UK Pensions (2018)

[NoshowJones]

On 3/17/2019 at 10:05 PM, ivor bigun said:

I notice that the piece about fraud is 15 months old, and not a newspaper article ,who was the guy caught no mention of him? Was it a friend?

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I don't think the guy is up for anything to do with his state pension annual increases, I think it is to do with some sort of

tax evasion. It is well known that no one has ever been charged with claiming state pension annual increases while living abroad.

[KarlS]

1 minute ago, possum1931 said:

It is well known that no one has ever been charged with claiming state pension annual increases while living abroad.

 

Maybe not 'charged' but many have been found out and forced to repay by an enforced deduction from their pensions. 

[NoshowJones]

On 3/18/2019 at 12:59 PM, cleopatra2 said:

The UK gov. claims that the benefit fraud team assigned to Spain have recovered 13 million pounds in the last decade . I would assume this would include claiming pension credit when not eligible.

That's true, a friend of mine was claiming pension credits while living here, and had to go back to the UK, it was nothing to do with his state pension, but his pension credits.

[NoshowJones]

On 3/22/2019 at 10:02 AM, evadgib said:

DWP email addresses are changing from 28 March 2019.

"WP email addresses".?? Maybe I have missed something, but I have never seen any email address on their website, they always only give you phone numbers.

[NoshowJones]

11 minutes ago, KarlS said:

Maybe not 'charged' but many have been found out and forced to repay by an enforced deduction from their pensions. 

Maybe I'm mistaken again, but I did read on their website (though not recently) that they cannot take any money from your state pension, notice I said "state" pension.

[KarlS]

3 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

Maybe I'm mistaken again, but I did read on their website (though not recently) that they cannot take any money from your state pension, notice I said "state" pension.

I was speaking to a person only yesterday who had been found out. His pension is now reduced by £120/month until the overpayment is cleared.

[DILLIGAD]

Maybe I'm mistaken again, but I did read on their website (though not recently) that they cannot take any money from your state pension, notice I said "state" pension.

I believe what KarlS states above is correct as that same situation happened to a mate of mine.


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[colinneil]

16 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

"WP email addresses".?? Maybe I have missed something, but I have never seen any email address on their website, they always only give you phone numbers.

Possum DWP e-mail address is found using Twitter, i used it 2 weeks ago.

[NoshowJones]

2 hours ago, KarlS said:

I was speaking to a person only yesterday who had been found out. His pension is now reduced by £120/month until the overpayment is cleared.

Been found out what?

[NoshowJones]

2 hours ago, colinneil said:

Possum DWP e-mail address is found using Twitter, i used it 2 weeks ago.

I could not find it using their website Colin, though maybe it is there now.

[NoshowJones]

2 hours ago, DILLIGAD said:

I believe what KarlS states above is correct as that same situation happened to a mate of mine.


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Yes, it happened to a mate of mine too, he kept on drawing his pension credits while living in Thailand.

[sandyf]

17 hours ago, possum1931 said:

"WP email addresses".?? Maybe I have missed something, but I have never seen any email address on their website, they always only give you phone numbers.

Yes that is a bit of a problem as I do not use the phone for anything important and their response time to written communication is in the order of 12 weeks.

However once contact has been made they appear to be more than happy to use email and it is those that are being redirected.

[sandyf]

17 hours ago, possum1931 said:

Maybe I'm mistaken again, but I did read on their website (though not recently) that they cannot take any money from your state pension, notice I said "state" pension.

I think that you are right in they cannot make deductions but they can restate your pension entitlement. Done regularly for people leaving the UK and returning, and various other circumstances.

[JoePai]

20 hours ago, possum1931 said:

Maybe I'm mistaken again, but I did read on their website (though not recently) that they cannot take any money from your state pension, notice I said "state" pension.

They can and do - know one who "overclaimed" and money was deducted from Pension

[NoshowJones]

15 minutes ago, JoePai said:

They can and do - know one who "overclaimed" and money was deducted from Pension

Deducted from state pension?? Are you sure this "one" is telling you the truth and referring only to his state pension?

[Chivas]

9 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

Deducted from state pension?? Are you sure this "one" is telling you the truth and referring only to his state pension?

Yes can and will be reclaimed from State Pension.

[NoshowJones]

3 minutes ago, Chivas said:

Yes can and will be reclaimed from State Pension.

OK. My apologies. I must have read the DWP website wrongly. But it was a long time ago.

[KarlS]

18 hours ago, possum1931 said:

I could not find it using their website Colin, though maybe it is there now.

https://secure.dwp.gov.uk/ipc/personal-details

[sandyf]

3 hours ago, possum1931 said:

Deducted from state pension?? Are you sure this "one" is telling you the truth and referring only to his state pension?

Deduction is not a good term to use. When the DWP refer to deduction they are generally referring to payments made to third parties such as the inland revenue or a court order. Reducing state pension payments is not really a deduction but more of a recalculation.

Every year I claim the additional pension for the time I spend in the UK, sometimes it is paid as a separate payment and sometimes included with the regular pension payment. The DWP can alter how much you get as and when they want.

It is highly unlikley that anyone that has had their pension reduced for suspected fraud is going to say very much about it. Normally it is only DWP failures that get talked about. 

[NoshowJones]

2 minutes ago, sandyf said:

Deduction is not a good term to use. When the DWP refer to deduction they are generally referring to payments made to third parties such as the inland revenue or a court order. Reducing state pension payments is not really a deduction but more of a recalculation.

Every year I claim the additional pension for the time I spend in the UK, sometimes it is paid as a separate payment and sometimes included with the regular pension payment. The DWP can alter how much you get as and when they want.

It is highly unlikley that anyone that has had their pension reduced for suspected fraud is going to say very much about it. Normally it is only DWP failures that get talked about. 

Excellent post, but is there not a law which states that no matter how much a person owes, they are only allowed to take so much, you must be left with enough to live on. Say if a person who only has a state pension to live on, owes money to anyone, DWP, Tax, or anywhere, the DWP can only take very little, if anything, every month.

[JoePai]

4 hours ago, possum1931 said:

Deducted from state pension?? Are you sure this "one" is telling you the truth and referring only to his state pension?

Yes

[sandyf]

22 hours ago, possum1931 said:

Excellent post, but is there not a law which states that no matter how much a person owes, they are only allowed to take so much, you must be left with enough to live on. Say if a person who only has a state pension to live on, owes money to anyone, DWP, Tax, or anywhere, the DWP can only take very little, if anything, every month.

Perfectly valid argument and for people living in the UK I would suspect the DP would follow the pension credit criteria.

For people living abroad a different ball game all together when it comes to "enough" to live on and the DWP would have no guidelines. The DWP would not have reduced the pension without good cause and would probably take the view that the action is open to challenge on the basis that guilty people do not take themselves to court.

[NoshowJones]

13 minutes ago, sandyf said:

Perfectly valid argument and for people living in the UK I would suspect the DP would follow the pension credit criteria.

For people living abroad a different ball game all together when it comes to "enough" to live on and the DWP would have no guidelines. The DWP would not have reduced the pension without good cause and would probably take the view that the action is open to challenge on the basis that guilty people do not take themselves to court.

If it was me who owed any money, and only had a state pension and did not think I was being treated fairly and I was in the UK, I would let the Tax, DWP or whoever, take me to court. I would get legal aid, and the law says you must be left with enough to live on, so you would probably only have to pay about 2 GBP per month. ????

[KarlS]

4 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

If it was me who owed any money, and only had a state pension and did not think I was being treated fairly and I was in the UK, I would let the Tax, DWP or whoever, take me to court. I would get legal aid, and the law says you must be left with enough to live on, so you would probably only have to pay about 2 GBP per month. ????

Or get sent to jail! 

[NoshowJones]

2 minutes ago, KarlS said:

Or get sent to jail! 

Great, retired so would not have to do any work, three good meals a day and none of these over expensive UK heating bills.????

[Pilotman]

On 12/8/2018 at 11:21 AM, evadgib said:

Of interest to veterans posting on this board:

https://www.ukveteranslegal.co.uk

Many thanks for this, didn't know they existed. One of the many advantages of being on Thai Visa. 

[KarlS]

1 minute ago, Pilotman said:

Many thanks for this, didn't know they existed. One of the many advantages of being on Thai Visa. 

"This website has been designed both to inform and to assist veterans of the UK Armed Forces when facing interview, investigation or prosecution as a result of operational duty during their term of service"

[Pilotman]

4 minutes ago, KarlS said:

"This website has been designed both to inform and to assist veterans of the UK Armed Forces when facing interview, investigation or prosecution as a result of operational duty during their term of service"

yes, I can read. 

[sandyf]

16 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

If it was me who owed any money, and only had a state pension and did not think I was being treated fairly and I was in the UK, I would let the Tax, DWP or whoever, take me to court. I would get legal aid, and the law says you must be left with enough to live on, so you would probably only have to pay about 2 GBP per month. ????

I thought the topic came about because of people that were not living in the UK.

[NoshowJones]

1 minute ago, sandyf said:

I thought the topic came about because of people that were not living in the UK.

True, but the way the UK treats their state pensioners here and in most countries means that they will be involved in this forum.