PRESS RELEASE: End Frozen Pensions For British Ex-Pats In Thailand

[brianthainess]

On 7/27/2023 at 10:21 AM, webfact said:

Thailand is not one of those countries with reciprocal agreements with the UK.

And always will be.

[747man]

17 hours ago, sniggie said:

 

More like they could find out if they were bothered. If someone has a UK address and their pension is paid into a domestic UK bank account they could possibly check to see how often that person enters the country and how long they stay on each visit.  But why would they do that, its a lot of bother. Likewise registering with a GP. 

I KNOW a person who keeps his U.K. Address which he RENTS ( Paid for by The DWP 1,000 GBP  Per Month ) Yet Lives in Thailand for approx. 6 /7 Months of the Year,Claims EVERY Other Benefit he can, Disability***, Universal Credit, Even claims for his 300 GBP WINTER Power bill ( Even though he's NOT in The U.K. In Winte ) Has his Wife as his Carerfor which he also claims.....The Same Person also has Millions of Baht in EVERY Thai Bank HERE Where he lives, The Same Person also bought a Condo in Pattaya a Few Years ago for 1.5 Million THB In CASH !!!!!,I Wonder just who paid for that.....

 

Disability *** Doesn't Prevent him Climbing Ladders HERE to Do Work on the House He & His Wife OWN !! Amazing......

[747man]

2 minutes ago, 747man said:

DELETED !!

 

[747man]

3 hours ago, JayClay said:

There are no illegal immigrants in the UK. Certainly not enough costing the government 7 million pounds per day, anyway.

 

What we do have is a backlog of asylum claims that are not being processed by the authorities. People who claim asylum are not illegal immigrants. People who are deneid asylum are deported. 

 

The current government is refusing to tax energy companies, who are posting profit increases of 900% so, yea, if they don't have enough money then it's entirely of their own making. But, yea, let's get angry at people fleeing war-torn countries instead.

 

A tory government is never going to increase the pensions of retirees living abroad. I doubt any party would be very much in favor of it to be honest, but if you want any chance of it ever happening, it won't be the current lot.

There are no illegal immigrants in the UK. Certainly not enough costing the government 7 million pounds per day, anyway........Yer Havin' A Giraffe There My Friend......WHY Do MOST of them enter Via a Rubber Dinghy Then ?? After Paying Traffickers up to 40,000 GBP !!! Not as IF The Can't Apply for Visas & Enter LEGALLY Is it ??

[747man]

27 minutes ago, Wobblybob said:

I think there's an argument to suggest that it is the British government that is committing fraud.

I Agree With You, More Like THEFT in my eyes M8.....

[747man]

On 7/27/2023 at 1:47 PM, BritManToo said:

My UK state pension brings in 10,500GBP/year (40kbht/month).

Don't know why you say it's worth <deleted>.

Well MY Reduced Pension brings in 3,753.36p GBP A YEAR.....

 

On 7/27/2023 at 2:04 PM, Liverpool Lou said:

No, we cannot. 

It has been tried and debated for donkeys years, has always been rejected and will continue to be so regardless of the handful of expats here in Thailand who join in (assuming that they have not previously added their names to the numerous existing petitions that have no effect, whatsoever, regardless of which government is in power).

 

 

On 7/27/2023 at 2:14 PM, Liverpool Lou said:

UK state pensions are paid weekly/4-weekly, not monthly.  £203.85 x 52 = £10,600.20. 

NOT Here They Ain't.....Every 4 Weeks I Get a Paultry 288.72p GBP Every 4 WEEKS = 3,753.36p GBP Per YEAR,as you get 13 Payments in One Calender YEAR 

[IvorBiggun2]

6 minutes ago, 747man said:

There are no illegal immigrants in the UK. Certainly not enough costing the government 7 million pounds per day, anyway........Yer Havin' A Giraffe

Quote

The current broken asylum system costs the UK around £3 billion a year and rising and around £6 million a day on hotel bills. 

That's 6 million a day just for hotel bills.

[Wobblybob]

12 minutes ago, 747man said:

I Agree With You, More Like THEFT in my eyes M8.....

And with the pension being the lowest in Europe it like getting kicked when you're down.????

[747man]

10 minutes ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

That's 6 million a day just for hotel bills.

Then there are their 3 Meals a Day & Their 35 Quid A DAY Expenses.....They get more fo 2 Days than I Get in my State Pension for a Week !!

[747man]

3 minutes ago, Wobblybob said:

And with the pension being the lowest in Europe it like getting kicked when you're down.????

And My Gonads are So SORE !!

[soalbundy]

25 minutes ago, transam said:

It's OK, mein herr, you, a Brit, knocking the UK here after a 50 year exit is all I/we need...????

Not knocking, I'm a pragmatic realist, everyone chose's their own battles. The Jarrow marchers in the 1930's showed courage and fortitude, it changed attitudes leading to change but it didn't help them personally, so do you become an instrument of change or chose to change your own circumstances for a better life, I chose the latter. Most of my family is now in Australia, my brother became a millionaire, my sister owns a cattle breeding ranch, my two other brothers still in the UK are in dire straights through despair, one is a divorced drug addict on welfare, the other an alcoholic just about able to keep his job, his mortgage wore him down. Dying isn't a choice but how we live is.

[Mutt Daeng]

19 hours ago, Geordieabroad said:

forget about voting in a UK election if you live in Thailand. I registered for a postal vote in the last election, my ballot paper arrived at my Thai address on the actual day of the election. I phoned the relevant number in the UK to complain and they told me they can't send out ballot papers to overseas addresses till 10 days before the election. So unless an envelope can get from UK - Thailand - UK in 10 days you've got no chance

UK citizens living overseas can nominate a proxy to vote on their behalf. One of my brothers living in the UK votes for me.

See https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apply-to-vote-by-proxy-if-youre-living-overseas

 

[sandyf]

On 7/27/2023 at 3:04 PM, samtam said:

 

I stand corrected. [But as a non resident whose 66th birthday was on 31 March 2023, I missed out on the 203.85 and will now forever get the 185.15 per week, or 9,627.80 pa.]

Still, based on my miscalculation (8887.20❌), I now realise I get 9,627.80✔️, so that's nice. 10,600.20 would have been nicer, but so far the rise in GBP to THB has improved it.

You were wrong on more than one point, not everyone is on £203.85. Many that got pensions under the pre 2016 arrangement will be receiving a good bit more than that with some over £300 a week.

[Baht Simpson]

17 hours ago, roger101 said:

What the UK Government forgets is that people living abroad don't use the NHS, and they don't claim any other benefits that people receive if they lived there.  That would more than pay any money paid to pensioners  here. I have been in hospital 5 times in the years I have lived here. I paid.  Cost to the NHS -nothing.

It's not that they've forgotten, it's that they know and don't give a damn.  You have your pension frozen but still pay tax on your pension.  They won't be freezing tax for eligible expats any time soon.

[sandyf]

6 minutes ago, Mutt Daeng said:

UK citizens living overseas can nominate a proxy to vote on their behalf. One of my brothers living in the UK votes for me.

See https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apply-to-vote-by-proxy-if-youre-living-overseas

 

It is not that straightforward. The vote must be done in your last UK catchment area so if you have been away sometime may not be that easy if the proxy has to travel any distance.

 

[Thaindrew]

On 7/27/2023 at 1:57 PM, samtam said:

The highest and increased pension (23/24 effective 6 April 2023) in UK (as a resident) is GBP203.85 per week:

x4 = 815.40 per month = GBP9,784.80 per annum.

 

£203 x 52 weeks its £10,500

[transam]

1 hour ago, 747man said:

I KNOW a person who keeps his U.K. Address which he RENTS ( Paid for by The DWP 1,000 GBP  Per Month ) Yet Lives in Thailand for approx. 6 /7 Months of the Year,Claims EVERY Other Benefit he can, Disability***, Universal Credit, Even claims for his 300 GBP WINTER Power bill ( Even though he's NOT in The U.K. In Winte ) Has his Wife as his Carerfor which he also claims.....The Same Person also has Millions of Baht in EVERY Thai Bank HERE Where he lives, The Same Person also bought a Condo in Pattaya a Few Years ago for 1.5 Million THB In CASH !!!!!,I Wonder just who paid for that.....

 

Disability *** Doesn't Prevent him Climbing Ladders HERE to Do Work on the House He & His Wife OWN !! Amazing......

If he were grassed up he would be in a bit of trouble, but I also know a bloke with the same M.O., he says he has enough cash to pay off a UK Gov. hit if found out.....

[sandyf]

On 7/27/2023 at 10:21 AM, webfact said:

Thailand is not one of those countries with reciprocal agreements with the UK.

Reciprocal agreements are the weapon used by the government to defend the policy. However when push comes to shove they can pay whoever they choose. This arose from the potential backlash from pensioners in the EU over a possible brexit outcome.

 

The government is sending out letters outlining that even if we leave without a deal, pensions for those in the EU will be uprated for a further 3 years – an increase of at least 2.5% annually for the duration of this Parliament, worth up to £200 a year per person.

And pensioners will be told they do not need to do anything to continue receiving their State Pension.

During the 3-year period, the UK government plans to negotiate a new arrangement with the EU to ensure that uprating continues.

Work and Pensions Secretary Dr Thérèse Coffey said:

Pensioners in Europe who have paid into the system for years deserve peace of mind over their future finances.

Not only are we providing much-needed reassurance for hundreds of thousands of retirees, we’re ensuring we are fully prepared for leaving the EU on 31 October.

No matter the circumstances of Brexit, we’ve made sure that pensioners do not need to take any action to continue receiving their hard-earned State Pension.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/brexit-and-pensions-uprating

[sandyf]

2 hours ago, transam said:

The European Court 13 judges voted 5-8, so not a walkover,

Quite. The case was taken to the court as a "Human Rights" issue, had it been an issue of "Discrimination", there may have been a different outcome.

[billd766]

2 hours ago, 747man said:

There are no illegal immigrants in the UK. Certainly not enough costing the government 7 million pounds per day, anyway........Yer Havin' A Giraffe There My Friend......WHY Do MOST of them enter Via a Rubber Dinghy Then ?? After Paying Traffickers up to 40,000 GBP !!! Not as IF The Can't Apply for Visas & Enter LEGALLY Is it ??

A simple internet search found me this link.

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/illegal-migration-bill-factsheets/illegal-migration-bill-overarching-factsheet#:~:text=The current broken asylum system costs the UK around £,government and other local services.

 

Key facts
Over 45,700 people arrived in small boats in 2022
There were over 40,000 asylum applications in 2022 from those who arrived in the UK via small boat.
There were 74,751 asylum applications (main applicants only) in the UK in 2022, more than twice the number in 2019.
In 2022, there were 110,171 individuals in receipt of support, 30% higher than 2021.
Over 45,000 asylum seekers are currently being accommodated in hotels located across 200 local authorities.
Between 2015 and December 2022. The UK has offered a place to 481,804 men, women and children seeking safety via safe and legal entry routes.

 

How much will these measures cost?
The current broken asylum system costs the UK around £3 billion a year and rising and around £6 million a day on hotel bills.

Doing nothing is not a cost-free option as the continued arrival of tens of thousands of illegal migrants each year places new burdens on central and local government and other local services. There is also no price you can put on saving the lives of those currently drowning as they attempt unnecessary crossings of the Channel in the hands of dangerous gangs.

 

I am sure that if you try, you will find a link or 3 denying this from the UK government, but that is up to you.

 

Can you personally enter and stay in any country without a visa? Not only that, but expect that country to support you for the rest of your life if need be.

 

How about this link then.

 

https://fullfact.org/immigration/hotel-accommodation-asylum-seeker-cost/

 

Or this one

 

https://childhub.org/en/child-protection-news/each-illegal-immigrant-costs-gbp-1m-according-study?language=hu

 

The “Daily Mail” reports that according to a study commissioned by Migrationwatch each illegal immigrant who would be granted asylum in Britain would cost the government 1 million pounds over their lifetime. This revelation comes as thousands of churchgoers, trade unionists and charity workers prepare to rally in London in support of an ‘earned amnesty’ for 450’000 foreigners. The coalition argues that providing permanent residency for those long-term illegal immigrants who meet certain conditions would bring in more than £1billion of tax a year. The UK Border Agency spokesman however stated that their policy is unchanged: ‘Those here illegally should go home, not go to the front of the queue for jobs and benefits.’

[transam]

38 minutes ago, billd766 said:

A simple internet search found me this link.

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/illegal-migration-bill-factsheets/illegal-migration-bill-overarching-factsheet#:~:text=The current broken asylum system costs the UK around £,government and other local services.

 

Key facts
Over 45,700 people arrived in small boats in 2022
There were over 40,000 asylum applications in 2022 from those who arrived in the UK via small boat.
There were 74,751 asylum applications (main applicants only) in the UK in 2022, more than twice the number in 2019.
In 2022, there were 110,171 individuals in receipt of support, 30% higher than 2021.
Over 45,000 asylum seekers are currently being accommodated in hotels located across 200 local authorities.
Between 2015 and December 2022. The UK has offered a place to 481,804 men, women and children seeking safety via safe and legal entry routes.

 

How much will these measures cost?
The current broken asylum system costs the UK around £3 billion a year and rising and around £6 million a day on hotel bills.

Doing nothing is not a cost-free option as the continued arrival of tens of thousands of illegal migrants each year places new burdens on central and local government and other local services. There is also no price you can put on saving the lives of those currently drowning as they attempt unnecessary crossings of the Channel in the hands of dangerous gangs.

 

I am sure that if you try, you will find a link or 3 denying this from the UK government, but that is up to you.

 

Can you personally enter and stay in any country without a visa? Not only that, but expect that country to support you for the rest of your life if need be.

 

How about this link then.

 

https://fullfact.org/immigration/hotel-accommodation-asylum-seeker-cost/

 

Or this one

 

https://childhub.org/en/child-protection-news/each-illegal-immigrant-costs-gbp-1m-according-study?language=hu

 

The “Daily Mail” reports that according to a study commissioned by Migrationwatch each illegal immigrant who would be granted asylum in Britain would cost the government 1 million pounds over their lifetime. This revelation comes as thousands of churchgoers, trade unionists and charity workers prepare to rally in London in support of an ‘earned amnesty’ for 450’000 foreigners. The coalition argues that providing permanent residency for those long-term illegal immigrants who meet certain conditions would bring in more than £1billion of tax a year. The UK Border Agency spokesman however stated that their policy is unchanged: ‘Those here illegally should go home, not go to the front of the queue for jobs and benefits.’

And they won't pay us a measly few quid on pension rises when we have paid into the pension system all our working lives because of a "reciprocal agreement"....

Do these boat people come from countries with reciprocal agreements with the UK to get hand outs, accommodation and being taken care of, I doubt it......????

[Greenhill]

On 7/27/2023 at 10:41 AM, simon43 said:

P*ssing in the wind!  You have more chance if you lobbied the Thai government to implement a reciprocal agreement with the UK, as did The Philippines.

Please could someone enlighten me.    I do not understand why any 'reciprocal agreement' is necessary between Govt's!    The UK doesn't need Thailand's permission , to pay their own pensioners whatever they like, or does it?????

[Liverpool Lou]

3 hours ago, 747man said:

On 7/27/2023 at 2:14 PM, Liverpool Lou said:

UK state pensions are paid weekly/4-weekly, not monthly.  £203.85 x 52 = £10,600.20. 

NOT Here They Ain't.....Every 4 Weeks I Get a Paultry 288.72p GBP Every 4 WEEKS = 3,753.36p GBP Per YEAR,as you get 13 Payments in One Calender YEAR 

What are you talking about?  I said in that comment that state pensions are paid weekly or four-weekly. They are paid every four weeks here. 

I made no comment about the amount that you receive nor the amount that anyone else receives, rather a comment on someone's maths..  

[transam]

4 minutes ago, Greenhill said:

Please could someone enlighten me.    I do not understand why any 'reciprocal agreement' is necessary between Govt's!    The UK doesn't need Thailand's permission , to pay their own pensioners whatever they like, or does it?????

A bit complicated, but I agree. It seems the UK pension is now deemed a benefit, not from a pension fund, so now we need to live in a country that will help us out if a problem.

The daft thing is, the UK does not have a reciprocal agreement with our own, ie: Australia, New Zealand and Canada...........

 

https://www.rightsnet.org.uk/pdfs/rec.pdf

[747man]

2 hours ago, transam said:

If he were grassed up he would be in a bit of trouble, but I also know a bloke with the same M.O., he says he has enough cash to pay off a UK Gov. hit if found out.....

I Think IF He got " Found Out " it would cost him MORE than he'd been Scamming The DWP For, Wouldn't He also get a Criminal Record ( Fraud ) & A Large Fine ??

[747man]

8 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

What are you talking about?  I said in that comment that state pensions are paid weekly or four-weekly. They are paid every four weeks here. 

I made no comment about the amount that you receive nor the amount that anyone else receives, rather a comment on someone's maths..  

Ahhh ! So YOU Did......Apologies M8 !! ( From a Fellow Scouser )

[Neeranam]

On 7/27/2023 at 11:59 AM, Foxx said:

No good if you want to have an overseas domicile of choice and so avoid hundreds of thousands of pounds of inheritance tax.

Can't avoid IT by living abroad, can you?

[Wobblybob]

This guy makes some interesting points on how to navigate around certain obstacles.

 

 

[Neeranam]

As long as it is unfrozen by 2035!

 

I am happy I get a pension at all, as I only worked for 5 years in the UK. I was lucky to be able to pay Class 2 contributions for 10 years at once, for a total of 66,000 baht, and continue paying 6,000 baht a year. 

[747man]

28 minutes ago, Wobblybob said:

This guy makes some interesting points on how to navigate around certain obstacles.

 

 

After Watching Les's Video I Contacted the International Pensions centre ....The Lady I Spoke to CONFIRMED I Would get the increases If as I was thinking of going to The Philippines, But She also said I Didn't have to do the 185 Days as all that had been scrapped & I Could just go for a Few Weeks / A Month or so & I Would STILL Get the Increases to my Pension,She Never Said anything about them being Cancelled when I returned " Home " to Thailand.....Looking To Good to be True ?? So the NEXT Day I Called them again obviously spoke to a Different Person who listened to what I had to ask but She Seemed Quite Un-Helpful & A Little Aggressive & Just told me the 1st Lady had Gotten Everything Wrong the previous day & Then had the Audacity to " Cut My Call Off "......So Obviously I Couldn't take a chance on going to The Philippines so Never Bothered.....