UK Pension for Thai wife

[lelapin]

I am 78 y.o and have lived in Thailand for 17 years. I worked for 40 years in the UK and get a fixed government pension frozen at 5423 pounds p.a. I recently married my Thai g/f of 16 years and was wondering if after my demise she will be entitled to any pension from the UK.

[evadgib]

None whatsoever i'm afraid.

HTH

[Kwasaki]

8 hours ago, lelapin said:

was wondering if after my demise she will be entitled to any pension from the UK.

A Thai wife was entitled at one time to get a UK pension based on N.I. years payments by the now husband in Thailand who was in receipt of a legal marriage cert but it's all been done away with now unless you go back UK and live.  

[Road Warrior]

no-- uk was canceled some 8 yrs backs to all overseas wife/widows

[jimn]

State pension definately no. Private pension possibly depends on the company.

[steve187]

No state pensions based on husbands NI contributions, everyone has to earn their own by paying NI, has to be a minimum of 10 years contributions.

 

Think how much would it cost if the state pension was passed onto a wife on death, what if the wife was 40 years younger. she could claim it for 50+ years

Edited December 10, 2019 by steve187

[steve187]

8 minutes ago, Road Warrior said:

no-- uk was canceled some 8 yrs backs to all overseas wife/widows

not just overseas wives

[Surasak]

Not sure about this now, but there was a scheme where the wife could claim £2000 as a one off payment and then be paid, I think, about £50,00/month for two years. The info was available on the gov.uk web site under Bereavement Payments. This was 2015 so things may have changed now.

[Gandtee]

1 hour ago, steve187 said:

No state pensions based on husbands NI contributions, everyone has to earn their own by paying NI, has to be a minimum of 10 years contributions.

 

Think how much would it cost if the state pension was passed onto a wife on death, what if the wife was 40 years younger. she could claim it for 50+ years

Just today I've received, after my question, an assurance from the UK Government Pensions organisation that my Thai wife of thirty four years of marriage will continue to get her pension and maybe an increase. This maybe because I received my pension and hers before the new rules came in. Time will tell.

[petermik]

7 hours ago, Gandtee said:

Just today I've received, after my question, an assurance from the UK Government Pensions organisation that my Thai wife of thirty four years of marriage will continue to get her pension and maybe an increase. This maybe because I received my pension and hers before the new rules came in. Time will tell.

Good for you and her....

[steve187]

3 hours ago, Surasak said:

Not sure about this now, but there was a scheme where the wife could claim £2000 as a one off payment and then be paid, I think, about £50,00/month for two years. The info was available on the gov.uk web site under Bereavement Payments. This was 2015 so things may have changed now.

all stopped, have to live in UK and a few other countries for a replacement payment

[Surasak]

15 minutes ago, steve187 said:

all stopped, have to live in UK and a few other countries for a replacement payment

Did say I wasn't sure. Also stated the date as 2015, but thank you for your update.

[Pdavies99]

4 hours ago, Surasak said:

Not sure about this now, but there was a scheme where the wife could claim £2000 as a one off payment and then be paid, I think, about £50,00/month for two years. The info was available on the gov.uk web site under Bereavement Payments. This was 2015 so things may have changed now.

Things have changed, she gets nothing, not a penny, no one off payment or pension!! (UK that is)  Unless she lives in the UK or has her own personal rights to a UK Pension, ie NI Contributions, in her name) 

 

I think a lot of Foreign husbands may "live" to a 100 now!!

Edited December 10, 2019 by Pdavies99

[Humpy]

Our marriage was registered in the UK over 12 years ago and my wife will get some State pension and 1/3 of my military pension. She also has a NI number but Pensions Office won't tell me what it is and she has to ask for it . Something to do with Private and confidential info !!

[torturedsole]

3 minutes ago, Humpy said:

Our marriage was registered in the UK over 12 years ago and my wife will get some State pension and 1/3 of my military pension. She also has a NI number but Pensions Office won't tell me what it is and she has to ask for it . Something to do with Private and confidential info !!

Is your Thai wife a British citizen?  Also registration of foreign marriage has also been canned in recent years.  Didn't really achieve anything, anyway.  

[oporhatch]

Just reading above .............if she has British Citizenship, is she entitled to the state pension if I die ?? even if living in Thailand

 

regards 

[steve187]

36 minutes ago, Humpy said:

Our marriage was registered in the UK over 12 years ago and my wife will get some State pension and 1/3 of my military pension. She also has a NI number but Pensions Office won't tell me what it is and she has to ask for it . Something to do with Private and confidential info !!

 you could transfer 10% of her tax coding onto your tax account, saving if paying tax £250 a year, can be backdated to 2015

Edited December 10, 2019 by steve187

[steve187]

1 minute ago, oporhatch said:

Just reading above .............if she has British Citizenship, is she entitled to the state pension if I die ?? even if living in Thailand

 

regards 

she would have to have paid at least 10 years of NI contributions to get a pension in her own right

[cleopatra2]

With regards the UK state pension

It will have to be determined if the widow will qualify under the 2014 Pensions Act section 7 and Scheduele 3 .

 

See these explanatory notes 

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2014/19/notes/division/6/1

 

Edited December 10, 2019 by cleopatra2

[torturedsole]

1 hour ago, steve187 said:

 you could transfer 10% of her tax coding onto your tax account, saving if paying tax £250 a year, can be backdated to 2015

Very difficult to understand Humpy's post as very short on detail, steve187.  That the marriage was registered in the UK doesn't mean a lot.  He also states that she has an NI number but doesn't know what it is.  Humpy's further clarification would be most appreciated.  

 

My Thai wife is a British citizen, our marriage not registered as no point and one can no longer register a foreign marriage but we didn't bother when we could and we most definitely know what my wife's NI number is.  

[torturedsole]

2 hours ago, Humpy said:

She also has a NI number but Pensions Office won't tell me what it is and she has to ask for it .

This is also confusing without further clarification.  One has to apply for an NI number in the first instance.  It's obviously not automatic.  This was one of the first steps we took on my wife entering the UK on her settlement visa.

[steve187]

2 hours ago, cleopatra2 said:

With regards the UK state pension

It will have to be determined if the widow will qualify under the 2014 Pensions Act section 7 and Scheduele 3 .

 

See these explanatory notes 

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2014/19/notes/division/6/1

from schedule 3 - 

A pensioner whose spouse or civil partner has died is entitled to an inherited amount under this paragraph if—

(a)the marriage took place or the civil partnership was formed before 6 April 2016,

 

so not applicable to the op

[torturedsole]

14 minutes ago, steve187 said:

from schedule 3 - 

A pensioner whose spouse or civil partner has died is entitled to an inherited amount under this paragraph if—

(a)the marriage took place or the civil partnership was formed before 6 April 2016,

 

so not applicable to the op

Interesting as will be relevant to many.  A 'pensioner' whose spouse or civil partner has died is entitled to an inherited amount ... if formed before 6 April 2016.  

 

So if the spouse isn't of pensionable age then not entitled to an inherited amount is how I understand it.  My wife and I married formed our marriage prior to the aforementioned date.  Thanks.

[cleopatra2]

1 hour ago, steve187 said:

from schedule 3 - 

A pensioner whose spouse or civil partner has died is entitled to an inherited amount under this paragraph if—

(a)the marriage took place or the civil partnership was formed before 6 April 2016,

 

so not applicable to the op

The OP did not disclose how old his wife is.

If his wife reached pension age before 2016 , the old rules would apply not the 2014 pension act.

[steve187]

7 hours ago, cleopatra2 said:

The OP did not disclose how old his wife is.

If his wife reached pension age before 2016 , the old rules would apply not the 2014 pension act.

my reply was linked to a post about the 2014 act.