Help needed with one question about UK frozen state pension.

[Keith5588]

Hi, I would love to know the answer to this.

 

The amounts I use are not meant to be exact.

Personally I think freezing the UK pension depending upon which country you decide to live is wrong but for this post I don’t want a big discussion about whether you should inform the DWP or not.

The UK state pension is now classed as a benefit and so you should inform the DWP where you are living by law.

So I am assuming that you totally inform the DWP everything.    I am not prepared at the moment to contact the DWP directly.

 

I will use an example.

A 75 year old UK male started his UK state 10 years ago in 2014 receiving £100 per week and came to Thailand. His pension was frozen and so he is still receiving £100 per week.

If he lived in the UK, the Philippines or other countries that have an agreement so that the UK pension is not frozen he would now be receiving £200 pw.

The man goes to the Philippines and immediately informs the DWP that he is there. His pension is increased to £200 pw. 185 days later he returns to Thailand and stays in Thailand for future years.

 

A Youtuber and some other people has said that this mans UK state pension will remain at £200 pw for future years.

 

I disagree, after this man returns to Thailand I think that his UK state pension will revert to the original frozen level of £100 pw. Maybe it will stay at £200 pw until the end of the UK fiscal year and then revert back to the original frozen level of £100 pw but that is irrelevant for this discussion.

 

I am only basing what I think on reading different forums in the past, there has been a lot of discussion, partitions, lobbying in the House of Commons etc.

There must be many UK elderly expats who have been living in Thailand and receiving a frozen UK state pension for 10 years or more. If these people could spend 185 days in the Philippines or the UK to permanently change their UK state pension to the current larger amount when they return to live in Thailand they would be very silly not to do so if they can. I have never read of anyone doing this.

Also for me and many others the frozen pension would not be much of a problem if after some large pension increases like the last few years you can receive these increases by taking a 185 day holiday to the Philippines!

 

So the question is:-

In the future, let’s say 3 years from now is this man’s UK state pension £100 pw or £200 pw

[DaLa]

I don't honestly know, How about having a 'trusted' friend in the Philippines use your debit card there once or twice a month. Set a limit and maybe that will fix the inequality that the system promotes.

[oxo1947]

I don't want to take it off subject --but does anyone know how the  Philippines got this agreement with the UK--it couldn't have been about pensions as PI doesn't have one--& it wasn't about health care. It seems that if the Thai government had any sense, they would look at getting the same agreement as then a large part of  their ex-pat community here would be putting a lot more money back into Thailand.

[treetops]

4 hours ago, oxo1947 said:

I don't want to take it off subject --but does anyone know how the  Philippines got this agreement with the UK--it couldn't have been about pensions as PI doesn't have one--& it wasn't about health care.

 

Can't vouch for it being true, but I read that the agreement with the Philippines was to keep the flow of healthcare staff from there to the UK sweet as the UK system would collapse without them.

[oxo1947]

50 minutes ago, treetops said:

Can't vouch for it being true, but I read that the agreement with the Philippines was to keep the flow of healthcare staff from there to the UK sweet as the UK system would collapse without them.

I dont think so treetops---as they have to pay them the same as current nurses --they would head their anyway---as UK is always advertising for foreign care/Nurse ---and the UK lose most of their nurses to Oz NZ etc with a much higher pay rate....... 

When you look at the countries UK would pay full pension in-- there seems to be no consistency---Chile,  Israel, South Korea, Japan,Mauritius,Turkey.....a whole other list -- you expect the EU & commonwealth countries but there is a lot of others and it just says UK has an agreement with--doesn't say what sort of agreement--but you would think someone in the Thai government might be cute enough to find out. ......yer maybe not......

[treetops]

1 minute ago, oxo1947 said:

I dont think so treetops---as they have to pay them the same as current nurses --they would head their anyway---as UK is always advertising for foreign care/Nurse

 

But they would be less likely to head there without the agreement perhaps, if they are thinking of provision for their retirement years?