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

[Middle Aged Grouch]

All over Europe or UK, the political mafia is freezing pensions and not adapting them to inflation.

 

It is all the more angering andenraging, considering the trillions of dollars handed out blindly to Ukraine and it's highly corrupt bureaucracy.

[Liverpool Lou]

1 hour ago, Wobblybob said:

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

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

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. 

Providing DWP with copies of the Philippines in and out stamps in your passport proving that you are living there for the required number of days will be if you're not living there.

[jayboy]

2 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

AI writes it.

 

Thanks.I hadn't seen the announcement.Intelligent people will draw their own conclusions on these cobbled together arrangements but no more on the subject as that might be considered "disrespectful".

[mrwebb8825]

1 hour ago, herfiehandbag said:

If I was in the UK, I would receive an uprated Pension , Pension Credit, Housing Benefit, Winter Fuel Allowance, free NHS treatment ( which in my case would be quite expensive), a Bus Pass and probably other benefits and allowances. It should easily double, and more, what I cost the state!

sounds like a compelling reason to move back home unless the tan hotties and sunshine outweigh the lack of freebies.

[dinsdale]

2 hours ago, mrwebb8825 said:

interesting:

 

Most British Commonwealth countries are included in the frozen list;[8] these include countries, such as Australia, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, Thailand and India, as well as British overseas territories such as the Falkland Islands.[9]

 

Wonder if Thailand knows the Brits claim it.

 

from here:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frozen_state_pension

No. Australia does not have a frozen pension. It's indexed. Getting it, however, is not easy. Can't be bothered explaing. Look it up. 

[Wobblybob]

6 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Providing DWP with copies of the Philippines in and out stamps in your passport proving that you are living there for the required number of days will be if you're not living there.

Do you have a link for your assertion please Lou? 

[Liverpool Lou]

14 minutes ago, Pouatchee said:

2 hours ago, mrwebb8825 said:

Most British Commonwealth countries are included in the frozen list;[8] these include countries, such as Australia, Canada

 

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

Not hard to find evidence if you search the question...

The following is a list of all the Frozen countries
 

Countries where English is an official, or widely spoken, language are shown in Red.

Afghanistan	Congo, Democratic Republic (Zaire)	Jordan	Papua New Guinea	St Helena & Deps
Albania	Cook Islands	Kenya	Paraguay	St Lucia
Algeria	Costa Rica	Kiribati	Peru	St Martins
Andorra	Cuba	Kuwait		St Vincent and the Grenadines
Anguilla	Djibouti	Laos	Qatar	Sudan
Antigua	Dominican Commonwealth (Dominica )	Lebanon	Rebublic Of Georgia	Surinam
Argentina	Dominican Republic	Lesotho	Republic Of Armenia	Swaziland
Ascension Island	Ecuador	Liberia	Republic Of Azerbaijan	Syria
Australia	Egypt	Libya	Republic Of Belarus	Tahiti
The Bahamas	El Salvador	Macau	Republic Of Kazakhstan	Taiwan
Bahrain	Ethiopia	Madagascar	Republic Of Kyrgyzstan	Tanzania
Bangladesh	Falkland Islands + Deps	Malawi	Republic Of Moldovia	Thailand
Barbuda	Faroe Islands	Malaysia	Republic Of Turkmenistan	The Russian Federation
Belize	Fiji	Maldives	Republic Of Uzbekistan	Togo
Benin		Mexico	Republic Of Yemen	Tonga
Bhutan	The Gambia	Monaco	Rwanda	Tours
Bolivia	Ghana	Montserrat		Trinidad and Tobago
Botswana	Greenland	Morocco	San Marino	Tunisia
Brazil	Grenada	Mozambique	Sarawak	Turks & Caicos Islands
Brunei Darussalam		Namibia		Uganda
Burkina Faso	Guatemala	Nepal	Saudi Arabia	Ukraine
Burma	Guinea	Nevis, St Kitts Nevis	Senegal	Uruguay
Cambodia (Kampuchea)	Guyana	New Caledonia	Seychelles	Vanuatu
Cameroon	Haiti	New Zealand	Sharjah	Venezuela
Canada	Honduras	Nicaragua	Sierra Leone	Vietnam
Cape Verde Islands	Hong Kong	Niger	Singapore	Virgin Islands (British)
Cayman Islands	India	Nigeria	Solomon Islands
Central African Republic	Indonesia	Norfolk Island	Somalia	Zambia
Chile	Iran	Oman	South Africa	Zimbabwe
China	Iraq	Pakistan	South Korea
Colombia	Japan	Panama	Sri Lanka

European Economic Area Member States

 

[mrwebb8825]

17 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

You wonder if Thailand knows that Britons claim what?   There is a semi-colon after the phrase "in the frozen list".

I believe if you read it correctly, it lists examples of the countries as it states, "these include countries such as..." indicating that the heading; "Most British Commonwealth countries".

[dinsdale]

4 minutes ago, mrwebb8825 said:

sounds like a compelling reason to move back home unless the tan hotties and sunshine outweigh the lack of freebies.

Stupid comment. Even the middle class is feeling the pinch with costs there.

[AlexRich]

I think you need more than the UK State pension to survive in Thailand, even if you are benefitting from annual increases. In the UK you will have access to free healthcare as well as other benefits. In Thailand you are only one heart attack away from a financial catastrophe. 
 

I don’t believe the existing policy is fair, but it does raise the issue that you need a few income sources to live here comfortably, and close family who have your best interests at heart, preferably grown up children. 

[saintdomingo]

2 hours ago, jayboy said:

Another incompetently written story, repetitive and omitting several key factors.Who writes this stuff and equally importantly who undertakes quality control?

That Mike Lister seems to know what he's talking about, they should give it to him to do.

[Liverpool Lou]

2 minutes ago, Wobblybob said:

9 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Providing DWP with copies of the Philippines in and out stamps in your passport proving that you are living there for the required number of days will be if you're not living there.

Do you have a link for your assertion please Lou? 

There was a video on the subject posted a day or so ago explaining  the documentation that the International Pensions Section of the DWP requires to evidence residency.  You don't seriously think that they would just take the best part of half a million frozen pensioners' word for it, do you?!

[fondue zoo]

I'm lazy, how does the UK decide which countries to subject to frozen pensions while others remain unaffected?

[Wobblybob]

Just now, Liverpool Lou said:

There was a video on the subject posted a day or so ago explaining  the documentation that the International Pensions Section of the DWP requires to evidence residency.  You don't seriously think that they would just take the best part of half a million frozen pensioners' word for it, do you?!

Possibly, the DWP don't come across as the sharpest tool in the box, however I asked you for a link and can we assume you don't have one. 

[Liverpool Lou]

10 minutes ago, mrwebb8825 said:

31 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

You wonder if Thailand knows that Britons claim what?   There is a semi-colon after the phrase "in the frozen list".

I believe if you read it correctly, it lists examples of the countries as it states, "these include countries such as..." indicating that the heading; "Most British Commonwealth countries".

I know what it says, how it is written and what that means, it does not state that Thailand is a Commonwealth country as I suspect you are suggesting.

 

 

"Most British Commonwealth countries are included in the frozen list;    these include countries, such as Australia, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, Thailand and India..."

 

[AlexRich]

1 hour 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. 

The problem is that is a “cunning plan” that even Baldrick would balk at. Countries are increasingly communicating with each other and swapping information on citizens. It’s only a matter of time before that ruse catches up on you and you’ll end up being prosecuted for fraud … not to mention having to pay back the extra with penalties, fines and interest. Simply not worth it.

[Wobblybob]

Just now, AlexRich said:

The problem is that is a “cunning plan” that even Baldrick would balk at. Countries are increasingly communicating with each other and swapping information on citizens. It’s only a matter of time before that ruse catches up on you and you’ll end up being prosecuted for fraud … not to mention having to pay back the extra with penalties, fines and interest. Simply not worth it.

A link was all I asked for, I wasn't looking for a sermon. 😀

[mrwebb8825]

13 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Stupid comment. Even the middle class is feeling the pinch with costs there.

all I did was offer an opinion on another poster's post. someone pee in your morning beer?

[AlexRich]

10 minutes ago, Wobblybob said:

A link was all I asked for, I wasn't looking for a sermon. 😀

Are you having a wobbly, Bob?

[Liverpool Lou]

22 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

28 minutes ago, Wobblybob said:

35 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Providing DWP with copies of the Philippines in and out stamps in your passport proving that you are living there for the required number of days will be if you're not living there.

Do you have a link for your assertion please Lou? 

There was a video on the subject posted a day or so ago BY YOU explaining  the documentation that the International Pensions Centre of the DWP requires to evidence residency.  You don't seriously think that they would just take the best part of half a million frozen pensioners' word for it, do you?!

Here's your own link!...

 

https://youtu.be/LfJcTLIMsUA?si=VWHcaLsgMSLmpK1E

 

[Wobblybob]

Just now, AlexRich said:

Are you having a wobbly, Bob?

Not at all, I am trying to research this injustice and reading 'he said she said' doesn't help in anyway, it would be nice to get hard facts instead of the usual negativity. I am not prepared to lie down without at first trying to find a solution to this and doing as much I can to resolve this ridiculous situation for myself at least, if other people wish to walk down the corridors of "we're all doomed" that is entirely up to them! 

[Liverpool Lou]

25 minutes ago, Wobblybob said:

Possibly, the DWP don't come across as the sharpest tool in the box, however I asked you for a link and can we assume you don't have one. 

Why would you assume that?...

You posted it!

Give them a call, all the necessary phone numbers are there IN YOUR OWN LINKED VIDEO.

 

https://youtu.be/LfJcTLIMsUAsi=VWHcaLsgMSLmpK1E

[dinsdale]

11 minutes ago, mrwebb8825 said:

all I did was offer an opinion on another poster's post. someone pee in your morning beer?

I guess there are opinions and ill thought out opinions. As for someone peeing in my beer are talking about Thai beer ? If so hard to tell.

[AlexRich]

2 minutes ago, Wobblybob said:

Not at all, I am trying to research this injustice and reading 'he said she said' doesn't help in anyway, it would be nice to get hard facts instead of the usual negativity. I am not prepared to lie down without at first trying to find a solution to this and doing as much I can to resolve this ridiculous situation for myself at least, if other people wish to walk down the corridors of "we're all doomed" that is entirely up to them! 

The only way “around it” in my view is if the UK change the rules. But if they choose not to change the rules I think you won’t find a way around it without getting yourself in a great deal of trouble, and that will be more financially painful than a frozen pension. 

[soi3eddie]

Deleted as now see already posted above.

 

[Wobblybob]

5 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Why would you assume that?...

I was asking you for a link to your post. Stop avading my request, you either have one or not! 

 

46 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Providing DWP with copies of the Philippines in and out stamps in your passport proving that you are living there for the required number of days will be if you're not living there.

 

[Wobblybob]

4 minutes ago, AlexRich said:

The only way “around it” in my view is if the UK change the rules. But if they choose not to change the rules I think you won’t find a way around it without getting yourself in a great deal of trouble, and that will be more financially painful than a frozen pension. 

No disrespect Alex but I am trying to find out a way to receive a pension that I have worked for all my life, not to be fobbed off by a government that doesn't give a rats tail about us. 

[Mike Teavee]

48 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

No. Australia does not have a frozen pension. It's indexed. Getting it, however, is not easy. Can't be bothered explaing. Look it up. 

The article/thread is about the UK State Pension being frozen in a number of countries including Australia, not that the Australian Pension is frozen anywhere.

[mommysboy]

37 minutes ago, AlexRich said:

The problem is that is a “cunning plan” that even Baldrick would balk at. Countries are increasingly communicating with each other and swapping information on citizens. It’s only a matter of time before that ruse catches up on you and you’ll end up being prosecuted for fraud … not to mention having to pay back the extra with penalties, fines and interest. Simply not worth it.

 

Well, someone could just go and live there for a few months.  It would definitely get the required upgrade done.  Some folks would definitely be quids in, and might even decide to stay.

[Mike Teavee]

41 minutes ago, fondue zoo said:

I'm lazy, how does the UK decide which countries to subject to frozen pensions while others remain unaffected?

It all comes down to countries that the UK has reciprocal agreements with, the list can be found here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reciprocal-agreements/reciprocal-agreements