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

[proton]

23 minutes ago, noobexpat said:

How much will it cost?

Expectation of back-payments?

Which department gets less because state pension needs more? - i forget exactly to whom NI payments are distributed.

 

No point with hopes & dreams if its crazy expensive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Well it came out this week that immigrants have cost us 36 billion since 2020, that includes foreign students, so it would be a drop in the ocean. Now its 8 million a day just on accommodation for so called asylum seekers, and growing.

[2ndhomepattaya]

Nice idea, but this UNfreezing of the (frozen) pension will never happen. The UK government has no interest and no incentive to make it happen.  I wish you well in your endeavour.

[NoshowJones]

On 11/12/2023 at 11:51 AM, champers said:

Very interesting, I am sure, but you have veered way off topic.

Is Jimmy Krankie doing pantomime this Christmas?

 

Who??

[noobexpat]

48 minutes ago, proton said:

 Well it came out this week that immigrants have cost us 36 billion since 2020, that includes foreign students, so it would be a drop in the ocean. Now its 8 million a day just on accommodation for so called asylum seekers, and growing.

 

So lets waste more money on expats who no longer add anything.

Works both ways.

[Martin71]

 

 

 

 

I

17 minutes ago, noobexpat said:

 

So lets waste more money on expats who no longer add anything.

Works both ways.

I have been paying national insurance for nearly 40 years, and am a veteran ,why should a scumbag who is probably  a criminal/ wannabe rapist/ terrorist who illegally entered UK in a small boat , be entitled to one penny of that..

 

 

[roo860]

1 minute ago, Martin71 said:

 

 

 

 

I

I have been paying national insurance for nearly 40 years, and am a veteran ,why should a scumbag who is probably  a criminal/ wannabe rapist/ terrorist who illegally entered UK in a small boat , be entitled to one penny of that..

 

 

Well said!!!++

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, Chivas said:

 

lol I can utterly and totally debunk that myth !! Am not going into details lol but rest assured the British Government can establish what "country" you are in in 30 seconds flat as I once found out to my detriment lol

 

Totally unrelated to the above but entirely relevant and in same vain I had an arrest warrant out for me back in 2014 when unknown to me after vile libellous shight was hurled at me on a football forum of being a kiddie fiddler (outrageous) I hurled back at the moron who was enraged when I stated in response that he was an out and out bee*** lol totally justified because he was.....He was a Labour Counciller who went to the Police with accusations of homophobic abuse

 

Anyway its relevant to the thread because the first thing Police do when warrants are issued are to check home address and if the individual has a passport and if so "is it in use"

 

Mine was. Bantering with Plod in the squad car back to Heathrow Central I asked how they knew I was on that flight. They told me a marker is put on the passport and as soon as you check in wherever you are in the World the reception commitee await you

 

Not my finest hour getting hauled off Eithad with every sod having been told to sit down and wait lol

 

in short the British Governments knows exactly where you are if a passport has been utilised

 

(Edited in....Charge was dropped in 5 minutes flat back at Police Station with the interviewing officer with his head in his hands when I was allowed to open laptop and show the original kiddie fiddler jibe lol.....his words "they never give us the full story" lol )

They might be able to flag your next use of passport, but they certainly can't find out where you are or where you were if you don't cross any new borders.

 

The police were still looking for me by checking known address and associates in the UK for at least 3 years after I had left the UK.

Edited February 21 by BritManToo

[noobexpat]

22 minutes ago, Martin71 said:

 have been paying national insurance for nearly 40 years, and am a veteran ,why should a scumbag who is probably  a criminal/ wannabe rapist/ terrorist who illegally entered UK in a small boat , be entitled to one penny of that..

 

 

No point engaging with idiots like you.

[hotandsticky]

41 minutes ago, Martin71 said:

 

 

 

 

I

I have been paying national insurance for nearly 40 years, and am a veteran ,why should a scumbag who is probably  a criminal/ wannabe rapist/ terrorist who illegally entered UK in a small boat , be entitled to one penny of that..

 

 

 

 

Veteran is just a job title, it doesn't bring any additional entitlements.

 

The people you describe are not entitled to any of that.

[Martin71]

17 minutes ago, noobexpat said:

 

No point engaging with idiots like you.

 

Yeah great answer... jog on idiot..

[sandyf]

15 hours ago, superal said:

Corbyn was ostracised from the labour party . Now that could be a reason for not adopting the pledge .

Are you trying to say the parties allow leaders to state policy they don't agree with?

Maybe time for Oliver Cromwell to make a comeback.

[superal]

4 hours ago, sandyf said:

Are you trying to say the parties allow leaders to state policy they don't agree with?

Maybe time for Oliver Cromwell to make a comeback.

Now I am not certain on this but the J.C. statement on frozen UK pensions was made from the opinion of the All party Parliamentary Group on Frozen British Pensions . The All Party Group consists of many different parties who all believe in the injustice of the frozen pensions for those Brits living abroad . I have read that the Vice chairman Sir Peter Bottmley raised the issue of frozen pensions to the  COE , Jeremy Hunt November 2023 . Mr Hunt promised to look into the case and reply personally on the matter . I do not recall hearing a verdict or comment from Jeremy Hunt , do you ? I cannot understand why there has not been a reform on frozen pensions , given the wide cross parliamentary party support .   

[stratocaster]

So a government that is trying to get out of paying legally granted payouts for the Post Office scandal, infected blood scandal, Windrush scandal and Grenfell tower scandal will entertain overseas pensioners demands. Ha Ha. Try again when Labour is in power.

[superal]

6 minutes ago, stratocaster said:

So a government that is trying to get out of paying legally granted payouts for the Post Office scandal, infected blood scandal, Windrush scandal and Grenfell tower scandal will entertain overseas pensioners demands. Ha Ha. Try again when Labour is in power.

Not forgetting the HS2 scandal . 

[sandyf]

18 hours ago, superal said:

Now I am not certain on this but the J.C. statement on frozen UK pensions was made from the opinion of the All party Parliamentary Group on Frozen British Pensions . The All Party Group consists of many different parties who all believe in the injustice of the frozen pensions for those Brits living abroad . I have read that the Vice chairman Sir Peter Bottmley raised the issue of frozen pensions to the  COE , Jeremy Hunt November 2023 . Mr Hunt promised to look into the case and reply personally on the matter . I do not recall hearing a verdict or comment from Jeremy Hunt , do you ? I cannot understand why there has not been a reform on frozen pensions , given the wide cross parliamentary party support .   

This was his words which seem quite clear to me, said in support of the APPG rather than on their behalf.

"The next Labour Government will treat all our pensioners equally"

I posted what Sir Peter Bottomly said in PMQs previously, along with Hunt's reply. One of the failings with PMQs is that by offering a written reply the answer can be hidden from the public.

The legislation regarding the uprating is embedded in the Social Security Act and that comes up before parliament every year but the government controls business in the house and will only alow debate on their proposals.

 

"The Social Security Benefit Uprating Regulations 2017 is a Statutory Instrument, subject to negative parliamentary procedure. This means MPs have to seek to annul it, rather than automatically having a right to vote on it. Given the shortage of parliamentary time, it is very unusual for such challenges to be debated or voted on without Official Opposition backing. Labour’s decision to support the Motion is therefore highly significant."

https://frozenbritishpensions.org/jeremy-corbyn-gives-labours-backing-pension-unfreezing/

 

History has shown that historical precedence is no justification for injustice.The real problem here is that unlike the WASPI campaign there is very little in the way of public support. The perception generally among the population is that those that retire abroad live in luxury. There has been more press coverage recently than ever before and that has to be a move in the right direction but every chance I will be pushing up daisies before anything gets done.

[superal]

23 minutes ago, sandyf said:

This was his words which seem quite clear to me, said in support of the APPG rather than on their behalf.

"The next Labour Government will treat all our pensioners equally"

I posted what Sir Peter Bottomly said in PMQs previously, along with Hunt's reply. One of the failings with PMQs is that by offering a written reply the answer can be hidden from the public.

The legislation regarding the uprating is embedded in the Social Security Act and that comes up before parliament every year but the government controls business in the house and will only alow debate on their proposals.

 

"The Social Security Benefit Uprating Regulations 2017 is a Statutory Instrument, subject to negative parliamentary procedure. This means MPs have to seek to annul it, rather than automatically having a right to vote on it. Given the shortage of parliamentary time, it is very unusual for such challenges to be debated or voted on without Official Opposition backing. Labour’s decision to support the Motion is therefore highly significant."

https://frozenbritishpensions.org/jeremy-corbyn-gives-labours-backing-pension-unfreezing/

 

History has shown that historical precedence is no justification for injustice.The real problem here is that unlike the WASPI campaign there is very little in the way of public support. The perception generally among the population is that those that retire abroad live in luxury. There has been more press coverage recently than ever before and that has to be a move in the right direction but every chance I will be pushing up daisies before anything gets done.

So what happened to the vote on the annulment of the S.S. B. up-rating Regulations ?

J.C. did , as you said , make a Labour promise to level up the UK State pensions for those living abroad . No mention of paying back the years of lost money from frozen pensions . So some 7 years on , would the current Labour party , under K. Starmer , honour the J.C. pledge ? 

Thanks for your detailed information .

[OJAS]

30 minutes ago, superal said:

So some 7 years on , would the current Labour party , under K. Starmer , honour the J.C. pledge ? 

 

That might well be their policy until DWP's Sir Humphrey steps in.

 

[RayC]

21 hours ago, superal said:

Now I am not certain on this but the J.C. statement on frozen UK pensions was made from the opinion of the All party Parliamentary Group on Frozen British Pensions . The All Party Group consists of many different parties who all believe in the injustice of the frozen pensions for those Brits living abroad . I have read that the Vice chairman Sir Peter Bottmley raised the issue of frozen pensions to the  COE , Jeremy Hunt November 2023 . Mr Hunt promised to look into the case and reply personally on the matter . I do not recall hearing a verdict or comment from Jeremy Hunt , do you ? I cannot understand why there has not been a reform on frozen pensions , given the wide cross parliamentary party support .   

 

The reason is simple. Because it would cost +/-£1bn/year to do so.

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/estimated-cost-of-uprating-uk-state-pensions-in-frozen-rate-countries-2024-to-2028/estimated-costs-of-uprating-state-pension-in-frozen-rate-countries-2024-to-2028

[IvorBiggun2]

54 minutes ago, RayC said:

The reason is simple. Because it would cost +/-£1bn/year to do so.

 

Not billions but millions.

 

Quote

In February 2019, the Government estimated the cost of uprating frozen pensions to the amounts that would have been in payment had they not been frozen at £600 million in 2019/20, rising to £640 million by 2023/24. In 2016, the International Consortium of British Pensioners estimated the cost of ‘partial uprating’ (uprating frozen pensions from their current value) to be £30 million in year one, rising to £31.5 million by year three.

 

[RayC]

57 minutes ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

Not billions but millions.

 

 

 

The figures you quote are out of date. The link which I posted are UK government estimates made in 2023.

 

In any event, whatever the true figure may be, it is additional expenditure that is easily avoided. Imo there may be some placating noises, but no party will commit to unfreezing pensions unless it will bring them some electoral benefit. I can't see that benefit.

[quake]

It's just a dream.

An Expat is regarded as a traitor to the state, and is treated as so.

 

 

[transam]

22 minutes ago, quake said:

It's just a dream.

An Expat is regarded as a traitor to the state, and is treated as so.

 

 

I don't think so, we should all be able to retire to where we want, including those still working and thinking about retirement.

Just think about all those with money who can retire to wherever they want, and do....🤗

[youreavinalaff]

On 2/21/2024 at 10:55 AM, proton said:

 Well it came out this week that immigrants have cost us 36 billion since 2020, that includes foreign students, so it would be a drop in the ocean. Now its 8 million a day just on accommodation for so called asylum seekers, and growing.

You shouldn't believe everything you read.

[proton]

1 hour ago, youreavinalaff said:

You shouldn't believe everything you read.

 

Yes, the real amount is probably a bit more 

[transam]

On 2/21/2024 at 7:19 PM, BritManToo said:

They might be able to flag your next use of passport, but they certainly can't find out where you are or where you were if you don't cross any new borders.

 

The police were still looking for me by checking known address and associates in the UK for at least 3 years after I had left the UK.

Let the bum burps begin, read all of it............

 

https://uk.yahoo.com/finance/news/millions-pensioners-could-face-bank-152520205.html

[OJAS]

On 2/23/2024 at 1:16 PM, quake said:

An Expat is regarded as a traitor to the state, and is treated as so.

 

It certainly feels like that sometimes (to me at any rate), I have to say!

 

At the very least, we can, I think, be forgiven for believing that His Majesty's Government as a whole is consciously out to make the lives of us British expat retirees living in LOS just as difficult as they humanly can be - with the eager and willing assistance of its Thai counterpart, of course.

 

Cumbersome bureaucracy which has been inflicted on us over the past 10 years in the areas of passport renewal and legalisation of UK documents is, I believe, testament to such an approach - along with the Embassy's decision to cease its income confirmation service some time ago.

 

And specifically on the topic of frozen pensions,we are then expected to endure insult added to injury through:

 

(1) having the bureaucratic nonsense known as the Life Certificate inflicted on us every couple of years or so in just about the most cumbersomely awkward manner which DWP have been capable of dreaming up; and

 

(2) being taxed on our frozen State Pensions through our tax codes as if we were in receipt of triple-lock increases - in the hope that we don't notice, perhaps??

 

Edited February 24 by OJAS

[superal]

32 minutes ago, OJAS said:

 

It certainly feels like that sometimes (to me at any rate), I have to say!

 

At the very least, we can, I think, be forgiven for believing that His Majesty's Government as a whole is consciously out to make the lives of us British expat retirees living in LOS just as difficult as they humanly can be - with the eager and willing assistance of its Thai counterpart, of course.

 

Cumbersome bureaucracy which has been inflicted on us over the past 10 years in the areas of passport renewal and legalisation of UK documents is, I believe, testament to such an approach - along with the Embassy's decision to cease its income confirmation service some time ago.

 

And specifically on the topic of frozen pensions,we are then expected to endure insult added to injury through:

 

(1) having the bureaucratic nonsense known as the Life Certificate inflicted on us every couple of years or so in just about the most cumbersomely awkward manner which DWP have been capable of dreaming up; and

 

(2) being taxed on our frozen State Pensions through our tax codes as if we were in receipt of triple-lock increases - in the hope that we don't notice, perhaps??

 

If only the subject of " UK Frozen Pensions " could be debated on live UK TV , to hear the government reasoning for their denial of annual increases for ex pats retired abroad and who qualified for the state pension after many years of contributions that would be interesting to say the least . Say on the BBC Question Time programme , asking a Labour panelist , if they will honour the J. Corbyn oath to unfreeze the ex pats pensions . 

Remember the UK government threat that all ex pats living in Europe would have their increases stopped but then decided to change their minds and set up a social security  agreement with the EEA +  many other countries . Another group of countries are on a similar deal called reciprocal agreements . 

List of Social Security Agreement countries 

                           

• Austria
• Belgium
• Bulgaria
• Croatia
• Cyprus
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Ireland
• Italy
• Latvia
• Liechtenstein
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Malta
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Poland
• Portugal
• Romania
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden
• List of reciprocal agreement countries 
•                            
• Barbados
• Bermuda
• Bosnia-Herzegovina
• Gibraltar
• Guernsey
• the Isle of Man
• Israel
• Jamaica
• Jersey
• Kosovo
• Mauritius
• Montenegro
• North Macedonia
• the Philippines
• Serbia
• Turkey
• USA

[quake]

2 hours ago, OJAS said:

 

It certainly feels like that sometimes (to me at any rate), I have to say!

 

At the very least, we can, I think, be forgiven for believing that His Majesty's Government as a whole is consciously out to make the lives of us British expat retirees living in LOS just as difficult as they humanly can be - with the eager and willing assistance of its Thai counterpart, of course.

 

Cumbersome bureaucracy which has been inflicted on us over the past 10 years in the areas of passport renewal and legalisation of UK documents is, I believe, testament to such an approach - along with the Embassy's decision to cease its income confirmation service some time ago.

 

And specifically on the topic of frozen pensions,we are then expected to endure insult added to injury through:

 

(1) having the bureaucratic nonsense known as the Life Certificate inflicted on us every couple of years or so in just about the most cumbersomely awkward manner which DWP have been capable of dreaming up; and

 

(2) being taxed on our frozen State Pensions through our tax codes as if we were in receipt of triple-lock increases - in the hope that we don't notice, perhaps??

 

 

Totally agree. 

 

[Tiber]

On 2/24/2024 at 3:18 AM, transam said:

Let the bum burps begin, read all of it............

 

https://uk.yahoo.com/finance/news/millions-pensioners-could-face-bank-152520205.html

Read it,so what? means nothing,by any chance are you frozen?  lol

[transam]

20 minutes ago, Tiber said:

Read it,so what? means nothing,by any chance are you frozen?  lol

Not telling, but I bet you're not.........🤭