4 hours ago, Gandtee said:

If it's a joint account my legal Thai wife will have full access I suppose? Perhaps you could expand your information explaining what is the procedure for her to continue receiving her pension which is on my NI number?

If its a UK government pension then it dies with you. However normally private company pensions pay 50% to the legal spouse, whatever their nationality. 

HL

On 11/10/2019 at 6:35 PM, faraday said:

In the event of death, does our UK pension go to our Thai wife?

No...????

18 hours ago, elliss said:

 

 Good post ,  may i ask  is  your thai wife , recognised as  your british wife .

   

 

A wife is a wife...... a Thai marriage is legally recognised.

 

It wasn’t actually a good post as it seemed to infer that a widow is entitled to her late husband’s pension.

 

She isn’t....... there may be a possibility of entitlement when the widow reaches State Retirement Age.

 

 

There are no UK government benefits for Thai widows living in Thailand.

On 11/10/2019 at 8:32 PM, Kwasaki said:

Not anymore unless she lives and stays in UK.

Or EEA countries or reciprocal countries.

42 minutes ago, happylarry said:

If its a UK government pension then it dies with you. However normally private company pensions pay 50% to the legal spouse, whatever their nationality. 

HL

Just to add........ many companies make a reduction for bigger age differences. Many of us in Thailand are a good deal older than our wives/partners.

 

In my partners case she would lose 5 percentage  points because of the age gap of 19 years....ie she will get 45% of my pension. That will be based on the original pension amount before taking the cash element...ie it will be more than I am getting now.

 

Incidentally, we are not married but 10 years ago my pension providers were happy to take a nomination form for her.

Why not retain a lawyer? pay a fee and let them do all that stuff?  your wife will be in no fit state for months and months (presumably). 

Whilst most private pension funds will pay a widows/partners pension - normally up to 50%, some will discount the payment due to age difference often of 10/12 years or more.  Some will insist the relationship (marriage or partner) has existed for more than 2 years (proof of a partner relationship being necessary and sometimes hard to provide)

 

Some private company pension funds will only pay a widows/partner pension, if the relationship existed before the original pension commenced.

4 minutes ago, BobBKK said:

Why not retain a lawyer? pay a fee and let them do all that stuff?  your wife will be in no fit state for months and months (presumably). 

Do that, and more than likely there will be nothing left for the widow at the end of the day.

My private pension company would only pay a spouse's pension if we were married before I started drawing the pension, so I made very sure we were.  I also sent them a certified translation of both our wedding certificate and my wife's birth certificate for their records, which they acknowledged and returned.  That means that when I pop my clogs it makes it easier for my widow to claim the pension as her rights have already been established.

2 hours ago, BobBKK said:

Why not retain a lawyer? pay a fee and let them do all that stuff?  your wife will be in no fit state for months and months (presumably). 

Fit state ?
 

 

Many are in a new relatIonship within 6 months.
 

Thais have this wonderful ability to move on.

 

Lawyer.. in Thailand ? to sort out a widows occupational pension ?

 

I imagine they are well-versed in such matters (not). It is not a complicated process but the paperwork, and communications, will be beyond most (not all) widows of UK expats.

1 minute ago, lungbing said:

My private pension company would only pay a spouse's pension if we were married before I started drawing the pension, so I made very sure we were.  I also sent them a certified translation of both our wedding certificate and my wife's birth certificate for their records, which they acknowledged and returned.  That means that when I pop my clogs it makes it easier for my widow to claim the pension as her rights have already been established.

 

A great example of a Thai lawyer not being required.

3 hours ago, Jip99 said:

Just to add........ many companies make a reduction for bigger age differences. Many of us in Thailand are a good deal older than our wives/partners.

 

In my partners case she would lose 5 percentage  points because of the age gap of 19 years....ie she will get 45% of my pension. That will be based on the original pension amount before taking the cash element...ie it will be more than I am getting now.

 

Incidentally, we are not married but 10 years ago my pension providers were happy to take a nomination form for her.

Good for your wife my 2 private pensions would not give choices to spouses, and with the UK gov pension benefits taken away for my Thai wife I decided to improvised by buying land and building some apartments which my wife rents, so that will be her income and our Thai son will make sure my wife OK along with my UK family. 

11 hours ago, Jip99 said:

Fit state ?
 

 

Many are in a new relatIonship within 6 months.
 

Thais have this wonderful ability to move on.

 

Lawyer.. in Thailand ? to sort out a widows occupational pension ?

 

I imagine they are well-versed in such matters (not). It is not a complicated process but the paperwork, and communications, will be beyond most (not all) widows of UK expats.

I was being kind and assuming she will be devastated.  I did say "presumably".

11 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

Good for your wife my 2 private pensions would not give choices to spouses, and with the UK gov pension benefits taken away for my Thai wife I decided to improvised by buying land and building some apartments which my wife rents, so that will be her income and our Thai son will make sure my wife OK along with my UK family. 

I have done a similar thing. Couple houses and 2 condos + Will.

15 hours ago, Jip99 said:

Fit state ?
 

 

Many are in a new relatIonship within 6 months.
 

Thais have this wonderful ability to move on.

 

Lawyer.. in Thailand ? to sort out a widows occupational pension ?

 

I imagine they are well-versed in such matters (not). It is not a complicated process but the paperwork, and communications, will be beyond most (not all) widows of UK expats.

Some are in a new relationship even before their deceased husband has been cremated! Never mind 6 months!

14 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

Good for your wife my 2 private pensions would not give choices to spouses, and with the UK gov pension benefits taken away for my Thai wife I decided to improvised by buying land and building some apartments which my wife rents, so that will be her income and our Thai son will make sure my wife OK along with my UK family. 

 

Good to know that you have done all possible to care for your wife after your passing. Unfortunately too many expats do nothing.

 

Hopefully your UK family will come up trumps if needs be.

 

I have come across several instances in the past 2/3 years, when the husband has died in the UK, and his family have quite rightly stopped his pensions, but maliciously informed the pension companies that he was not married. One UK family went so far as to specifically mention on his death certificate that he was a widower, and gave the name and date of death of his former UK wife!

 

In 3 of these situations, one going back 6 years, I was able to get the pensions for the widow, but trying to prove that they were indeed married, despite the marriage certificates, was no easy task, with the reputation that Thailand has for false documentation.

33 minutes ago, prakhonchai nick said:

In 3 of these situations, one going back 6 years, I was able to get the pensions for the widow, but trying to prove that they were indeed married, despite the marriage certificates, was no easy task, with the reputation that Thailand has for false documentation.

Yeah it's so nice to hear someone like yourself helps these Thai wives with problems and getting them help.

There are some nasty money grabbing jealous UK families in UK, fortunately my Thai wife was with me and my family in UK for 2.1/2 years while I was arranging my early retirement, selling up etc.

They come every year to see us here in Thailand, I could probably get myself to go back UK for a few days to the family ???? but would not go without my wife and it's too much of hassle for her to arrange a visa.