British press support UK pensioners losing out in Thailand

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Almost 500,000 UK state pensioners living overseas are excluded from this month’s annual increase.

Out of sight out of mind, as the old saying goes.

We paid in our contributions just the same as everyone else, but when it comes to paying out the goalposts move.

[LivinLOS]

2 minutes ago, Orinoco said:

Give it a rest mate.it's only 7:30 on a Monday morning.

Have a fresh cup of coffee and chill

your the one who started with the ego post because (lol) 3 rentals. 

[theoldgit]

5 hours ago, soi3eddie said:

Nobody stuck in the UK would support an increase for those living overseas. 

 

I wouldn't say that nobody would support an increase for those living overseas, but certainly a fair few would have this view, in fact some would probably take the view that, despite the fact we've contributed to the scheme and probably still do so, we shouldn't actually receive a pension when living overseas.

 

I suspect this view has give Ministers, of all persuasions, cold comfort over the years, along with the fact that there are insufficient votes in correcting it to make it worth their while.

[jesimps]

5 hours ago, soi3eddie said:

Nothing will change. How dare we leave the UK for a happier life in Thailand (or elsewhere). We only exist in the eyes of the UK government if they can still tax us. Nobody stuck in the UK would support an increase for those living overseas. 

 

They do still tax us. I've been forced to pay UK tax for the past 15 years living in Thailand. Not only on my pensions, but on any investments I make.

[Orinoco]

10 minutes ago, LivinLOS said:

your the one who started with the ego post because (lol) 3 rentals. 

And your the one telling people they don't deserve a uk pension increase.

and should find other pensions or funds to in vest in.

As for your sheltered upbringing comment. what a joke you are.

 

 

[OneMoreFarang]

I understand when pensioners from any country want to receive as much money as possible anywhere they live.

But on the other hand it makes a huge difference for a country if they give money to people and those people spend it within their own country or in a country far away.

I don't know the statistics but I guess 20 years ago or more there were not many people who retired in another country and they lived on state pensions. Now that seems to be more common.

 

How was and is that state pension scheme designed? Does it only "work" if money is paid and spent in the home country of the pensioner? 

And what do the working people think about this? After all, they pay the pensions. 

 

[Mac Mickmanus]

25 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Truly an abomination, and a boil on the face of British society. Sour grapes? How dare you leave for greener pastures elsewhere? 

There is a housing shortage in the U.K and its better for all if pensioners go to other Countries to live , it frees up much needed housing and cuts down on NHS and care costs  . 

   UK pensioners enjoy living beyond their means in third World Countries , they are rich there instead of being poor in the U.K.

   What more do they want ? 

[neverere]

1 hour ago, 10baht said:

F'ing social engineering, You get what you vote for. And the idiot liberals in the States want to be more like the the EU. OMG thank heaven it's a slow process and I will be dead by the time it might happen. Maybe the Ukraine War will wake some people up.

The UK is no longer part of the EU. Try to keep up.

[jacko45k]

Just now, Mac Mickmanus said:

There is a housing shortage in the U.K and its better for all if pensioners go to other Countries to live , it frees up much needed housing and cuts down on NHS and care costs  . 

   UK pensioners enjoy living beyond their means in third World Countries , they are rich there instead of being poor in the U.K.

   What more do they want ? 

You would think immigration would be controlled better on that premise. 

Here in Thailand, some survive but struggle mostly on a State pension, a cost of living increase would help them out, and maybe keep them out!

[worgeordie]

I get the grand total of 90 quid a week ,but maybe that's all I deserve,

self employed all my working life, retired at 42 , it's a good job I am a

saver and provided for my self , it must be desperate times for many

people , low interest rates on their savings , fixed pension , terrible

exchange rates for Sterling , could it get worse ? , maybe having to

return to UK , God forbid .

A rise in pensions for expats living in the countries that don't allow it, 

is never going to happen , as the UK government dont give a s#it about

us, 

regards worgeordie    sorry for the way this has come out , not how I typed it, always happens with a long post ????

Edited May 2, 2022 by worgeordie
correction

[Mac Mickmanus]

8 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I understand when pensioners from any country want to receive as much money as possible anywhere they live.

But on the other hand it makes a huge difference for a country if they give money to people and those people spend it within their own country or in a country far away.

I don't know the statistics but I guess 20 years ago or more there were not many people who retired in another country and they lived on state pensions. Now that seems to be more common.

 

How was and is that state pension scheme designed? Does it only "work" if money is paid and spent in the home country of the pensioner? 

And what do the working people think about this? After all, they pay the pensions. 

 

Its better if the pensioners go elsewhere , free up housing for people who work .

People who work , earn and pay and contribute to the economy , rather than pensioners who live cheaply and get lots of things for free

[Mansell]

You get the increase in Spain, but not in Commonwealth countries? That is plainly a <deleted> you to all the people who payed into the system for decades. And what is the rational for no increases if your in the Falkland Islands? But if your on Gibraltar or Malta you get it?

I guess they use the savings to fund the lifestyle of the Embassy staff here in Thailand. What a slap in the face for all the pensioners who have fought for the UK in whatever conflict who opted to live elsewhere.

[sandyf]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

The UK state pension is payable overseas, but it is not “uprated” annually unless there is a legal requirement to do so – for example, where there is a relevant reciprocal social security agreement in place.

This is not true. There is no current agreement in place with the EU, the agreement that was in place came to an end with Brexit. The government put in place a temporary arrangement to make the payments legal.

At the time Amber Rudd said the pensioners in the EU deserved to get the increases as they helped make Britain great. What she really meant they were too close for comfort and didn't want the backlash.

[Andycoops]

It's just pure hypocrisy, you can live overseas as I do in Thailand but still pay income tax for services you never use but can't get an increase on your pension despite having paid in for 40 years.

A very sad state of affairs.

[steve187]

1 hour ago, LivinLOS said:

Plus UK pension input can be an absolute pittance standard class 2 self employed stamp in the UK is 3:15 a week !! 163 quid a year and you can claim a pension with 10 years contribution.. a full pension with 35 years.. And then you think this is going to pay out 1000s a year for 20 30 years index linked ? Do the math !! 

what about the class 4 NI contributions (10.25%) they have to pay as well, or are you suggesting they live on the £9,881, which is the figure when the self employed start paying class 4 NI, yes a 2nd wage earner could get a pension after paying a minimum of 10 years NI, @class 2 rates, but a main wage earner could not survive on £9881 a year

[10baht]

22 minutes ago, neverere said:

The UK is no longer part of the EU. Try to keep up.

Same same but  Different?  No same same but offshore. It's about attitude not what's on paper.

[silver sea]

5 hours ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

In regards to this threads headline .

Which press/media in the UK are they referring to ?

Who reported this issue ?

This is the report in the Daily Mail:

 

https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/pensions/article-10735831/Frozen-overseas-state-pensions-Nurse-aged-100-Australia-gets-just-46-week.html

[RichardColeman]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Some of the oldest ‘frozen pensioners’ are receiving payments of only £30 to £40 a week, which never go up.

Should read some of the daftest pensioners who cannot be bothered to go back to the UK to reset their pension to current amounts

[CH1961]

5 minutes ago, Mansell said:

... slap in the face for all the pensioners who have fought for the UK in whatever conflict ... 

The old tale of the war heroes.

All the brit heroes here in pattaya only fought with the beer on a construction site in Whitechapel. 

At least, it seems that the pension is enough for the daily alcohol intoxication.

[Mac Mickmanus]

14 minutes ago, Andycoops said:

It's just pure hypocrisy, you can live overseas as I do in Thailand but still pay income tax for services you never use but can't get an increase on your pension despite having paid in for 40 years.

A very sad state of affairs.

You pay income tax for money received in the U.K and if you just receive a UK pension, you wouldn't be paying income tax

[sandyf]

1 hour ago, LivinLOS said:

People expect too much.. They also have this false idea that paying into a pension is somehow 'thier money returned to them' when it isnt !! Whats paid in now is spent now, whats paid out now is a drain on the current workforce now. You get the benefits of the now payment in government services when you pay it.. 

Plus UK pension input can be an absolute pittance standard class 2 self employed stamp in the UK is 3:15 a week !! 163 quid a year and you can claim a pension with 10 years contribution.. a full pension with 35 years.. And then you think this is going to pay out 1000s a year for 20 30 years index linked ? Do the math !! 

You want a pension for your expat lifestyle go get a private pension or savings plan. 

A narrow minded post. The problem is there are different circumstances but everyone is treated the same.

I have 49 years of NI contributions and have never stopped paying income tax. part of my income tax is used to pay my pension, in any other environment that would be seen as fraud.

I go back to the UK every year spending about a third of my state pension in the UK and other than a covid jab last year have not used the NHS for about 15 years.

You also have to bear in mind, for the majority the pension is 2 parts and one part is frozen even in the UK. When they announce a 3% rise, it is not on the whole pension just the basic pension. Not the 1000s a year you make out.

[TKDfella]

I took early retirement and receive only 70% of GB pension, which is of course frozen. I have never bothered to ask that even if expats did start receiving increases would that also apply to those like me?

[Mac Mickmanus]

18 minutes ago, Mansell said:

Y What a slap in the face for all the pensioners who have fought for the UK in whatever conflict who opted to live elsewhere.

Some people get a job in the Army for four years after leaving School and think the Country should support them for the rest of their life . 

[sandyf]

5 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

You pay income tax for money received in the U.K and if you just receive a UK pension, you wouldn't be paying income tax

Your state pension can be higher than the allowance.

[VocalNeal]

28 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

A rise in pensions for expats living in the countries that don't allow it, 

is never going to happen , as the UK government dont give a s#it about

us, 

It is probably more about that money leaving the UK economy. Rather than the system not caring. 

[Mac Mickmanus]

2 minutes ago, sandyf said:

Your state pension can be higher than the allowance.

The full state pension is about 10 000 per year and the yearly tax free allowance is about 12 000 per year

[Thailand]

8 minutes ago, Surasak said:

That would possibly work if set up before leaving the UK. If you have been away for any length of time and then attempt the same, you will get the third degree to prove you intend to stay in the UK. This is done in person in the UK. Plus, what you suggest is in fact, fraud!

Fraud seems to be acceptable to quite a few from what I read. I guess those that resort to that don't help the case of the majority that don't.

 

Anyway, can I expect my UK pension to more than double now it has the attention of the press in the UK?

[Elkski]

It does seem like a bad policy.  But from the government standpoint no vote to change things I imagine.   Was it always this way?  

[theoldgit]

5 minutes ago, sandyf said:

Your state pension can be higher than the allowance.

 

Possible I suppose, but that would be over £240 a week, I'm not sure that many get that.

 

As you'll be aware, but maybe @Mac Mickmanus isn't, the Personal Allowance is reduced by the total of the State Pension, thus ensuring, those with maybe an occupational pension, pay tax on their total pension income.

 

I know a number of people who actually pay more tax than their State Pension on their total pension income.  

[Thailand]

38 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

I get the grand total of 90 quid a week ,but maybe that's all I deserve,

self employed all my working life, retired at 42 , it's a good job I am a

saver and provided for my self , it must be desperate times for many

people , low interest rates on their savings , fixed pension , terrible

exchange rates for Sterling , could it get worse ? , maybe having to

return to UK , God forbid .

A rise in pensions for expats living in the countries that don't allow it, 

is never going to happen , as the UK government dont give a s#it about

us, 

regards worgeordie    sorry for the way this has come out , not how I typed it, always happens with a long post ????

Aw, spoilt my morning. Was just working what to spend the increase on next.