National Health Service In Uk

[johnfb]

I have a couple of questions that some British Thaivisa members can help with...thank in advance.

I am a British subject living since 2005 in Asia. Before that I had 28 uninterrupted years working in the UK (nearly all as a teacher in state schools). I paid my tax, medical contributions and council tax until July 2005 when I left the UK. Since then I have paid no contributions there. I still remember my National Insurance number in the UK. I am in my mid 50's.

1) I visit the UK twice a year now; can I get treatment (for free) in UK hospitals? If not how do I make contributions so that I can now and when I retire in the future use UK hospitals for free?

2) Am I still entitled to the monthly state pension from the UK government? What age must I be for me to be able to claim (60 or 65?)? Should I make contributions now to the UK to enable me to receive the state pension in the future?

Edited June 6, 2010 by johnfb

[billzant]

Dear johnfb,

How are you?

Don't know about 1)

2) You claim your state pension at 65. I suggest you write for a pension forecast at the following address

HM Revenue & Customs

Centre for Non-Residents

Benton Park View

Newcastle upon Tyne NE98 1ZZ

UNITED KINGDOM

You will need form CA3638 but I am not sure where I found it. I aslo have a booklet that I can email you explaining the proceedures. PM me with your email address and I will send the form and the booklet to you.

I have just asked for the pension forecast and I got a very helpful reply - I am resident in Thailand - retired teacher as well. Full pension is 30 years, to get that you will need to send a cheque for 2 years. But get the forecast first - turnaround 2/3 months, and you won't be 65!!!

Hope you are keeping well,

All the Best,

Bill Z

[crazydrummerpauly]

I have a couple of questions that some British Thaivisa members can help with...thank in advance.

I am a British subject living since 2005 in Asia. Before that I had 28 uninterrupted years working in the UK (nearly all as a teacher in state schools). I paid my tax, medical contributions and council tax until July 2005 when I left the UK. Since then I have paid no contributions there. I still remember my National Insurance number in the UK. I am in my mid 50's.

1) I visit the UK twice a year now; can I get treatment (for free) in UK hospitals? If not how do I make contributions so that I can now and when I retire in the future use UK hospitals for free?

2) Am I still entitled to the monthly state pension from the UK government? What age must I be for me to be able to claim (60 or 65?)? Should I make contributions now to the UK to enable me to receive the state pension in the future?

Surely you have read all the existing threads dealing with the British NHS and returning ex-pats ? If not, then you are depending on someone else having done all that, and then writing a detailed essay to answer your first question - be warned, it is not simple ! Basically, the fact that you have been living in Asia for 5 years means no, you are not entitled to FREE Nhs teatment (but you can and will be asked to pay if you want to stick with Nhs treatment!) Youy have broken the 'Resident in the UK for 12 moths PRIOR to needing treatment' - + didn't you know you can only be away travelling for 3 months before you MIGHT be asked to pay for Nhs treament ? (in practice, most GP's and hospital staff do not even know, or like or carry out this rule). One option is to say: 'I am returning to the Uk for good, til the bitter end.', but computerised medical records might mean you can only use this get-out reason ONCE - who knows given the shadowy nature of the legislation+practice in this area. However, as the law is drafted, no, you are not legally entitled to FREE Nhs treatment when you return to the UK twice a year - it counts for nothing now that you are in some way 'A British subject' - it's an out-dated identity at a time when the Nhs is desperate to save ££££££s. Course, when you RETIRE to the UK, that's a whole different ball-game - they will happy to treat you as per normal once you are back in the UK getting hammerd by high prices and taxes for everything ! By the way, manyt people will tell you that NO Nhs hospital will turn you away if you need A&E treatment - true - but the minute you pass over a line from A&E to an IN-PATIENT facility (ward) the bills will start adding up - they even have special Managers now whose job is purely to assess which kind of patient you are in terms of your residence abroad or in the Uk. As far as I know, making contributions are irrelevant in this issue - unlike for the OAPenssion, where they are highly relevant of course - but you're lucky that old Blair&Co reduced the qualifying total of years of contributions from 44 years to 30, which came in on April this year - a great gift to thousands which NewLabour failed miserably to publicise as a 'good thing' they'd done. As for question 2 - where did you ever get the idea that the British state pension FOR MEN was, could, or will ever be available at 60 ?! (for ladies yes I believe) - but all those details are rapidly beng adjused UPWARDS anyway - towards 68 for men over a long phasing-in period - but be assured, it's all getting tougher ! You can I believe make back-payments towards your record for the retirement pension (to 30 years) - was up to 6 years retrospectively when I last got involved with that area. By the way, as the other poster advised, the Forecast folks up in Newcastle are terrific - in my long experience of dealing with the British civil service, they are well up there amongst the very best for 'civility' and expertise. GOOD LUCK ! (and do read all the other NHS-related threads ?)