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

[JoseThailand]

Thailand is dirt cheap, what are they complaining about?

[Expat68]

16 hours ago, sandyf said:

What on earth are you talking about, I was in the UK at the time I claimed pension credit, and you ought to be aware that nobody claims winter fuel allowance.

If you had bothered to keep up you would have seen that someone tried to say you had to be retirement age to get pension credit but that didn't come about till 2010, before then it was 60.

The bizarre thing was when I sold my house I wrote and told them the change in circumstances and I was moving abroad. They acknowledged the fact and said payments would stop in due course, but it took 6 months for that to happen. Tight as a ducks xxxx when needed and throwing it away when it's not.

No idea I have lived in Thailand 13 years, never been back. Just someone I know who continued to get pension increases and also got winter fuel allowance until he got found out

[mommysboy]

If it's a matter of survival, the options are: return to UK, move to Flip, tighten belt, supplement income somehow.

 

If life is truly tough somehow we must make the best of it, which may simply be recognizing we jumped the wrong way and have to face the consequences with equanimity- tough ask I know.

 

We are not getting pension upgrades in Thailand- end of.

[sandyf]

20 hours ago, scottiejohn said:

You might be right with that approach!

500,000ish overseas non trans(etc)  pensioners have no voice but as you suggest get 2 of every letter in the LGBGT+ etc movement involved and watch the earth move! (no pun intended)

Indeed.

I had a quick look and yes I see there is a couple of benefits that are not automatic for WFA. Something else I was not aware of is that it can be paid overseas and those living overseas have to claim, irrespective of anything else.

[Presnock]

On 4/29/2024 at 2:44 PM, PremiumLane said:

 

So what is this cost? So, nothing to do with tax evasion of the rich and corporations that government doesn't have money? Cos that is huge, must be some poor people on boats - and guess who is tell you that? The same lot that dodge the taxes, so well done. 

 

Where did you read that guff about taking care of illegal immigrants first? What policy are you talking about and how is it being implemented? 

I read media about situations in the US (and the world) every day.  There have been numerous articles about the illegal immigrants invading from the south.  Once in they apply for asylum - that means they have to have an immigration court hear their "plea" but due to Trump's cut back in immigration judges, that means that those illegals coming in today can roam around the US (including with their families) whereever they want - most go to Democratic controlled cities where they can get "free housing, food, schooling, etc.  If one wants to see how these folks are affecting US citizens, one would have to follow the news as I do as it is open media.  Google "Denvier cuts hours of public employees in order to provide monies for illegal immigrants" and there are several articles cited about this very practice.  NYC and Calf both have also been providing much to the immigrants forcing hundreds of thousands of their citizens to flee those taxes by moving to Republican states (lower taxes).  Goolge can find those too if one is concerned about the accuracy of what I wrote.  It is all open source and being reported almost daily.

[sandyf]

15 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

I never said the law was right, I actually think it is a very wrong thing. But before you decide to move to a different country, you should do some research what things will be different when leaving your home country. Things can change after the move but not knowing a law which was in place for 70 years is your own fault.

Very easy to take that moral high ground. many people made their retirement plans when Mr Google was still sucking the tit. Information from the UK government on pensions was rarer than a 9 bob note

At the end of the day it is immoral for the government to continue the policy, even the APPG recommended it be abolished. 

No doubt Keir Starmer will have selective memory.

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

[sandyf]

5 hours ago, Expat68 said:

No idea I have lived in Thailand 13 years, never been back. Just someone I know who continued to get pension increases and also got winter fuel allowance until he got found out

You responded to a post concerning pension credit with the implication I wasn't entitled to pension credit although I had already said it was 3 years before state pension age. 

[FritsSikkink]

36 minutes ago, sandyf said:

Very easy to take that moral high ground. many people made their retirement plans when Mr Google was still sucking the tit.

Altavista was a search engine in 1995, so 29 years ago.

[BigBruv]

41 minutes ago, Presnock said:

I read media about situations in the US (and the world) every day.  There have been numerous articles about the illegal immigrants invading from the south.  Once in they apply for asylum - that means they have to have an immigration court hear their "plea" but due to Trump's cut back in immigration judges, that means that those illegals coming in today can roam around the US (including with their families) whereever they want - most go to Democratic controlled cities where they can get "free housing, food, schooling, etc.  If one wants to see how these folks are affecting US citizens, one would have to follow the news as I do as it is open media.  Google "Denvier cuts hours of public employees in order to provide monies for illegal immigrants" and there are several articles cited about this very practice.  NYC and Calf both have also been providing much to the immigrants forcing hundreds of thousands of their citizens to flee those taxes by moving to Republican states (lower taxes).  Goolge can find those too if one is concerned about the accuracy of what I wrote.  It is all open source and being reported almost daily.

 

Corporations (and high ranking dual nationals) run our countries.

Corporations don't wan't to pay fair wages so lobby for immigration - hence open borders.

AIPAC funds US politicians to protect and support the expansion of Israel's borders - no one pays them to care about US borders.

Also look up the Kalerghi Plan https://www.amazon.co.uk/Practical-Idealism-Kalergi-destroy-European/dp/1913057097 which benefits cosmopolitans

- as does demonisation of muslims.

 

FWIW: Outside of this forum no one cares about unfreezing pensions.

I saw an earlier post with a pic referring to stress/mental health due to frozen pensions - FWIW citing 'mental health' just elicits eye rolls nowadays

and won't work.  Every man and his dog have played that card to death so it doesn't work any more.

 

Sympathy for boomers is also at an all time low and falling fast - younger gens believe you're all loaded (or should be given the opps you all had)

and to blame for the disintegration western societies (divorce rates, drug taking hippy nonsense, selfishness/obliviousness to issues not directly

effecting them, latch key kid phenomenon., 'key' parties, covid lockdowns. viagra led lifestyles and so on and on and on).

 

They will assume that all retirees to Thailand are there for one thing and one thing only and won't send you more money for indulgences. 

They'll be like: 'Cry me a river boomer'.

Therefore pension increases is NOT going to happen.

 

 

 

 

Edited May 3 by BigBruv

[superal]

40 minutes ago, sandyf said:

Very easy to take that moral high ground. many people made their retirement plans when Mr Google was still sucking the tit. Information from the UK government on pensions was rarer than a 9 bob note

At the end of the day it is immoral for the government to continue the policy, even the APPG recommended it be abolished. 

No doubt Keir Starmer will have selective memory.

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

I would like to hear the question of will he unfreeze the UK pensions , put to Starmer during his election campaign . However at most interviews the questions are often previewed and selected for preference as on BBC Question Time .

[SingAPorn]

When you see how the Thai bureaucracy makes a fuss and asks for new documents on each LTR visa submission, it is definately not worth it. The agencies handling the LTR seem unaware that most countries in Europe for instance have compulsory health insurance that covers in the country of residence and abroad.

 

Most health insurance companies in Europe do not mention any specific amount of coverage as the amount any case in Thailand costs less than in Europe. US or UK citizens are not always covered by their laws on health, but the western Europeans all are.

 

Why continue to waste time in Thailand ? Better of buying and spending money elsewhere in Asia where the agencies and bureaucracy do not harass so much the quality retirees from Europe.

 

No wonder the Thai economy is falling and wil continue to fall with such absurd govt agencies harassing europeans by making a fuss on each document submitted for the LTR. Sell your property and move if you can.

[superal]

20 hours ago, sandyf said:

Very easy to take that moral high ground. many people made their retirement plans when Mr Google was still sucking the tit. Information from the UK government on pensions was rarer than a 9 bob note

At the end of the day it is immoral for the government to continue the policy, even the APPG recommended it be abolished. 

No doubt Keir Starmer will have selective memory.

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

It is clearly odds on that K. Starmer will be the next PM , after yesterdays by election results . So I have emailed him at the House of Commons and asked him if he will review / unfreeze  the UK pension for those living abroad outside of reciprocal agreement countries . What chance of a reply ?

[FruitPudding]

On 5/3/2024 at 3:55 AM, JoseThailand said:

Thailand is dirt cheap, what are they complaining about?

 

It's definitely cheaper than most of the West, but it ain't dirt cheap anymore.

 

Edited May 4 by FruitPudding

[jwest10]

On 4/28/2024 at 9:29 PM, proton said:

USA but not Canada is an odd one, there was a very old expat woman in Canada getting about 9 quid a week some years ago, must be dead now. About enough to get a bit of bread and milk,

Typical ignorant post and no one knew about this barbaric frozen state pension and we love our special  Thai families.
No, we did not know and this answer is typical of so many over many decades  GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

 

[jwest10]

1 hour ago, superal said:

It is clearly odds on that K. Starmer will be the next PM , after yesterdays by election results . So I have emailed him at the House of Commons and asked him if he will review / unfreeze  the UK pension for those living abroad outside of reciprocal agreement countries . What chance of a reply ?

The same as normal from 650 of the scum and vermin NOTHING GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

[jwest10]

21 hours ago, sandyf said:

Very easy to take that moral high ground. many people made their retirement plans when Mr Google was still sucking the tit. Information from the UK government on pensions was rarer than a 9 bob note

At the end of the day it is immoral for the government to continue the policy, even the APPG recommended it be abolished. 

No doubt Keir Starmer will have selective memory.

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

Typical ignorant post but one we used to it for many decades and no one knew about this barbaric policy and we have our wonderful Thai families to look after. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

[transam]

21 hours ago, sandyf said:

Very easy to take that moral high ground. many people made their retirement plans when Mr Google was still sucking the tit. Information from the UK government on pensions was rarer than a 9 bob note

At the end of the day it is immoral for the government to continue the policy, even the APPG recommended it be abolished. 

No doubt Keir Starmer will have selective memory.

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

About 20 years back, my accountant never mentioned a locked state pension when I said I was thinking of going to Thailand. It would seem not even he knew.........🤔

 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

On 4/27/2024 at 2:04 AM, kickstart said:

We know they is no money in the pot,

Apparently there is a spare 3 billion quid available to send to Ukraine every year, according to a thread on the Ukraine subforum. Seems bullets for Ukraine more important than providing for retired citizens.

[transam]

1 minute ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Apparently there is a spare 3 billion quid available to send to Ukraine every year, according to a thread on the Ukraine subforum. Seems bullets for Ukraine more important than providing for retired citizens.

You haven't a clue...........

[thaibeachlovers]

21 hours ago, SingAPorn said:

Why continue to waste time in Thailand ? Better of buying and spending money elsewhere in Asia where the agencies and bureaucracy do not harass so much the quality retirees from Europe.

 

Good luck finding an equivalent of the Thai bar scene in Malaysia.

[Nick Carter icp]

8 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

 

Good luck finding an equivalent of the Thai bar scene in Malaysia.

 

   Not everyone is interested in prostitution and not everyone needs to pay other people to sit with them , so some people don't need a bar scene 

[FruitPudding]

1 hour ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   Not everyone is interested in prostitution and not everyone needs to pay other people to sit with them , so some people don't need a bar scene 

 

Well said, it's a cesspit of human trash and it ain't worth your time or money.

[sandyf]

23 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

Altavista was a search engine in 1995, so 29 years ago.

If you want to think that is justification feel free.

[sandyf]

3 hours ago, superal said:

It is clearly odds on that K. Starmer will be the next PM , after yesterdays by election results . So I have emailed him at the House of Commons and asked him if he will review / unfreeze  the UK pension for those living abroad outside of reciprocal agreement countries . What chance of a reply ?

As I am a  veteran I wrote to Johnny Mercer a couple of years back when he was Veterans minister.

I am still waiting on a reply and suspect you will end up in the same boat.

[sandyf]

2 hours ago, transam said:

About 20 years back, my accountant never mentioned a locked state pension when I said I was thinking of going to Thailand. It would seem not even he knew.........🤔

 

 

First time I saw it was on back of my pension letter.

[transam]

9 minutes ago, sandyf said:

First time I saw it was on back of my pension letter.

At 56, I never had a pension letter to look at, I had 9 years to go..........😂

[Will B Good]

On 5/2/2024 at 9:55 PM, JoseThailand said:

Thailand is dirt cheap, what are they complaining about?

have you seen the price of lady drinks?

[sandyf]

On 5/3/2024 at 1:26 PM, mommysboy said:

 

We are not getting pension upgrades in Thailand- end of.

There should never be an "end of".

Women got the vote and gay men got out of prison, the problem is politicians are brainwashed into thinking the law is always right, yet in recent years been challenged many times.

On Thursday Bojo forgot the law he introduced.

[superal]

9 minutes ago, sandyf said:

There should never be an "end of".

Women got the vote and gay men got out of prison, the problem is politicians are brainwashed into thinking the law is always right, yet in recent years been challenged many times.

On Thursday Bojo forgot the law he introduced.

A popular belief is that it was done on purpose as a publicity stunt , getting us ready for his revival .

[superal]

1 hour ago, sandyf said:

As I am a  veteran I wrote to Johnny Mercer a couple of years back when he was Veterans minister.

I am still waiting on a reply and suspect you will end up in the same boat.

A tongue in cheek gesture on my behalf to email Starmer but not ask , you not get . BTW I have received a standard reply from his office but not holding my breath