Frozen pension policy turns British expat's dream into a nightmare

[transam]

3 minutes ago, delgarcon said:

I don't believe they would because it would be a waste of time. The passport holder is the  the only person that has the arrival and departure records inside the extra pages.

What about Thai retirement or marriage extension stamps in one's passport.....If you are on the fiddle, isn't this damning proof you are........😋

[sambum]

22 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

 

Wow ok 24yrs ago.

 

Sounds like piss poor planning from those whinging about it now !

 

I think you'll find that we've been "whingeing" about this grossly unfair burden ever since it first  started! 

 

When I came to Thailand originally, the Exchange Rate was 73 baht to the British £ - now it's 46.

So in effect, you could say that we've been hit with a "double whammy!"  

[john donson]

if you worked 40 years in UK then moved, kind of a farce you don't use NHS and pension frozen, but room enough for illegals with full benefits...

 

My kids, born in my home country and nationality, missed out about 50.000 euros of government child care allocation, since we moved here... illegals with kids even outside of my home country, guess what, they get it...

[BritManToo]

1 minute ago, Chivas said:

 

Its beyone comedy gold let alone naive I agree

 

Every time the passport (any nationality) is used its logged automatically......if its not been used than the last immigration entry (wherever) is exactly where the passport holder actually is (obviously)

 

If that other guy says the Phillipines is where he is it will take DWP a few seconds to cross reference that information to realise he's lying

 

Once you leave your home country, your home country has no idea where you've gone, countries do not share entry/exit databases.

 

Your uk passport is not linked to your NI number either. So currently there is no way for the DWP to connect you to your passport.

[Chivas]

11 minutes ago, delgarcon said:

I don't believe they would because it would be a waste of time. The passport holder is the  the only person that has the arrival and departure records inside the extra pages.

 

😂😂😂

 

I've read some comedy gold the last 19 years here but that one is pure platinum !

[VBF]

8 hours ago, pattaya1234was said:

Lucky you. Mine is 4000 pounds. Can you explain the difference?

NOT "one-upmanship" but mine is now over £13,000 - the difference may be that I contributed all my working life even when I worked abroad (voluntary contributions)

When I wasn't working, I signed on (legally!) so apart from a short period where I was "contracted out" I have record of continuous contributions for over 50 years.

Check your contribution record on the DWP site if in doubt.

[BritManToo]

Just now, Chivas said:

 

😂😂😂

 

I've read some comedy gold the last 19 years here but that one is pure platinum !

Sorry, but you're a fool!

[Chivas]

1 minute ago, BritManToo said:

 

Once you leave your home country, your home country has no idea where you've gone, countries do not share entry/exit databases.

 

Your uk passport is not linked to your NI number either. So currently there is no way for the DWP to connect you to your passport.

 

I'm being utterly polite but are you for real lol !!

 

[BritManToo]

Just now, Chivas said:

 

I'm being utterly polite but are you for real lol !!

 

Just putting you on ignore, as a can't be bothered to read nonsense posts from you any more.

[transam]

2 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

 

Once you leave your home country, your home country has no idea where you've gone, countries do not share entry/exit databases.

 

Your uk passport is not linked to your NI number either. So currently there is no way for the DWP to connect you to your passport.

My passport has my full name, date of birth and where I was born, in it..🤔

[Enoon]

22 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

 

Wow ok 24yrs ago.

 

Sounds like piss poor planning from those whinging about it now !

 

The National Insurance act of 1946 stipulated that pensions would not be paid to UK citizens abroad unless they were in one of the "Dominions" of the UK

 

In 1948 the first pension increase was awarded.......but not to those living abroad.

 

It has been the same since then except where reciprocal arrangements have been made with particular countries.

 

Any UK citizen who has not taken the frozen pension into account when planning their future specifically in Thailand (no reciprocality in place) is indeed guilty as you have charged.

 

It was never going to be a good idea for anyone to rely solely (or even primarily for many) on a UK pension to live in Thailand.

 

 

[sambum]

21 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Tell them you live in the Philippines then you get full pension!

 

You mean tell lies like the Politicians do?

A couple I know didn't tell the DWP they were living in Thailand, and were getting the annual increments for years. Unfortunately they got found out/were "grassed up", and had to attend a tribunal in the UK to determine if they had to pay the increments back. They were assured that was usually the case for people in their position.

 

However, the male in the couple was ex RAF, and it just so happened that the the magistrate/man in charge of the tribunal was ex RAF too, so after a brief discussion, all "charges were dropped".

 

Isn't nepotism a wonderful thing?

[Chivas]

Just now, BritManToo said:

Sorry, but you're a fool!

 

You keep living in that fantasy world chap

 

[VBF]

5 hours ago, foreverlomsak said:

The Personal Allowance is 12,570 GBP, and if you have to pay tax after an increase it will only be on the amount over 12,570 GBP and at a rate of 20%.

E.G. if pensions totaled 13,000 GBP the calculation would be.

13,000 less 12,570 equals 430 taxable

430 by 20% equals 86 GBP tax

so would still be 344 GBP better off, to say they would be worse off is totally incorrect, they would not be as well off as they might have been.

Don't get me wrong, as a pensioner myself, I am not condoning the taxation of pensions (either state or private, by either UK or Thailand) my personal opinion is that pensions of any category should be tax free.

Thank you for showing that calculation.

It reflects my situation as well and, despite my anger at having to pay the tax, I am still better off after the pension increases but not by as much as i ought to be!

I quite agree with your last paragraph too! - it's usurious   🤬

[Chivas]

9 minutes ago, transam said:

My passport has my full name, date of birth and where I was born, in it..🤔

 

Transom I'm finding it utterly mind boggling how utterly dim some are over the use of passports.

There are bellends on this thread who think once the flight has departed the UK (complete with their name on the manifest) they aren't tracked (or capable of being tracked) lol

[sambum]

21 hours ago, Wobblybob said:

I think that is a possible answer to those willing to think outside the box. I did an internet search and it's possible to open a Philippine bank account on line without even going to the Philippines. Surely finding a Philippine address can't be that difficult. 

 

So in order to get a "fair deal" from the Government you have to lie and cheat to get it?

 

Strange old world isn't it?

[VBF]

5 hours ago, Nick Carter icp said:

5 hours ago, Neeranam said:

Actually, last year I never needed to show a passport when leaving the UK. 

 

   What, you just walked onto an airplane without going through immigration or anything like that ?

How was you able to do that ?

Yes that is the case when leaving UK - happens to me every time.

HOWEVER, I believe the airlines report your departure

https://www.quora.com/Why-dont-the-authorities-check-your-passport-when-you-exit-the-UK#:~:text=The UK doesn't run,checks could just be circumvented.

[proton]

17 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

 

Once you leave your home country, your home country has no idea where you've gone, countries do not share entry/exit databases.

 

Your uk passport is not linked to your NI number either. So currently there is no way for the DWP to connect you to your passport.

 

Until you renew passport then they can see where you have been living

[Chivas]

1 minute ago, proton said:

 

Until you renew passport then they can see where you have been living

 

lol dont confuse him he's already in meltdown

[Wobblybob]

2 minutes ago, sambum said:

 

So in order to get a "fair deal" from the Government you have to lie and cheat to get it?

 

Strange old world isn't it?

If we were getting a fair deal from the government I feel there would be less to complain about, we are not getting a fair deal and if it was upgraded it would still remain the lowest in Europe, do you think that the government is lying to you?

[FruitPudding]

1 hour ago, sandyf said:

The wrongs of the past are never old, how do you think women got the vote...

 

I dunno,  but it probably involved their pussies.

[sambum]

20 hours ago, Pouatchee said:

 

cant find anything to back what you said about canada. link please.

From the British Government website:-

 

Your State Pension will only increase each year if you live in:

• the European Economic Area (EEA)
• Gibraltar
• Switzerland
• countries that have a social security agreement with the UK (but you cannot get increases in Canada or New Zealand)

[transam]

1 minute ago, Chivas said:

 

Transom I'm finding it utterly mind boggling how utterly dim some are over the use of passports.

There are bellends on this thread who think once the flight has departed the UK (complete with their name on the manifest) they aren't tracked lol

I know, plus a long time ago I said one day all the dots will line up, they will because they have too, to control everything with some sort of accuracy.....

 

Even now, me fooling around on my PC during the day, when I go upstairs and turn the TV on, look at YouTube, in the panes, there is usually something to do with what I have been doing on my PC during the day, hi-tech stuff..... 🤗

 

I read something the other day about every flight has a list of the flyers names that is kept on a database. Can't expand on that because I skipped it. Might be worth a search, just for the future chats. 😉

 

[FruitPudding]

13 minutes ago, sambum said:

 

So in order to get a "fair deal" from the Government you have to lie and cheat to get it?

 

Strange old world isn't it?

 

You think it's fair that expats who have 'paid in' don't get the full pension??

[theoldgit]

1 hour ago, FruitPudding said:

Can't you go back for holidays to use the NHS?

Not for free you can’t, expats can receive free emergency life saving treatment if they’re taken ill during their visit, but any ongoing treatment is charged at 150% of the actual cost.

NHS Trusts are required to implement these rules, whether they do so or not is another matter.

With the long waiting lists for NHS treatment, or even to be seen by a GP, l don’t think the NHS is of much use for holidaying expats.

[transam]

Just now, FruitPudding said:

 

You think it's fair that expats who have 'paid in' don't get the full pension??

We all know it's not fair, except some hi-so blokes.......😋

[sambum]

16 hours ago, HauptmannUK said:

I'm not yet of state pension age and a 'frozen' state pension is unlikely to affect me much in future (I probably won't relocate permanently to Thailand and I have a high passive income from part-ownership of a family business). Notwithstanding my own circumstances I do think that the freezing of pensions for pensioners who have paid the required NI contributions is one of the most unfair, unethical and immoral policies of successive British governments. The freezing of pensions is made all the worse by the provision of Pension Credit.  Pension Credit is essentially a non-contributory UK state pension to which the entire global population above retirement age may claim, if they can show residence in the UK.  Late last year I assisted an elderly Asian lady claim Pension Credit. She is not a UK citizen but by some fairly convoluted means became UK resident a couple of years ago. She has never worked or paid NI. On account of her almost nonexistent English I did a Pension Credit application for her. She was successful and now receives c.£800/month plus Housing Benefit, free dental and optical care etc.  I would guess her benefits amount to in the region of £1600/month.  She lives in a rented room in a shared house. Not a great lifestyle but tolerable. She's a very pleasant lady and I don't begrudge her the Pension Credit, but if does highlight the unfairness of policy when expats who were given no choice but to contribute to their state pension over many decades are deprived of a substantial portion of its value based on some archaic and whimsical policy.

 

Well said!

[VBF]

3 minutes ago, transam said:

14 minutes ago, Chivas said:

 

Transom I'm finding it utterly mind boggling how utterly dim some are over the use of passports.

There are bellends on this thread who think once the flight has departed the UK (complete with their name on the manifest) they aren't tracked lol

I know, plus a long time ago I said one day all the dots will line up, they will because they have too, to control everything with some sort of accuracy.....

 

Even now, me fooling around on my PC during the day, when I go upstairs and turn the TV on, look at YouTube, in the panes, there is usually something to do with what I have been doing on my PC during the day, hi-tech stuff..... 🤗

 

I read something the other day about every flight has a list of the flyers names that is kept on a database. Can't expand on that because I skipped it. Might be worth a search, just for the future chats. 😉

And to complement both your comments, I mentioned above that the UK DWP and Passport Offices are both government departments. OF COURSE they exchange information even if it requires a warrant to do so. I believe @BritManToo is either very naïve, very ignorant or he's winding us all up intentionally.   I also believe he has me on "Ignore" so may or may not respond. 

[Chivas]

5 minutes ago, transam said:

 

 

I read something the other day about every flight has a list of the flyers names that is kept on a database. Can't expand on that because I skipped it. Might be worth a search, just for the future chats. 😉

 

 

Yes part of the "manifest" that every flight departs with. That is compiled on every airlines mainframe and flight disptacher prints off final copy given to the flight crew

 

[FruitPudding]

4 minutes ago, theoldgit said:

Not for free you can’t, expats can receive free emergency life saving treatment if they’re taken ill during their visit, but any ongoing treatment is charged at 150% of the actual cost.

NHS Trusts are required to implement these rules, whether they do so or not is another matter.

With the long waiting lists for NHS treatment, or even to be seen by a GP, l don’t think the NHS is of much use for holidaying expats.

 

How long do you have to be "back" before you can use the NHS for free like everyone else?