was 62 with full N.I. contributions and still pay exactly the same amount of tax on my total income as I would living in the UK, while in that case receiving the full pension and all the other benefits, not the least of which would be free health care.

[Dionigi]

This looks like a scam. Online petitions are on the government website and only require a certain number on signatures for them to be debated. You do not need to contribute money to these petitions.

[Different]

O Lord, Great Britain citizens the mother of first civil rights laws were made, are not able to say no nogotioncion whatsoever to my justly earned retirement saving.  Shame on parliament.

[Guderian]

This issue went through the British courts and ended up in the ECJ some years ago. They ruled that the UK government has no legal or contractual obligation when paying the state pension. It's regarded as a benefit (like pretty much everything else the government provides) and as such the government is free legally to mess around with it as much as they like (as in extending the age at which you qualify, for example). There's also nothing legally to stop them treating different groups of people in different ways, though it certainly smacks of a nasty form of discrimination not far from overt racism.

 

Morally, of course, the matter is different and quite a few MP's agree that you should be paid for what you contributed regardless of where you live. There's zero chance of a Theresa May government changing things as she's made it clear on several occasions that she regards all expats as shiftless tax evaders and citizens of nowhere, even when their UK state pension might be the largest element of their income in retirement. Yes, the woman's a nasty and bigoted idiot, unlike kinldy old uncle (comrade) Jezza Corbyn who has promised to give all pensioners indexation no matter where they live. The trouble is that his other policies will make the pound worthless so that even with your new-found indexation you'll be much worse off than you were when you weren't getting it. The devil and the deep blue sea seems an approprite analogy for our position.

[Thingamabob]

Nothing new. What's the point of this ? 

[worrab]

https://www.change.org/p/stop-denying-my-mum-and-520-000-brits-their-full-uk-pension?

[Caine]

How can the British Government be expected to pay pensions their due rights, when we are keeping all the dross from Eastern Europe, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Somalia and many more shit holes on very healthy benefits 

[NoshowJones]

On 10/7/2018 at 3:24 PM, Kwasaki said:

In what way.?

You mean you seriously don't know?

[cookieqw]

25 minutes ago, Caine said:

How can the British Government be expected to pay pensions their due rights, when we are keeping all the dross from Eastern Europe, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Somalia and many more shit holes on very healthy benefits 

standard reply is these people pay far far more in to the economy than they take out.

 

[OJAS]

4 hours ago, gamini said:

We have to apply for a new passport in a communist country Hong Kong

 

This has not been the case since 2014, it's even worse now if you could believe it. Instead of the furthest that we needed to travel at passport renewal time was to our nearest DHL depot or local post office, 2 enforced physical trips, by either yourself or someone else on your behalf, are now the strict order of the day to an office building somewhere off the beaten track in deepest darkest Bangkok, firstly, to submit your renewal application and, secondly, to collect your replacement passport when received from the UK. Handy for those who live in Bangkok and know their way around that particular city, of course, but definitely not for those who don't.

 

https://www.passport.service.gov.uk/overseas/information/thailand/renew/adult

 

[Hugh Jarse]

On 10/7/2018 at 3:24 PM, Kwasaki said:

In what way.?

Their pensions are frozen, ie they dont get the annual incremental increases. Even though they have paid into the fund for over 30 years. This is want is meant by cheated. If however one were to retire to the Philippines or one of the other countries with reciprocal pension agreements then the annual increase would apply.

Please sign this important petition.

[HHTel]

There has been a similar petition in the past.  It was debated and basically thrown out.  

Annual increases are given to those expats living in countries which have a reciprocal arrangement.  Thailand is not one of them.  The Philippines is.  You'd be surprised at some of the countries where annual increases are given.

[Surasak]

This was petitioned a few years ago. It went as far as the EU court of human rites and was turned down. Can't remember the reasons given, but I doubt it will ever get reinstated.

[Hugh Jarse]

On 10/8/2018 at 3:15 PM, bigote54 said:

Dear Friends

what do the people working ( I use the word loosely!!)at the embassy do renew passports no give certificates for people no translate no go to this agency?? Help when arrested no got to another embassy they have a points system for helping other nationalities probably the french are best. why are there so many working there playing golf friday and monday and the weekend. Getting huge salaries and housing??/

enjoy while it lasts .Ow I forgot where did the money go to for selling the embassy at ploenchit Billions of baht at 40 to the pound?????

An interesting qustion. I believe that the land was given to the UK by King Rama 5 or leased to the Brits. MAybe they got nought!

1 hour ago, Bangkok Barry said:

The Daily Telegraph ran quite a long campaign a few years ago. Nothing happened then and it won't now. It is hardly on the list of most pressing needs, especially regarding people who don't even live in the country anymore and probably can't vote. Fair? No. Will it change? No.

A labour government has pledged to look at this anomally when they get back into power shortly! Corbyn has been on record saying it is unfair.

[Surasak]

11 minutes ago, Hugh Jarse said:

Corbyn has been on record saying it is unfair.

So are many of his stated policies. He gives with one hand and takes back with two. The pound will tank if he should ever get into No 10

[ivor bigun]

This was petitioned a few years ago. It went as far as the EU court of human rites and was turned down. Can't remember the reasons given, but I doubt it will ever get reinstated.

Tony Blair made sure we did not get it

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[jamie2009]

At the end of the day not being negative but realistic what have any UK government got too gain by paying the annual increments.

Expats don’t have a vote so they don’t have any influence on any party at G.E.

I am not sure what was used to determine the annual increase in the State Pension before The Triple Lock which was introduced by the coalition government in 2011 to woo the pensioners. It has cost the government more than they thought due too rising inflation but no government unless it has an overall majority and a full period in power would do away with it currently, they need all the votes they can get.

 

[chickenslegs]

3 minutes ago, jamie2009 said:

At the end of the day not being negative but realistic what have any UK government got too gain by paying the annual increments.

Expats don’t have a vote so they don’t have any influence on any party at G.E.

I am not sure what was used to determine the annual increase in the State Pension before The Triple Lock which was introduced by the coalition government in 2011 to woo the pensioners. It has cost the government more than they thought due too rising inflation but no government unless it has an overall majority and a full period in power would do away with it currently, they need all the votes they can get.

 

I agree with your point but ...

An expat who was registered to vote whilst living in the UK can continue to vote in UK elections for a period of 15 years after leaving. There is a procedure for obtaining a postal vote from the constituency where you were last registered - I'm guessing that most do not bother.

 

 

[jamie2009]

4 minutes ago, chickenslegs said:

I agree with your point but ...

An expat who was registered to vote whilst living in the UK can continue to vote in UK elections for a period of 15 years after leaving. There is a procedure for obtaining a postal vote from the constituency where you were last registered - I'm guessing that most do not bother.

 

 

I thought to be eligible to vote you had too be on the Electoral Roll, have a UK property paying Council Tax ?

 

[chickenslegs]

Just now, jamie2009 said:

I thought to be eligible to vote you had too be on the Electoral Roll, have a UK property paying Council Tax ?

 

No. If you were on the electoral roll before you left the UK you can continue to vote for 15 years.

Here's a link with more info. https://www.gov.uk/voting-when-abroad

[watcharacters]

 

What would stop a person from setting up a mailing  address in Guam where the pension is unfrozen?

 

[jamie2009]

10 minutes ago, chickenslegs said:

No. If you were on the electoral roll before you left the UK you can continue to vote for 15 years.

Here's a link with more info. https://www.gov.uk/voting-when-abroad

I stand corrected. 

[evadgib]

15 minutes ago, jamie2009 said:

I stand corrected. 

I seem to recall the tories have pledged to remove the 15 year malarky before the next election.

 

As to what the Govt might gain by paying the increments; How about 550k pensioners or their spouses not clogging up or taking advantage of the NHS/Bus passes/TV licences or other freebies available to domestic or (for now) Brits living in the EU?

[jesimps]

The government acts like a jilted lover when someone decides to leave UK and live in the sun. Even those who have a fully paid-up state pension, still pay full UK income tax, served many years in the forces etc etc. Pigs will fly before we get an index-linked state pension.

[Expatwannabee]

On ‎10‎/‎7‎/‎2018 at 2:38 PM, Different said:

Holy crab, governments know better pensioners money should be invested for the benefit of paying them back.  If pension fund was misused then government should be held accountable for serious negligence.

It's actually worse than that. It's not that pensioner's money was badly invested. It's not invested at all.What a pensioner pays in while working is used to pay the pensions of those already retired. Then when the worker retires his pension is paid out of money collected from those still working. Typical government scam.

[Wullie Mercer]

Just went to petition website and it states "petition closed"??

[Bangkok Barry]

10 hours ago, watcharacters said:

 

What would stop a person from setting up a mailing  address in Guam where the pension is unfrozen?

 

 

They want your residential address, not a mailing one. Otherwise, why not just set up a mailing address in the UK instead of Guam?

[ivor bigun]

 
They want your residential address, not a mailing one. Otherwise, why not just set up a mailing address in the UK instead of Guam?

Why not just have a British address?

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[Hugh Jarse]

12 hours ago, watcharacters said:

 

What would stop a person from setting up a mailing  address in Guam where the pension is unfrozen?

 

Try doing that and then let us all know. A friend here in Thailand also tried to open a bank account in Philippines  and couldn't as he was non resident there. Something to do with money laundering.

[Bangkok Barry]

2 hours ago, ivor bigun said:

Why not just have a British address?

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This is relating to those commenting about not getting inflation increases as they are not resident in the UK. Therefore no British address.