UK Pensions (2018)

[fishtank]

1 hour ago, Tanlic said:

My Uk State Pension paid every 4 weeks was due on Friday 19th but I just checked my bank and it hasn't turned up.

 

Could it be because of Songkran or should I be calling them?

Four day Easter holiday.

I should be getting mine tomorrow (Tuesday) but I wont.

[Tanlic]

They actually send them through Citibank and the money is dispatched 15 days prior to the due date so cant see how Easter would affect it as US holidays don't affect it other than your money comes a day early if they have a holiday

 

[Chivas]

Have just this past week received my pension forecast and I certainly will dip out for messing around in Thailand coming up to over 4 decades next year lol

As long as I contribute to NI until Im 67 (I will) than my total will be 26 years worth. Certainly wont be entitled to pension credits either as too much cash

[elwood]

1 hour ago, Tanlic said:

My Uk State Pension paid every 4 weeks was due on Friday 19th but I just checked my bank and it hasn't turned up.

 

Could it be because of Songkran or should I be calling them?

Mine was also due on the 19th, but actually was paid in on the 18th.

This to a bank in the UK.

[Tanlic]

That's on a par with when the US banks Elwood. When they have holidays you get paid a day early in Thailand but it's the Thai banks closing at Songkran I am wondering about. 

 

 

 

[Tanlic]

50 minutes ago, fishtank said:

Four day Easter holiday.

I should be getting mine tomorrow (Tuesday) but I wont.

Obviously I can't call them today......Never realized it was a Holiday in the UK

 

Let me know if your's arrives tomorrow if you can

[transam]

15 minutes ago, elwood said:

Mine was also due on the 19th, but actually was paid in on the 18th.

This to a bank in the UK.

Payments abroad take I think 4 days longer....Holidays both ends make a difference...

[Tanlic]

You say you think??? I think you are  talking about you transferring money from a bank in your country to your bank in Thailand and that is not what we are discussing

 

Gov.uk  send our payments automatically on the 4th to Citibank because they get the best possible rates through them. Then it takes 15 days to get to us due to the massive amount of cases they handle.

 

US holidays only advance payments to us not delay them

 

It's Songkran we don't know about

 

[theoldgit]

As has been pointed out once or twice, or maybe more often, we don't need two threads on UK State Pensions, so I'll merge with the original thread.

I'll clean them up when I've got time.

 

UK Pensions 2018

 

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, Tanlic said:

Gov.uk  send our payments automatically on the 4th to Citibank because they get the best possible rates through them. Then it takes 15 days to get to us due to the massive amount of cases they handle.

More like Citibank getting a two week interest free loan IMHO.

If Transferwise can move my money from the UK to Thailand in less than 24hrs, all the big boys have no excuse (beyond greed).

Edited April 22, 2019 by BritManToo

[Chivas]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

More like Citibank getting a two week interest free loan IMHO.

If Transferwise can move my money from the UK to Thailand in less than 24hrs, all the big boys have no excuse (beyond greed).

Absolutely nailed it. 2 weeks lol when TW depending on time of day will get it 50/50 in your account same day

[billd766]

4 minutes ago, Chivas said:

Absolutely nailed it. 2 weeks lol when TW depending on time of day will get it 50/50 in your account same day

TW send me a message when my pensions come to them in the UK, usually around 2 to 2:15 pm. Monday to Thursday I set up the transfer and the money is in my account about the same time the next day. Friday and Saturday I can make the transfer but the money will not arrive until Monday pm. Any Thai public holidays add an extra day per holiday.

 

Probably due to the time difference between the UK and Thailand.

 

Thai bank staff don't seem to work the weekends and public holidays, except in the shopping malls and the ATMs and the bank computers do.

[Tanlic]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

More like Citibank getting a two week interest free loan IMHO.

If Transferwise can move my money from the UK to Thailand in less than 24hrs, all the big boys have no excuse (beyond greed).

Is that right?..you work that out yourself did you? . First off YES!! Citibank make interest on the money the idea being they can pay for the massive amount of work involved and give pensioners the best rate available something that you are very unlikely to get on same day transfer. Plus pick a date....say Sept 27 how may people are removed and added every month to that date.? 

[BritManToo]

1 minute ago, Tanlic said:

Is that right?..you work that out yourself did you? . First off YES!! Citibank make interest on the money the idea being they can pay for the massive amount of work involved and give pensioners the best rate available something that you are very unlikely to get on same day transfer. Plus pick a date....say Sept 27 how may people are removed and added every month to that date.? 

Bank apologist much?

[Tanlic]

No unlike you I have an idea how things work and don't slag everything and everybody I come aross

[sumrit]

On 4/20/2019 at 10:36 PM, Spidey said:

Was given no other option than call an 0800 number. Can't be done from abroad.

You definitely can dial an 0800 (and 0300 etc) number from Thailand. I do it all the time using Skype. I pay for a Skype UK phone number and use that. When selecting the dial pad to make a call +44' comes up to start and I just miss the first '0' and add '800*******'. I don't know about any other dialling options/format but it definitely works using Skype.

[Spidey]

3 minutes ago, sumrit said:

You definitely can dial an 0800 (and 0300 etc) number from Thailand. I do it all the time using Skype. I pay for a Skype UK phone number and use that. When selecting the dial pad to make a call +44' comes up to start and I just miss the first '0' and add '800*******'. I don't know about any other dialling options/format but it definitely works using Skype.

I tried using skype to my bank in the UK. The guy on the other end complained bitterly that it was a bad line and couldn't hear me. I need to communicate with the DWP without arousing any suspicions that I'm in Thailand. When I did call them, they obviously had the CLI facility as they knew which number I was calling from without me telling them. If I called from a Thai number I would be worried that he could see on his display that I was calling from a Thai number.

[sumrit]

5 hours ago, Tanlic said:

Gov.uk  send our payments automatically on the 4th to Citibank because they get the best possible rates through them. Then it takes 15 days to get to us due to the massive amount of cases they handle.

It would be interesting to compare what rates you actually get with the rate we get when transferring using Transferwise on the 4th of the month. Are you actually informed of the rate you get on the 4th? I not on the 4th, when are you told?

[Tanlic]

Through curiosity I checked and The Bangkok Bank says on the 22/3 the IT rate was 40.65 I got 41.30

[sumrit]

5 minutes ago, Spidey said:

I tried using skype to my bank in the UK. The guy on the other end complained bitterly that it was a bad line and couldn't hear me. I need to communicate with the DWP without arousing any suspicions that I'm in Thailand. When I did call them, they obviously had the CLI facility as they knew which number I was calling from without me telling them. If I called from a Thai number I would be worried that he could see on his display that I was calling from a Thai number.

I've almost never had a problem with the quality on skype (except when sitting too far away from the built-in mike). On the odd occasion, when I have had a bad connection I have offered to redial but the bank(?) has phoned me back instead, using my Skype UK number. 

 

Last year friend died in the UK and, as executor, I have had to complete his requests in his will. That has included dealing with the Probate office, transferring three different bank accounts, his house, car and two private pensions to his Thai wife and changing various utilities and other commitments etc. I've made well in excess of 50 phone calls in that time, all from Thailand and all 'official type' calls using Skype. I haven't any problems at all.

 

I also contacted DWP regarding my state pension when I was about to reach 65 about four years ago using Skype without any problems.

 

You can have your UK Skype number shown to the receiver as coming from the UK or withheld, it's your choice.  

[sumrit]

9 hours ago, Tanlic said:

Through curiosity I checked and The Bangkok Bank says on the 22/3 the IT rate was 40.65 I got 41.30

But we get more than the published Bangkok Bank rate when using Transferwise. You chose a good date for comparison because on the 22nd March I transferred two of my pensions using Transferwise and got 41.6834. I transferred it via the phone app at 7:40 am (Thailand time) and it was in my Bangkok Bank account at 2:30 pm the same day, a total transfer time of six hours and fifty minutes. Plus I was told the exchange rate before completing the transfer so I knew exactly what I was going to receive. The fee on £1000 was £6.81 from TW, no fees from the Bangkok Bank. 

[Tanlic]

What is your point mate? Skrill who I use to bring in large amounts now and then do the same thing but none of these are used by Gov.UK Pensions

 

Even if you pay into a UK bank then transfer it's surely not going to be worth the hassle plus it would take longer to arrive as your due date is your due date.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 23, 2019 by Tanlic

[sumrit]

1 hour ago, Tanlic said:

What is your point mate? Skrill who I use to bring in large amounts now and then do the same thing but none of these are used by Gov.UK Pensions

 

Even if you pay into a UK bank then transfer it's surely not going to be worth the hassle plus it would take longer to arrive as your due date is your due date.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My point is simply that, using Transferwise is much more flexible, we get a (slightly?) better rate than you, we know exactly what rate we are getting before we complete the transfer, we can transfer the money any day of the month we want to because we don't have to wait until the 4th of the month for a better rate (I can't believe that's actually true??), we can be totally flexible on the amount we want to send each time and we get our money within 24 hours because our 'due date' is any day of the month we choose to send it.

 

Lastly, 'the hassle' of sending money from my UK bank to Transferwise literally takes less than thirty seconds using my bank's phone app. No hassle at all.

 

But, each to his own.

[Tanlic]

So does your UK state Pension go straight from GOV.UK Pensions to your Transfer wise account?

Edited April 23, 2019 by Tanlic

[billd766]

10 minutes ago, Tanlic said:

So does your UK state Pension go straight from GOV.UK Pensions to your Transfer wise account?

All three of my pensions go direct to TW.

 

My state pension every 28 days, Armed Forces on the 15th and company pension on the 20th.

 

I normally transfer them to my BKK Bank account the same day and they arrive the following day. The state pension does not arrive until Friday but I don't get the money until Monday, because of the weekend, and there are also delays for the other 2 if the payment day is a Friday.

 

Thai bank holidays also affect the transfer.

[Tanlic]

Got you now!!! That appears to be a great service..Skrill takes 3 to 5 working days when I transfer through them 

 

 

My pension was delayed as I assumed but it doesn't take much to work out by who. 

 

It was set up by Gov.UK to be paid 1 day early on the 18th by Citibank I see on their website.

 

I got it today before 9am which is strange usually much later....guess they must have got it wet during Songkran and they were drying it off

 

 

 

 

 

[sumrit]

4 hours ago, Tanlic said:

So does your UK state Pension go straight from GOV.UK Pensions to your Transfer wise account?

All three of my pensions are paid into my UK bank account, one calendar monthly and two four weekly, then I transfer as much as I need using TW, when I want to send it. This way I can keep some of my pension in the UK, as and when I need to. If my pensions were all paid directly into TW it would all have to be sent to my Bangkok bank each month. For each transfer, I first tell TW how much I want to transfer, then transfer it from my UK bank. As I said, it literally takes less than thirty seconds to send the money to TW using the bank phone app so its no hassle.

[billd766]

3 hours ago, sumrit said:

All three of my pensions are paid into my UK bank account, one calendar monthly and two four weekly, then I transfer as much as I need using TW, when I want to send it. This way I can keep some of my pension in the UK, as and when I need to. If my pensions were all paid directly into TW it would all have to be sent to my Bangkok bank each month. For each transfer, I first tell TW how much I want to transfer, then transfer it from my UK bank. As I said, it literally takes less than thirty seconds to send the money to TW using the bank phone app so its no hassle.

I use TW online which is much the same thing.

 

It takes me a couple of minutes ( I am a slow 2 finger typist) but the results are much the same.

[sandyf]

18 hours ago, Tanlic said:

Got you now!!! That appears to be a great service..Skrill takes 3 to 5 working days when I transfer through them 

 

 

My pension was delayed as I assumed but it doesn't take much to work out by who. 

 

It was set up by Gov.UK to be paid 1 day early on the 18th by Citibank I see on their website.

 

I got it today before 9am which is strange usually much later....guess they must have got it wet during Songkran and they were drying it off

 

 

 

 

 

I used to have my state pension paid straight to my Thai account. My payment day was a Friday and I always received it first thing Friday morning. If there was a UK bank holiday I would get it on the Thursday and if a Thai holiday then maybe a slight delay. The payments come via the Bahtnet system which comes on line at 08.30 I think, shuts down overnight and over weekends. I did it for about 4 years and could almost set your watch by it.

Following the referendum I changed to my UK account with HSBC, the transfers are £4 and if I initiate first thing in the morning funds are usually in my account by the end of the day, or first thing following morning. Funds into my account are usually close the the SuperRich rate but not quite as good as it was from the DWP.

With the GBP volatility it was the transfer flexibility I was after.

[denby45]

On 4/22/2019 at 7:43 PM, Spidey said:

I tried using skype to my bank in the UK. The guy on the other end complained bitterly that it was a bad line and couldn't hear me. I need to communicate with the DWP without arousing any suspicions that I'm in Thailand. When I did call them, they obviously had the CLI facility as they knew which number I was calling from without me telling them. If I called from a Thai number I would be worried that he could see on his display that I was calling from a Thai number.

I have a UK number through this company. https://sonetel.com/en/

Works very well. All calls are forwarded to Thailand and it looks like I am calling from a UK land line 0207 number

Not expensive either if you sign up for a 3 year plan about 2 quid a month.

 

Den