British press support UK pensioners losing out in Thailand

[BumGun]

Could be worse, you might be retired in the UK ????  can't even get easy access to Europe any more, even less reason to be there

[sandyf]

8 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

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

You don't know what the full state pension is, varies  enormously.

If I was getting the full amount it would  be just short of the current allowance of £12,700. During my working life I came across many earning a great deal more than i did, their pension will be much higher than mine.

[brianthainess]

5 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!

Why do you need to 'tell' them you have been away for any length of time, passports are not mandatory so no need to show one, I knew a bloke was away for years, he had worked from aged 15 - 52 in the UK paying NI and Tax, told them he had been living hand to mouth doing cash jobs in the uk when asked ''so what have you been doing for the last 5 yrs with no contributions ?'', with no fixed abode. Yes it is fraud but only on the increases, you are still entitled to a pension, funny thing is he moved back to UK after a few years, now gets rent payed, free taxi to hospitals, bus pass + more benefits.  

[theoldgit]

38 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.

 

Indeed, and an expat taken ill and requiring ongoing NHS care when visiting the UK would be charged 150% of the actual cost, their 40 years of NI Contributions and current income tax liability, with more being dragged into the 40% bracket, count for nothing every year.

[Road Warrior]

lived here  for 20 yrs and no increase BUT STILL GET UK INCOMETAX BILL EACH YEAR  

[brianthainess]

Funny thing is even if you are Married in Thailand the must have 400k in the bank, is less than a UK pension. 

[brianthainess]

2 minutes ago, theoldgit said:

 

Indeed, and an expat taken ill and requiring ongoing NHS care when visiting the UK would be charged 150% of the actual cost, their 40 years of NI Contributions and current income tax liability, with more being dragged into the 40% bracket, count for nothing every year.

But how does a NHS hospital know you don't live in the UK ? 

[sandyf]

6 minutes ago, theoldgit said:

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

What many forget or may not be aware, is that some years ago the ability to contract out wasn't available for individuals. I think it was about 1990 that the law was changed and for many of my age the recommendation was to remain in SERPS.

Anyone who had a reasonable income and remained in SERPS throughout their working life will have a state pension above the personal allowance.

Yes you are right the state pension cannot be taxed and any liability will be collected from other income. If there is no other income you must make the payment manually to HMRC.

[theoldgit]

1 hour ago, brianthainess said:

But how does a NHS hospital know you don't live in the UK ? 

 

It's up to you to prove that you do, the first question they may ask is the name of your GP, that would be a good starting point for the NHS who are now required by law to check by that you are actually resident in the UK.

 

Many NHS Trusts have a dedicated department to ensure compliance of this rule, which was brought in by the Cameron/Clegg Coalition.

 

But I digress, apologies.

[Mac Mickmanus]

26 minutes ago, sandyf said:

You don't know what the full state pension is, varies  enormously.

If I was getting the full amount it would  be just short of the current allowance of £12,700. During my working life I came across many earning a great deal more than i did, their pension will be much higher than mine.

Those would be private pensions, that state pension is a fixed amount 

[Whale]

12 minutes ago, theoldgit said:

It's up to you to prove that you do, the first question they may ask is the name of your GP, that would be a good starting point for the NHS who are now required by law to check by that you are actually resident in the UK.

Agreed, I tried registering last year remotely, no chance. Told to come to surgery with proof of address/bills.

[sandyf]

4 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

Those would be private pensions, that state pension is a fixed amount 

Nothing to do with private pensions.

Only the basic component of the state pension is fixed, the full amount is used for income tax and can vary considerably. What applies now didn't apply to the majority that are currently on a state pension.

You should read up on "Contracting Out" of the state pension.

[SymS]

People are supposed to know the law and act accordingly.
Once I met a German pensioner in Indonesia, and he told me he had to go back for X months every year to keep his pension alive.

 

I'm glad I never contributed to any pension system, and am taking care of this myself. I reckon it may be slightly higher risk...

[sandyf]

19 minutes ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

Those would be private pensions, that state pension is a fixed amount 

This is how my state pension is made up.

[shackleton]

Most of us who retired here were aware there would be no pension rises yearly

While it's not fair we made the decision to retire here

I have signed the petition as  before

But know it won't make any difference most people in the UK could not care less about us here in Thailand 

 

 

[agudbuk]

The Express has had a number of articles on this topic.

 

[PaDavid]

4 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

"For example, a single pensioner who retired in late 1982 after having made the full contributions would be getting £32.85 a week, or £1,708 a year, if their pension were frozen then. If they had stayed in Britain, they would now be getting £141.85 a week, or £7,376 a year"

 

Slight extreme example, that would make them about 105, many in Thailand that age?

I’m 76 and have been here 7 years. My state pension is now over £2,000 a year less than it should be

[oobar]

3 hours ago, LivinLOS said:

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

Or just be an American.

[bert bloggs]

To those who say its fraud to claim ,please show where any pensioner has been prosecuted ,i could not find any 

[PaDavid]

I know nothing will get done about this, especially now as it would cost too much, especially when the government is trying to make savings to offset the costs incurred through Covid. 
 

But, what makes me laugh is this 500,000 expats. The overseas pension desk has no idea how many it actually is. They only know of those who’ve notified them of their move abroad, and, from my correspondence with them, it’s clear they are making little effort to track down the others. 
 

[PaDavid]

7 minutes ago, oobar said:

Or just be an American.

The point you may have missed is that we’ve paid for our pensions our entire working lives through something called National Insurance. So, in effect, it’s a contributory pension scheme in the same way as if we had paid into a private plan

[Purdey]

Didn't anyone save money or is their pension their only income? 

[sammieuk1]

Anyone started their claim very recently? what to do paperwork etc?  ????

[Jumbo1968]

2 hours 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.

Yes like many I have a Private Pension, the State Pension ‘uses’ up most of my Tax Allowance leaving a small amount which is not enough and my PP is taxed.

[Bangkok Barry]

This topic has been ongoing for years and has been campaigned for by, among others, the Daily Telegraph. The chance of anything changing is zero, especially now after the strain that was put on the economy by the pandemic. It isn't a vote winner, and I doubt very much that anyone in the UK really cares very much about those who chose to live somewhere else.

What I don't understand is how people in some countries are allowed the increase but not others -especially for those who moved to Commonwealth countries. Those in the US receive it, those in Canada do not. That is bizarre.

[Guderian]

Until we get a 'vote for life', and use it to threaten our MP's, nothing will change. The new bill which lays the ground for removing the 15-year limit on Overseas Voters received Royal Assent on 28th April, but detailed secondary legislation is needed to implement the new provisions. This is expected next year, with us finally getting the right to vote in the UK, regardless of how long we've been living abroad, sometime in 2024. If a few hundred thousand expats then sign up to vote, and tell the ruling party at the time that they'll vote for the other lot unless the state pension is unfrozen, then something might happen. That's still a pretty big 'if', though.

 

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn05923/

[OneMoreFarang]

2 hours ago, Mac Mickmanus said:

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

What do you think do pensioners with their money? They spent it. I.e. they spent it in local shops which is good for those shops. And the shops employ people and pay taxes. The the things which they get for free? They are not really free. Someone, likely the tax payers, pay for that. And the money which they pay is payed to companies and people in the country, again those companies employ people, pay taxes, etc. The money goes round and round. Except if people get the money from country A and spend it in country B.

[JimboB4]

Wow definitely something the United States isn’t allowed to do. 

[crazykopite]

If we all returned to the U.K. it would cost a hell of a lot more to keep us there if you’ve paid into the system then regardless where you live in the world you should be paid what is rightfully yours . I see that a 3rd reading was passed for all expats to vote in U.K. elections well until they change there attitude towards ex pat pensions I won’t be voting for any party 

[Mac Mickmanus]

1 minute ago, OneMoreFarang said:

What do you think do pensioners with their money? They spent it. I.e. they spent it in local shops which is good for those shops. And the shops employ people and pay taxes. The the things which they get for free? They are not really free. Someone, likely the tax payers, pay for that. And the money which they pay is payed to companies and people in the country, again those companies employ people, pay taxes, etc. The money goes round and round. Except if people get the money from country A and spend it in country B.

But there's a housing shortage in the U.K and thrifty pensioners take up wanted housing space .

The housing would be better lived in by tax /rent paying people who work , earn money and contribute to the local economy, rather than pensioners spending their meagre income on the basics