For someone already living in Thailand, is the state pension frozen on the date to which they become entitled to it, or is it when they first claim it?

In other words, could one get a higher pension by delaying claiming it until the new tax year with the new pension rate?

Just now, Zaphod Priest said:

For someone already living in Thailand, is the state pension frozen on the date to which they become entitled to it, or is it when they first claim it?

In other words, could one get a higher pension by delaying claiming it until the new tax year with the new pension rate?

I asked this question twice - in an online form and to a person - no answer to the form and  and the person I asked was so unsure I still do not know for sure.....

You have just reminded me to ask again. 

 

I believe it taken from the date the pension was claimed, that is to say, if you are living in Thailand and made a claim now from Thailand, then thats the fixed rate. If you are already claiming BEFORE moving to Thailand, it would be the rate and date you state as a permanent resident in Thailand.

 

So in short, the date it is applied for when living in Thailand

 

That's my understanding.

Where you make the claim from,UK not frozen, Thailand?using UK contact address not frozen,Thailand using Thai contact address..frozen.       First claim it

11 hours ago, Zaphod Priest said:

For someone already living in Thailand, is the state pension frozen on the date to which they become entitled to it, or is it when they first claim it?

In other words, could one get a higher pension by delaying claiming it until the new tax year with the new pension rate?

 

The pension is frozen from the date you advise DWP that you reside in Thailand.

 

When is your pension due?

 

How much extra is the annual increase worth?

 

I doubt that it is worth deferring for a small cost of living increase.

 

24 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

The pension is frozen from the date you advise DWP that you reside in Thailand.

Are you saying DWP same as HMRC? 

If yes then that is a different answer to what @CharlieH suggested.

 

For example HMRC have known for many years that I live in Thailand but I have yet to claim my State Pension.

28 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

 

He didn't say fake address

Really do not understand why you are defending him.  Next we will be into semantics about what is fake or not...........

8 minutes ago, topt said:

Really do not understand why you are defending him.  Next we will be into semantics about what is fake or not...........

Defending him? me.Not frozen are we ? Cannot reside permanently in Thailand, UK I can,where I hang my hat for non-frozen purposes......but then ipc/DWP could not give a toss,past performances of them both suggest sterlingly 

I left the UK to reside in Thailand in 2005 and immediately informed HMRC that I was no longer a UK resident.

 

Seventeen years later (2022) I claimed my State Pension. It was, and still is, paid at the rate applicable in 2022. So, it appears that the rate applied is that on the date of the claim - not the date of changing country of residence.

 

Just to add - Deferring one's claim will also increase the weekly pension payment. According to  https://www.gov.uk/deferring-state-pension/what-you-get the weekly pension payment increases by 5.8% for each year it is deferred.

 

However, the extra payment is also frozen (if you reside in Thailand etc.)

 

Edit: Why can't we embed links to websites?

 

45 minutes ago, topt said:

Really do not understand why you are defending him.  Next we will be into semantics about what is fake or not...........

 

Not defending anyone - just pointing out that the word 'fake' did not appear anywhere. 

 

For your benefit HMRC are nothing to do with DWP (they can't even get their acts together when erroneously changing tax codes for those on frozen pensions).

 

DWP are the people you claim the state pension from and it is they whom you advise your residential status to. As @chickenslegs pointed out, you may already be on the system as living abroad and the Thai address is used in the claim application. 

More troll posts removed.

On 5/10/2025 at 10:38 AM, Zaphod Priest said:

For someone already living in Thailand, is the state pension frozen on the date to which they become entitled to it, or is it when they first claim it?

In other words, could one get a higher pension by delaying claiming it until the new tax year with the new pension rate?

 

Might this depend on you being eligible for/in receipt of the "Old" or "New" State Pension? I became eligible for the "Old" pension on my 65th birthday in August 2014 (when I was already living in Thailand), but delayed claiming it until April 2015 with the aim of getting at least one triple-lock increase under my belt, which was duly achieved. However, I understand that this would not be possible in the case of the "New" pension (although am happy to be corrected by anyone more in the know). 

6 hours ago, OJAS said:

 

Might this depend on you being eligible for/in receipt of the "Old" or "New" State Pension? I became eligible for the "Old" pension on my 65th birthday in August 2014 (when I was already living in Thailand), but delayed claiming it until April 2015 with the aim of getting at least one triple-lock increase under my belt, which was duly achieved. However, I understand that this would not be possible in the case of the "New" pension (although am happy to be corrected by anyone more in the know). 

Two friends of mine who were eligible to receive their  "New" pensions in Oct & Dec 2023 deferred claiming until after the April 2024 increase in the hope they would get that increase added to their pension. Neither of them got it. They got the rate at the time they became eligible.

Still no real clarity.  Government web page titled "Delay (defer) your State Pension" gives an example and states:

 

"This example assumes there is no annual increase in the State Pension. If there is an annual increase, the amount you could get could be larger."

 

The use of the word "could" makes this information useless.

 

https://www.gov.uk/deferring-state-pension/what-you-get

On 5/17/2025 at 5:36 AM, Mutt Daeng said:

Two friends of mine who were eligible to receive their  "New" pensions in Oct & Dec 2023 deferred claiming until after the April 2024 increase in the hope they would get that increase added to their pension. Neither of them got it. They got the rate at the time they became eligible.

 

Thanks, confirms my suspicion. In practice I think that your friends' experiences answer the OP's question perfectly - notwithstanding his (IMHO perfectly understandable) confusion about the wording of the GOV.UK website - since I somehow doubt whether there are all that many male expats out there who were born before 6 April 1951 and have yet to claim their (old) State pensions!

 

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-10114/

 

Mine was due June 2024. I deferred it until this coming June 2025. I was asked if I would like a lump sum of the year's deferred money, but chose to have the increased monthly pension instead. Though living here in Thailand it will be frozen once it starts.

 

The person I spoke to told me that as I could buy some years, someone would be calling me to see if, and how many I would like to buy.  Again, living here in Thailand with what will be a frozen pension, I am not sure if buying any extra years would be worth it.

On 5/10/2025 at 11:16 PM, chickenslegs said:

I left the UK to reside in Thailand in 2005 and immediately informed HMRC that I was no longer a UK resident.

 

Seventeen years later (2022) I claimed my State Pension. It was, and still is, paid at the rate applicable in 2022. So, it appears that the rate applied is that on the date of the claim - not the date of changing country of residence.

 

Just to add - Deferring one's claim will also increase the weekly pension payment. According to  https://www.gov.uk/deferring-state-pension/what-you-get the weekly pension payment increases by 5.8% for each year it is deferred.

 

However, the extra payment is also frozen (if you reside in Thailand etc.)

 

Edit: Why can't we embed links to websites?

 

What you need to do is this: copy the website address MINUS THE "https://" onto a Word.doc. Then type "https://" in front of the pasted web address (and backspace one click to make the new address one line). Finally, copy and paste the new web address in your "new post" (not forgetting to add a title).

12 hours ago, phetphet said:

Again, living here in Thailand with what will be a frozen pension, I am not sure if buying any extra years would be worth it.

 

It 100% is worth it - provided you live long enough to take four years of pension.  The payback period is just over three years - one of the best investments you can make.

22 hours ago, safarimike11 said:

What you need to do is this: copy the website address MINUS THE "https://" onto a Word.doc. Then type "https://" in front of the pasted web address (and backspace one click to make the new address one line). Finally, copy and paste the new web address in your "new post" (not forgetting to add a title).

What's so funny?

18 hours ago, safarimike11 said:

What's so funny?

 

Is anyone going to do as you describe when the non-embedded link can be used as-is anyway?