Why do we continue to receive smaller pensions than European expats?

[Gottfrid]

1 hour ago, itsari said:

Reality for most foreign pensioners living in Thailand . 

Manageable to live on 15000 a month if you own your home . 

You appear to be the one out of touch with reality 

Oh Yeah, Baby! ???? I was was actually talking about a life. Not getting by scraping it through. That´s not why you relocate, is it? 

[bunnydrops]

I hear about this almost every week. My Brit friend has been here 20 years. Wants to go back for the required 6 months to get a raise and then return. Others keep a address in England and "hide out" here.

[stigar]

2 minutes ago, Hummin said:

You got a disability pention based on your earlier average income for the last 5 years, and supposed to cover your future losses, not a pention after been working your whole life and already should have built up and secured your life. And insurance have nothing to do with pentions, that is additional to your pention. 
 

Tread starter talking about minimum pentions and the differences betwen the europeen countries. 
 

 

Thats true.When i start on my pension at age 65 i will go lover.Anyway enough to live a good life in thailand.But i choose allready that i want emigrate to thailand and loose alot of my benefits.Thats another story.

[BritManToo]

5 minutes ago, bunnydrops said:

I hear about this almost every week. My Brit friend has been here 20 years. Wants to go back for the required 6 months to get a raise and then return. Others keep a address in England and "hide out" here.

As long as I'm paying my taxes, I don't feel the Brit government has any right to know where, or with whom, I live.

Edited March 1, 2022 by BritManToo

[Swampy999]

You moved to Thailand and should have been fully aware of the pension situation and taken that into account as it will effect your income. Do you also complain about the NHS not funding your medical expenses here?

This is Thailand it is not Spain, deal with it or move to Spain.

[Chomper Higgot]

The policy makes no sense at all.

 

Apart from the moral arguments (which of course fall on deaf ears), the, math clearly adds up in favor of encouraging pensioners to retire overseas.

 

The state pension is only part of financial supports very many UK pensioners receive; they also receive, housing support, heating support, welfare services support, home help payments and of course health care.

 

For very many, these other costs far outweigh the pension they receive and all are not payable to pensioners who retire overseas.

 

The math is clear, support people to retire overseas.

 

Unfortunately the one MP who was vociferous in support of fair pensions, Kieth Vaz was ‘outed’ and disgraced.

 

He was of course primarily campaigning on behalf of the British-Indian constituency, very many of whom retire back to India but he was campaigning for fair pensions for all.

 

Addressing one other issue mentioned in the OP, UK v European Pensions.

 

The ‘triple-lock’ used to move UK pensions up to the value of the EU median was this year suspended, with a ‘politician’s promise’ that it will be reinstated next year (make of that what you will), but at precisely the time inflation takes off UK pensions are being de-linked from inflation.

 

 

Enjoy.

 

 

[shackleton]

This subject has been brought up many times its not fair we all agree

but its not going to change had the Petition send to the UK about it  nothing happened 

Life goes on 

 

[itsari]

24 minutes ago, Gottfrid said:

Oh Yeah, Baby! ???? I was was actually talking about a life. Not getting by scraping it through. That´s not why you relocate, is it? 

Oh yeah Elon . Life is what you make it 

Yes , one of the reasons i moved here was the cost of living .

 

[itsari]

43 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

But what visa does that qualify for.  Does explain why more than a few left Thailand due to Brexit / GBP drop.

I said you can live on 15000 . I never said anything about income.

If you have 800000 in the Thai bank then income does not pay a part 

[edwinchester]

1 hour ago, wombat said:

Welcome to the realization that somewhere in the Civil Service is a member of staff who was promoted for saving the treasury money 

Maybe that Civil Servant retired to Thailand as Civil Service Pensions are index linked in Thailand.

[itsari]

1 hour ago, Speedhump said:

The common area maintenance charge, plus my water and electricity at my housing resort is around 10,000. Wouldn't leave much except for somtam and rice, and pray not to get sick. 

I appreciate your situation . But there is a thing called living within your means . I am not saying you are not , but there are considerable savings to be had from keeping out of housing resorts 

[itsari]

1 hour ago, vandeventer said:

I think most foreigners from most countries get a lot less  pension living outside their home country. Things like rental assistance and health insurance for starters. But we all knew that before we came here. So if you feel like you are being cheated, go back home and get the extras.

I am not about handouts for fuel etc 

I and many hundreds of thousands are cheated by the UK and Australia . Australia being the worst offender 

[Asquith Production]

22 minutes ago, bunnydrops said:

I hear about this almost every week. My Brit friend has been here 20 years. Wants to go back for the required 6 months to get a raise and then return. Others keep a address in England and "hide out" here.

The UK government policy on this just encourages people to commit fraud. I am against benefit fraud but I do not regard the pension as a benefit it is something I paid N.I for over 45 years.

[Humpy]

The UK can't afford to give all these expats a full pension because they need the money to pay the illegal immigrants' hotel bills...... MP's salaries, House of Lords members 300 quid a day to attend and benefits for all the lazy bastards who won't look for work .

[Rocking Robert]

1 hour ago, itsari said:

Reality for most foreign pensioners living in Thailand . 

Manageable to live on 15000 a month if you own your home . 

You appear to be the one out of touch with reality 

Quote

Sorry but you’re the one wrong the minimum income for retirement I believe at 64,000

 

[itsari]

1 minute ago, Rocking Robert said:

 

Your unable to understand what i wrote . I said what one can afford to live for . That has nothing to do with any visa application 

Yet even so , if you have 800,000 deposited in a thai bank then you do not need to disclose your income

[hioctane]

1 hour ago, verticalift said:

Consider yourself lucky receiving £177/month from the UK.
 

As a recently retired Canadian Expat previously employed as a pilot in Abu Dhabi, I receive a meager $440.80CAD, or between 11,000 to 11,500 Baht each month (depending on the ROE) from the Canadian Gov’t.

 

Though I had planned working to age 65yrs, when Covid rolled around in 2020, the UAE Gov’t decided to sack…… Oupps, sorry….. “Retire” most all crews over 60yrs of age. I was 62 at the time and employed as a Senior Captain flying helicopters to the offshore oil platforms out of Abu Dhabi.
 

Making application to start receiving my Canadian Pension with direct wire transfer of Pension funds to my Thai bank account, for the first 12 months the Canadian Gov’t posted me paper cheques. My Thai bank would then charge me approx 500 Baht to deposit each CAD$$$ cheque into my Thai bank account. Fortunately in late 2021 I was able to get the direct wire transfer issue sorted, saving myself 6,000B/yr.

 

Having lived in Phuket for over the past 24yrs, commuting to/from work in Abu Dhabi, I am most fortunate that the house is all bought and paid for and my expenses are minimal. But, going from $16,000+K USD per month down to 11,000 Baht per month is most certainly…….

”Challenging”.

Enjoy your retirement…..

 

I think it is better idea to have it deposited to your Canadian account and transfer as needed to save yourself on fees.

[Expat68]

Just our bad luck unfortunately, to do with having some sort of agreement between countries I believe. Regarding people trying to get around it by having a house in the UK, I would say to them be careful, a friend of mine has been caught, he is paying it all back monthly

[kidneyw]

Here is the latest petition to the British government.

Please add your name.

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/601821

 

[itsari]

51 minutes ago, Hummin said:

You got a disability pention based on your earlier average income for the last 5 years, and supposed to cover your future losses, not a pention after been working your whole life and already should have built up and secured your life. And insurance have nothing to do with pentions, that is additional to your pention. 
 

Tread starter talking about minimum pentions and the differences betwen the europeen countries. 
 

 

Many disability candidates on a pension in Norway are more than able to work . 

A foreigner working in Norway has a much harder task to receive a disability pension .

[Expat68]

2 hours ago, Gottfrid said:

What! Even considering moving to and living in Thailand with smaller than 60 - 80 K THB per month. That´s just out of touch with reality. 

That all depends on where you live in Thailand, Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai certainly but up country in Issaan, half that easily

[Joules]

2 hours ago, Mike Teavee said:

Has nothing to do with living in Asia, it's all to do with whether the country has a reciprical social security arrangement with the UK or not & Thailand doesn't (whereas as already been mentioned The Philippines does).

 

It seems that approximately 1/2 of all pensioners who live overseas have frozen pensions but this has little to do with living in Thailand as 90% of those live in Commonwealth countries (e.g. Australia, Canada India, Pakistan, New Zealand etc... where you.d expect there to be an agreement in place) 

 

Countries where the UK pension is frozen... 

 

 

 

http://frozenbritishpensions.org/the-problem/

 

Well, I knew Brit expats got screwed on this, but did not know the reason.  What Mike points out makes perfect sense.  The reciprocity thing thing should be extended to EVERYTHING:  Property ownership, permanent residency, 90 reports, etc.!

[Hummin]

9 minutes ago, itsari said:

Your unable to understand what i wrote . I said what one can afford to live for . That has nothing to do with any visa application 

Yet even so , if you have 800,000 deposited in a thai bank then you do not need to disclose your income

To many have burned they bridges, and spent everything they had without thinking of tomorow. Im a bit younger than most, but as long I have lived, I have heard you must start saving for your pention! I have to admit it took me awhile doing, so, but maybe lucky at my age we started to see what was coming in mear future. Economical stagnation and we saw the pentions would be at stake. 
 

10 years ago, you almost got the double for your money here in Thailand, and some  was never thinking one second about saving some for future. Others have lost everything on the way due to divorce etc

[Hummin]

2 minutes ago, itsari said:

Many disability candidates on a pension in Norway are more than able to work . 

A foreigner working in Norway has a much harder task to receive a disability pension .

The good thing you can still work on disability pension. I promise you, it is much harder now even for Norwegians to get disability pension, and you have to be healthy to manage to manage to get through, and succeed with your mental health still intact. You get more sick during the process. 
 

But it is a different topic. I just wanted to clear the difference between pention and disability pension since this should be about comparing the lowest pensions in Europe. 

[KannikaP]

1 hour ago, Hummin said:

I just checked the lowest pention rate for Norwegians for single (couple get less), and it is 67 670,- baht with yesterdays transfer rate bank to bank from Norway to Thailand. 

That is a huge gap.

 

Norway do not index regulate

I get a small pension from Norway. It dropped from £160 to £130 a month because I told them I am living in Thailand.

I shall be 'moving back' to UK next month!

[foreverlomsak]

2 hours ago, Gottfrid said:

What! Even considering moving to and living in Thailand with smaller than 60 - 80 K THB per month. That´s just out of touch with reality. 

When I considered relocating to Thailand the calculations said that after receiving all my pensions I would have in the order of 90K THB per month, after arrival the government then moved the age for my private pension (from 50 to 55 hence used savings for 5 years) and my state pension (from 65 to 66) along with other changes to the scheme which means that I am no longer entitled to a full pension, approx. 24% less.

Aligned with the drop in exchange rates since arriving here I am now expecting to have less than 55K THB per month.

That my friend is reality.

[worgeordie]

I get the grand total of 90 quid a week ,self employed ,retired at 42 ,

good job I provided for myself , 90 quid for last 12 years...

regards worgeordie 

[JohnHans]

I am in a similar situation, where my Pension is locked to about 800 pounds per month.
 

"However, as this is not indexed linked, I still get GBP177.50 today because OAPs in Asia are not entitled to have their payments indexed linked at all."

 

Philippines is on the indexed link, and if you tell the Pensions office your Philippines address you will get the increases.

The Philippine seems to welcome UK pensioners with a favorable visa options.

[kennw]

2 hours ago, Asquith Production said:

If theirs one thing that the UK Government does that angers me is this inequality with pensioners. I have my pension paid into my UK bank and then move across when the exchange rate is favorable. It does not cost the UK Government anything extra so I do not understand this so called reciprocal agreement. The only thing different is my address. 

 

The UK have actually committed fraud in my opinion and it is about time that  everybody got together to fight this.

Something that people receiving pensions overseas dont understand is that home governments want pensions to be spent in the home country. This contributes to the economy there. Your pension today is paid for by todays taxpayers. As populations age there are more on the pension and the burden falls on those younger people working and paying taxes today. 

[bunnydrops]

I wasn't making a judgement call. If I was in the same boat I might do the same. We all seem to rationalize our actions when it comes to personal gain. I'm from the US so I just wish you would keep it down as to not give my country any bad ideas.