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Retirement Visas-Frozen British State Pensions

Old Dissenter

By Old Dissenter
in Home Country Forum

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izod10 Silver Member

izod10

Posted
Posted
7 minutes ago, chilly07 said:

Thailand has notaries who perform this function. Unfortunately they charge for it normally 1000bht a time but you can use the same declaration for all who request a Life Certificate. Yes DWP should do it on line!

I'm on the official list of "approved persons"   I charged a bottle of Chang   ugh!

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hashmodha Senior Member

hashmodha

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, bert bloggs said:

I really hate to be a wet blanket ,but most retiries here are native British people who claim nothing from the Thai govt ,are given nothing by the Thai govt and paid into the British system all their lives , so our hopes of getting anything from the British govt are nil.

now if we were all ex immigrants to Britain and of different faiths or colours there would be mayhem in the streets of the UK about "our rights"

sorry if that sounds any sort of racism or whatever ,but in your hearts you know its true.

I don't understand the relevance of this, irrespective of who one is,can retire wherever one wishes and is entitled to all the attachments which come with the retirement benefits, Why does one be unfairly treated in some countries than in others receiving indexation!?

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Bangkok Barry Diamond Member

Bangkok Barry

Posted
Posted

There have been protests and campaigns about this for years, including by the Daily Telegraph. No government in all that time has cared, and the chance of them 'making amends' now with the economy in the toilet because of Covid is less than zero. Unfortunately.

 

And don't forget that, as non-residents, if we need medical care while in the UK we have to pay a 50 percent surcharge, no matter how much we have paid into the system in the past. And I find it particularly ironic that those living in Commonwealth countries are among those who have been frozen, while those living in, for example, the USA are not.

 

I stand ready to be corrected on any of this, but it's accurate as far as I know,

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hashmodha Senior Member

hashmodha

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, jesimps said:

My doctor refused also, despite speaking good English. They don't understand the concept of witnessing your signature here, they think that they're vouching for what's contained on the form. I first got the manager of the local post office to agree to sign and stamp it, when he left my wife got the owner of the school where she teaches to do it. My wife is retiring next year so I'll be stuck again. 

I'll send my details to that email address even though I don't hold out much hope. Our case has been as far as the EU and was turned down, but you never know.

Please would you send me a link of the EU verdict of our case if you can, Thanking you!

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jesimps Gold Member

jesimps

Posted
Posted
7 minutes ago, hashmodha said:

Please would you send me a link of the EU verdict of our case if you can, Thanking you!

Sorry I can't, it was a long time ago but I think it was an official announcement and not just something which Joe Bloggs posted on here.

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OJAS Ruby Member

OJAS

Posted
Posted (edited)
2 hours ago, soalbundy said:

The pension freeze has been done to death, it was even brought before the European court to no avail so I can't see another attempt working out any better especially as the UK's coffers are now empty due to covid. Face reality, we don't matter, we aren't, for the most part, voters and the general public living in cloudy rain swept Britain aren't exactly full of sympathy for those who have escaped merry England to live in the sun.

I fear that you are probably correct, particularly, as you say, in these COVID19-straitened times when Rishi Sunak will no doubt be shortly casting his beady eye around for potential funding sources for his current spending spree. These might include the scrapping of the triple-lock arrangement for all State Pensioners who were eligible for annual increases. Such a measure would almost certainly cause an outcry among our State Pensioner bretheren back in the UK, of course, but the next general election is not due until 2024, so he might well be banking on it having been all forgotten by then.

 

Ironically, this would certainly deal with the issue of frozen pensions from our viewpoint, even if it was not in a manner which we might particularly like!

 

Edited by OJAS
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OJAS Ruby Member

OJAS

Posted
Posted (edited)
2 hours ago, soalbundy said:

Face reality, we don't matter, we aren't, for the most part, voters and the general public living in cloudy rain swept Britain aren't exactly full of sympathy for those who have escaped merry England to live in the sun.

Don't forget that those who have escaped merry England to live in the Filipino sun ARE entitled to the annual increases. Whereas those who have escaped merry England to live in the Canadian tundra are (like those who have escaped merry England to live in the Thai sun) ineligible!

Edited by OJAS
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maxcorrigan Advanced Member

maxcorrigan

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, soalbundy said:

The pension freeze has been done to death, it was even brought before the European court to no avail so I can't see another attempt working out any better especially as the UK's coffers are now empty due to covid. Face reality, we don't matter, we aren't, for the most part, voters and the general public living in cloudy rain swept Britain aren't exactly full of sympathy for those who have escaped merry England to live in the sun.

As for life certificates, I go to the mayor for the stamp and signature, despite the fact that I go three times a year (British pension, German pension, German company pension) I've never had any trouble or refusal. The first time I needed my yellow book and Passport but now they don't even look at them as they are so used to seeing me. 

When it was brought before the EU courts i remember reading that the chief scrote tony blair fought tooth and nail to get it rejected, as for getting a signature i get my Thai niece a doctor to sign, i did'nr realise others had problems with this signing, but still seems unnecessary when i check my banks every week without fail!

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treetops Platinum Member

treetops

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Bangkok Barry said:

And don't forget that, as non-residents, if we need medical care while in the UK we have to pay a 50 percent surcharge, no matter how much we have paid into the system in the past.

Well it's free for residents so an extra 50% of zero isn't going to hurt too much. ????

 

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maxcorrigan Advanced Member

maxcorrigan

Posted
Posted
24 minutes ago, OJAS said:

Don't forget that those who have escaped merry England to live in the Filipino sun ARE entitled to the annual increases. Whereas those who have escaped merry England to live in the Canadian tundra are (like those who have escaped merry England to live in the Thai sun) ineligible!

I think what soulbundy is referring too is, when frozen pensions pops up the press/papers most comments particularly among women are against us getting any yearly increases at all, they seem to think in my opinion we are some sort of traitor, so deserve nothing!

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MJKT2014 Silver Member

MJKT2014

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, gamini said:

The financial requirements for an extension of a retirement Visa haven't changed in the last 20 years. 

Eh? They changed Mar 2019? At least that is what is said one the form I signed at IO when I did my extension last year.

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Old Dissenter Explorer Member

Old Dissenter

Posted
  • Author
Posted
4 hours ago, soalbundy said:

The pension freeze has been done to death, it was even brought before the European court to no avail so I can't see another attempt working out any better especially as the UK's coffers are now empty due to covid. Face reality, we don't matter, we aren't, for the most part, voters and the general public living in cloudy rain swept Britain aren't exactly full of sympathy for those who have escaped merry England to live in the sun.

As for life certificates, I go to the mayor for the stamp and signature, despite the fact that I go three times a year (British pension, German pension, German company pension) I've never had any trouble or refusal. The first time I needed my yellow book and Passport but now they don't even look at them as they are so used to seeing me. 

The British government has said it intends to end the 15 year limit on overseas voters. Votes for life for those that live abroad.

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Old Dissenter Explorer Member

Old Dissenter

Posted
  • Author
Posted
3 hours ago, JusticeGB said:

Crazy but if you lived in the Philippines you would get an inflation linked pension. Must admit have no idea why the Philippines is one of the very few countries that has the inflation proofed pensions. 

The Philippines have an agreement with the UK concerning pensions.

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Gradual Newbie

Gradual

Posted
Posted

Some years ago the Dutch government tightened her rules about proof of life statement. Now once a year I have to visit a Thai SSO (Social Security Office) with my passport. They will sign and stamp the document the Dutch Government sends to me by e-mail in my birthday month or I download it from their (My Government) website. For ease I prepare the paper myself on forehand. In my case it is made up in Dutch and English.

Every province (Changwat) in Thailand has a SSO in its capital.

Maybe this would work for the UK / Australia also.

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Thingamabob Platinum Member

Thingamabob

Posted
Posted

I led a delegation from the Anglo Taiwan Trade Committee in Taipei to the House of Commons in 1986 on this issue. We were well received and listened to, but achieved nothing. Complaints about this injustice have been made for many years. I live in hope, but I fear we don't count for much with British politicians. Still worth trying though.

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theoldgit Star Member

theoldgit

Posted
Posted

We've had a thread running for a while about UK Pensions, including the issue of freezing of pensions.

 

We really don't need another as we're repeating the same arguement over and over.

 

I'll close this thread, please feel free to continue here: 

 

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