Hi, 

 

How is the State Pension initiated by the DWP?

 

Do you approach them on or around the date of your eligibility for payment or do they usually send you a letter? What address do they use? Many people living abroad must risk being off the radar, is it advisable to contact them to ensure the pension starts when it should together with the proofs of eligibility, ID & life they may need? Is it best to contact them on line or through the Government Gateway to HMRC & Self Assessment? I'd guess annual Tax Returns help the process, do they?

 

Many thanks in advance

If you are applying from Thailznd you have two options, you can phone them and apply over the phone, or you can download the pension app,cation, attach relevant documents and mail it to them.

 

Beware if you phone, you can spend alot of time waiting and calls are not free.

DWP will not contact you, nor will they initiate your pension. You have to claim it, as Charlie said above.

 

https://www.gov.uk/new-state-pension/how-to-claim

 

 

 

 

When I claimed my SP, I phoned the International Pension Centre, 4 months prior to my data of eligibility, which  for me was 4 months prior to my 66th birthday.

Best to do it early IMHO in case of issues/delays. Also best to ring them since less info is required as opposed to the postal application form and you do not need to supply any supporting documents which may be required to support a postal application. Took me approx 20-30 minutes on the phone plus about 5 minutes waiting in the queue.

9 hours ago, 503726 said:

Hi, 

 

How is the State Pension initiated by the DWP?

 

Do you approach them on or around the date of your eligibility for payment or do they usually send you a letter? What address do they use? Many people living abroad must risk being off the radar, is it advisable to contact them to ensure the pension starts when it should together with the proofs of eligibility, ID & life they may need? Is it best to contact them on line or through the Government Gateway to HMRC & Self Assessment? I'd guess annual Tax Returns help the process, do they?

 

Many thanks in advance

Depends what address they have for you on your government gateway account.

If it's UK, then they will post an invitation letter to your UK address 6 months before retirement date with a code to enter online.

Then you complete the application online (UK IP or UK VPN required), no documents of any kind required, very simple form, mainly they want to know if you're married (answer is no), and your bank account details.

Many thanks all of you, to be able to ask these questions here is such a help. 

 

BritManToo - do you know if the process would be any different if your address for HMRC were here (as you have been on HMRC radar with all your tax returns & payments up to date)?  

On 6/4/2025 at 6:52 AM, 503726 said:

Many thanks all of you, to be able to ask these questions here is such a help. 

 

BritManToo - do you know if the process would be any different if your address for HMRC were here (as you have been on HMRC radar with all your tax returns & payments up to date)?  

Keep your address to UK,they are different. Cannot even imagine being frozen for donkeys years,only to find you have shot yourself in the foot,two of them. Money mag today published figures for ( probably puckerage) pension of 1300 pounds a year when she would be on close to 10000 pounds a year if address kept to UK.there is no law,nobody caught out,nothing to be paid back. DWP will send you one days OAP before retired date to confirm its you,look after yourself,nobody else will do it,cepting massively jealous frozen bunch

On 6/4/2025 at 12:52 PM, 503726 said:

Many thanks all of you, to be able to ask these questions here is such a help. 

 

BritManToo - do you know if the process would be any different if your address for HMRC were here (as you have been on HMRC radar with all your tax returns & payments up to date)?  

Completely different process, requiring posting certified documents, a long and intrusive paper form to fill and post back, no invitation code issued. Usually it will take 6 months longer, and the first pension payment delayed by months.

Followed by, frozen pension, and frequent proof of life forms that will often result in pension payments being randomly stopped.

14 hours ago, BritManToo said:

On 6/4/2025 at 12:52 PM, 503726 said:

Many thanks all of you, to be able to ask these questions here is such a help. 

 

BritManToo - do you know if the process would be any different if your address for HMRC were here (as you have been on HMRC radar with all your tax returns & payments up to date)?  

Completely different process, requiring posting certified documents, a long and intrusive paper form to fill and post back, no invitation code issued. Usually it will take 6 months longer, and the first pension payment delayed by months.

Followed by, frozen pension, and frequent proof of life forms that will often result in pension payments being randomly stopped.

The DWP sent an invitation to claim my state pension to my Thai address 3-4 months before my pension was due, inviting me to ring them on +44 191 218 7777. No forms to fill in or supporting documents to supply. 

 

On 6/6/2025 at 9:40 AM, jori123 said:

Keep your address to UK,they are different. Cannot even imagine being frozen for donkeys years,only to find you have shot yourself in the foot,two of them. Money mag today published figures for ( probably puckerage) pension of 1300 pounds a year when she would be on close to 10000 pounds a year if address kept to UK.there is no law,nobody caught out,nothing to be paid back. DWP will send you one days OAP before retired date to confirm its you,look after yourself,nobody else will do it,cepting massively jealous frozen bunch

Got those figures seriously wrong,not I but the writer of the piece,also featured in daily Mail.  She quoted over a 15 year term of being frozen,something like 26 000 GBP      loss, now I'm no Einstein,but way off.  The individual quoted  (not Puckerage) was on around 1300 GBP a year 15 years ago ,now the OAP is around 12000 GBP a year,just in one year ,this year its getting on for 11000 GBP loss a year.I figure not 26000 gbp a year loss,but 4 times that figure with compounding taking into account. I'm not going back to calculate,but one hell of a loss which any way you look at it

The article being referred to above is at the following link for those who want to check the numbers...........

https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/pensions/article-14787909/Beware-wrong-country-retirement-state-pension.html

9 minutes ago, topt said:

https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/pensions/article-14787909/Beware-wrong-country-retirement-state-pension.html

 

15 hours ago, jori123 said:

Got those figures seriously wrong,not I but the writer of the piece,also featured in daily Mail.  She quoted over a 15 year term of being frozen,something like 26 000 GBP      loss, now I'm no Einstein,but way off.  The individual quoted  (not Puckerage) was on around 1300 GBP a year 15 years ago ,now the OAP is around 12000 GBP a year,just in one year ,this year its getting on for 11000 GBP loss a year.I figure not 26000 gbp a year loss,but 4 times that figure with compounding taking into account. I'm not going back to calculate,but one hell of a loss which any way you look at it

Average duration claiming a UK state pension is allegedly 8 years, so unless you're longer lived than most, not that big a loss.

Not sure if they included people who died before claiming in those figures.

On 6/7/2025 at 6:10 AM, Mutt Daeng said:

The DWP sent an invitation to claim my state pension to my Thai address 3-4 months before my pension was due, inviting me to ring them on +44 191 218 7777. No forms to fill in or supporting documents to supply. 

 

Were you at that address for many years? Did they know? and did it freeze your entitlements ? (ie; once they knew you were in Thailand - did the pension fail to go up each year)  Many thanks for an answer.

1 hour ago, topt said:

The article being referred to above is at the following link for those who want to check the numbers...........

https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/pensions/article-14787909/Beware-wrong-country-retirement-state-pension.html

 

1 hour ago, topt said:

 

They are seriously wrong,the writer not taking into account of compounding,id put the figure over 15 years at 100 to 120 000 GBP loss

 

1 hour ago, hughrection said:

Were you at that address for many years? Did they know? and did it freeze your entitlements ? (ie; once they knew you were in Thailand - did the pension fail to go up each year)  Many thanks for an answer.

The ironic piece here is you personally have to inform on yourself as to living in Thailand,,then start moaning,joining pressure groups to unfreeze.Nobody has ever been disciplined/sanctioned/money returned/any form of action as to receiving unfrozen OAP in Thailand,or any where else for that matter

On 6/6/2025 at 3:40 PM, jori123 said:

Keep your address to UK,they are different. Cannot even imagine being frozen for donkeys years,only to find you have shot yourself in the foot,two of them. Money mag today published figures for ( probably puckerage) pension of 1300 pounds a year when she would be on close to 10000 pounds a year if address kept to UK.there is no law,nobody caught out,nothing to be paid back. DWP will send you one days OAP before retired date to confirm its you,look after yourself,nobody else will do it,cepting massively jealous frozen bunch

He's back............🙄

8 minutes ago, jori123 said:

 

They are seriously wrong,the writer not taking into account of compounding,id put the figure over 15 years at 100 to 120 000 GBP loss

 

The ironic piece here is you personally have to inform on yourself as to living in Thailand,,then start moaning,joining pressure groups to unfreeze.Nobody has ever been disciplined/sanctioned/money returned/any form of action as to receiving unfrozen OAP in Thailand,or any where else for that matter

Show us written proof of that........🤔

26 minutes ago, transam said:

He's back............🙄

More like you are back,thought you were warned off with all constant lying over the past 15 years,yes it hurts  lol really does,never mind speaketh the truth,not the fact you know (only one tho,you) that has know countless individuals apprehended,all hogwash,nobody ever disciplined,well perhaps one,you    gawd over 15 years frozen,now that hurts   lol

 

23 minutes ago, transam said:

Show us written proof of that........🤔

Work it out yerself,start year one (of 15) then yearly increase percentage wise,year two,start with compounding,and so on ,each year compounding with each progressive percentage increase,its easy,Id put it loosely at 140 thousand GBP loss  you personally have ,as you have been frozen for far longer than 15 years   lol,fink I'll light the fire wiv a bunch of fivers

 

1 minute ago, jori123 said:

More like you are back,thought you were warned off with all constant lying over the past 15 years,yes it hurts  lol really does,never mind speaketh the truth,not the fact you know (only one tho,you) that has know countless individuals apprehended,all hogwash,nobody ever disciplined,well perhaps one,you    gawd over 15 years frozen,now that hurts   lol

 

Work it out yerself,start year one (of 15) then yearly increase percentage wise,year two,start with compounding,and so on ,each year compounding with each progressive percentage increase,its easy,Id put it loosely at 140 thousand loss over you personally have losses for ,as you have been frozen for far longer than 15 years   lol,fink I'll light the fire wiv a bunch of fivers

 

I haven't been warned off for anything, you haven't provided proof off anything you spout, but still waiting, oh, and I haven't been claiming a pension for 15 years, more porkies.....

 

As for the OP, the pension claim form took me ages to fill in because they asked every employer since I started work, but that may have changed now, so I would forget the phone call thingy to fill in the form.

 

You have to 'claim' a state pension because it is classed as a 'benefit', I know daft...😏

 

The same as when you get your pension you must tell them if you go into hospital, prison or go out of the country, in case it affects your payment in any way....😌

 

Like many of us, if you move to a country not on their 'reciprocal agreement' list, your pension will be locked from that date. Of course there are those who use some sort of route to get a full pension, but that would be benefit fraud, so up to you....😉

10 minutes ago, transam said:

I haven't been warned off for anything, you haven't provided proof off anything you spout, but still waiting, oh, and I haven't been claiming a pension for 15 years, more porkies.....

 

As for the OP, the pension claim form took me ages to fill in because they asked every employer since I started work, but that may have changed now, so I would forget the phone call thingy to fill in the form.

 

You have to 'claim' a state pension because it is classed as a 'benefit', I know daft...😏

 

The same as when you get your pension you must tell them if you go into hospital, prison or go out of the country, in case it affects your payment in any way....😌

 

Like many of us, if you move to a country not on their 'reciprocal agreement' list, your pension will be locked from that date. Of course there are those who use some sort of route to get a full pension, but that would be benefit fraud, so up to you....😉

You do see there is an underlying deep jealousy manifest here,sends one into insanity.  Lol..  No benefit fraud,no unlawful activities,nothing,where is that information obtained?  the DWP website,that's where,read it,digest it,swallow that 14000 GBP loss,boy .it hurts

1 minute ago, jori123 said:

You do see there is an underlying deep jealousy manifest here,sends one into insanity.  Lol..  No benefit fraud,no unlawful activities,nothing,where is that information obtained?  the DWP website,that's where,read it,digest it,swallow that 14000 GBP loss,boy .it hurts

Still waiting for proof, it has been many years of asking, where is it.........?   🤭

But in the meantime.........😉

 

 

19 minutes ago, transam said:

Still waiting for proof, it has been many years of asking, where is it.........?   🤭

But in the meantime.........😉

 

 

You have shown this many,many times,too many. However it leads me to follow on with the actuality of it all,the SP is designated as a non sanctionable benefit,not even remotely possible to punish any individual on being unfrozen,not waving a piece of paper not even remotely to do with the OAP ,it is for life certificate,that's all.Now I agree if you are dead you are dead,no getting SP It is a smack in the face,it stings to have been self denying a 140000 loss GBP over your failing years,you will never regain it,it is lost,no good employing bitterness,especially lies over the years you have been at it,I'll pull up some of your crackers in time,remember the one you know of 3,up before the beak 1000 quid fines,it's on record,the one about the Scottish taxi driver,the fake"official" letter you were behind,it's on record. Proof of non sanctionability,it's all laid out. DWP website

3 minutes ago, jori123 said:

You have shown this many,many times,too many. However it leads me to follow on with the actuality of it all,the SP is designated as a non sanctionable benefit,not even remotely possible to punish any individual on being unfrozen,not waving a piece of paper not even remotely to do with the OAP ,it is for life certificate,that's all.Now I agree if you are dead you are dead,no getting SP It is a smack in the face,it stings to have been self denying a 140000 loss GBP over your failing years,you will never regain it,it is lost,no good employing bitterness,especially lies over the years you have been at it,I'll pull up some of your crackers in time,remember the one you know of 3,up before the beak 1000 quid fines,it's on record,the one about the Scottish taxi driver,the fake"official" letter you were behind,it's on record. Proof of non sanctionability,it's all laid out. DWP website

If it is then POST it here.................😁

 

I'm off out now, but here is a refresher for you, oh, it has your previous username izid10....😉

Read the whole page link from the top........😁

 

 

5 minutes ago, transam said:

If it is then POST it here.................😁

 

I'm off out now, but here is a refresher for you, oh, it has your previous username izid10....😉

Read the whole page link from the top........😁

 

It's there,you could not have done it any better,DWP website,half way down,displayed before your very eyes.   "Benefits that cannot be reduced or stopped".   It's there ,read it lol,Wot does it say by? OAP,cannot be reduced or stopped,thanks for revealing it,but please read it yourself. Lol,,,PS other was housing benefit they were on

i called the International Pensions Line a couple of months ago to claim my SP for which I was actually eligible last June.

 

I chose to take it from this June 2025 which will give me some increase. Someone called me a few weeks ago to update me, confirming that things were being processed and that I had successfully registered to buy some missing years, and that someone would be calling me within the next two months with figures and details of how to pay.

 

15 hours ago, hughrection said:

Were you at that address for many years? Did they know? and did it freeze your entitlements ? (ie; once they knew you were in Thailand - did the pension fail to go up each year)  Many thanks for an answer.

When I claimed my state pension in 2021, I was already living in Thailand full time since 2009 and no longer had a UK address. DWP were aware of this. My pension was frozen from day 1.

13 hours ago, phetphet said:

i called the International Pensions Line a couple of months ago to claim my SP for which I was actually eligible last June.

 

I chose to take it from this June 2025 which will give me some increase. Someone called me a few weeks ago to update me, confirming that things were being processed and that I had successfully registered to buy some missing years, and that someone would be calling me within the next two months with figures and details of how to pay.

 

 

Did they actually confirm you will get the current 2025/26 rate and not the rate effective when you became eligible?  I have read previously that waiting was of no benefit if you are already out of the country when eligible.

1 minute ago, Upnotover said:

 

Did they actually confirm you will get the current 2025/26 rate and not the rate effective when you became eligible?  I have read previously that waiting was of no benefit if you are already out of the country when eligible.

The only benefit of waiting that I'm aware of is the back pay from eligible date.

On 6/7/2025 at 6:10 AM, Mutt Daeng said:

The DWP sent an invitation to claim my state pension to my Thai address 3-4 months before my pension was due, inviting me to ring them on +44 191 218 7777. No forms to fill in or supporting documents to supply. 

 

I NEVER get any mail delivered to my Thai address - including the very-necessary Proof of Life form because Thai Mail is crap.  I now use my daughter's UK address & she sends me a photo of any mail.  I wish I'd done this 17 years ago - my  pension would be 100% more than it is today!

17 hours ago, BritManToo said:

 

Average duration claiming a UK state pension is allegedly 8 years, so unless you're longer lived than most, not that big a loss.

Not sure if they included people who died before claiming in those figures.

 

I thought the average life expentancy in the UK was now around 83. So presumably people survive for 17 years on their State Pension. At 72 i have already claimed mine for 7 years. The loss was not that great when inflation was low in the first 5 years, @ £1000, but greater now inflation has risen.

40 minutes ago, mikebell said:

I NEVER get any mail delivered to my Thai address - including the very-necessary Proof of Life form because Thai Mail is crap.  I now use my daughter's UK address & she sends me a photo of any mail.  I wish I'd done this 17 years ago - my  pension would be 100% more than it is today!

The Thai postal service where I live is great. The staff at the post office and the postmen all know me. I didn't have an alternate UK address that could be used to receive snail mail, so it was Hobson's choice for me.