UK pensions

[nong38]

Just heard about a guy who got a new passport which lead to the pension folk presenting the guy with a demand for 30,000 quid.

He ain't got it, so his pension has to cover it until paid.

Just heard about a cow that couldn't jump a ditch,had to wade through a load of shit

Although as someone else said i trust Transams posts ,it seems strange that no one has ever commented that the pension service are contacted by the passport service and to owe 30000 pounds the pension service would have to have been overpaying his oap by 57 pounds a week for 10 years(the life of a passport)

Trans ams figures are not correct, if you think that the average increase over the last 5 years has been about 3% it would take someone from 65-95 to get to 30,000 pounds which is most unlikely. It may be that benefits were involved and it may be that it was to be repaid at 25 pounds a week, you know how chinese whispers work and the passport office was so badly staffed and inundated with requests for new passports last year it makes you wonder how they had the time to get in touch with the DWP, far more likely someone "informed the DWP" as someone was bragging about their lifestyle and pissed someone off!

[dragonfly94]

Just reading this thread and there seems some uncertainty about whether or not govt agencies have access to info on bank accounts and transactions. Surely the Banks could tell us? I understood, maybe wrongly, that while they cannot access your account or find out amounts they can find out if you are regularly transferring money abroad.

[Liquorice]

No they can't, but transferring money abroad isn't a crime anyway.

[dragonfly94]

No they can't, but transferring money abroad isn't a crime anyway.

No but claiming you are in the UK for pension updates is when living here!

[loppylugs1]

Just reading this thread and there seems some uncertainty about whether or not govt agencies have access to info on bank accounts and transactions. Surely the Banks could tell us? I understood, maybe wrongly, that while they cannot access your account or find out amounts they can find out if you are regularly transferring money abroad.

yes you are understanding it wrongly

[dragonfly94]

Just reading this thread and there seems some uncertainty about whether or not govt agencies have access to info on bank accounts and transactions. Surely the Banks could tell us? I understood, maybe wrongly, that while they cannot access your account or find out amounts they can find out if you are regularly transferring money abroad.

yes you are understanding it wrongly

It was something i read on here from a poster who claimed he knew what he was talking about, worked for the the excise and customs, or maybe not!

[loppylugs1]

Just reading this thread and there seems some uncertainty about whether or not govt agencies have access to info on bank accounts and transactions. Surely the Banks could tell us? I understood, maybe wrongly, that while they cannot access your account or find out amounts they can find out if you are regularly transferring money abroad.

yes you are understanding it wrongly

It was something i read on here from a poster who claimed he knew what he was talking about, worked for the the excise and customs, or maybe not!

There is,and has been quite a few posting on here likened to your quoted poster "knew" what they were talking about,also connected to another post of yours that does at time to time get an airing.

I put it in the category of the brown stuff being flushed down the pan

[Liquorice]

dragonfly94, on 03 Feb 2015 - 07:34, said:

Faz, on 03 Feb 2015 - 06:50, said:

No they can't, but transferring money abroad isn't a crime anyway.

No but claiming you are in the UK for pension updates is when living here!

There are plenty of Pensioners married to foreigners living in the UK that send money abroad regularly to support family, so that in itself is not suspicious.

HMRC cannot access your bank accounts, look at your transactions, balances etc, without your permission or a Court Order.

The bank would be in breach of the Data Protection Act to do so without your permission.

The bank only have a legal obligation to notify HMRC of interest for taxation purposes that they have to deduct from your account.

[Ricardo]

Just reading this thread and there seems some uncertainty about whether or not govt agencies have access to info on bank accounts and transactions. Surely the Banks could tell us? I understood, maybe wrongly, that while they cannot access your account or find out amounts they can find out if you are regularly transferring money abroad.

I agree that, in their efforts to crack-down on money-laundering & the proceeds-of-crime, the banking-authorities of many countries are watching all Swift-transfers, why else would our banks regularly need us to put in the reason for the transfer ?

My own offshore bank has become increasingly manic, in recent years, about questioning the original-source of my funds, even though I was careful to pre-warn them (and prove) the sources of all large transfers-in, even so I now need to complete an annual form for them. "But I've banked with you for 40+ years, and you know all about my business background, because at-one-point I borrowed GBP200k from you for them !", but do they listen ? It's easier to make us jump through the hoops, rather than check their records.

And the great crack-down on individuals banking offshore in the Channel-Island & Switzerland, never did produce the vast sums of extra tax which the politicians announced that they would, did they ? Meanwhile the big companies seem to getaway with murder, there's an interesting book by an ex-UK-tax-inspector called Richard Brooks, called "The Great Tax Robbery ... How Britain became a Tax Haven for Fat Cats and Big Business". He also writes about the subject in 'Private Eye'.

Rant over !

[nong38]

dragonfly94, on 03 Feb 2015 - 07:34, said:

Faz, on 03 Feb 2015 - 06:50, said:

No they can't, but transferring money abroad isn't a crime anyway.

No but claiming you are in the UK for pension updates is when living here!

There are plenty of Pensioners married to foreigners living in the UK that send money abroad regularly to support family, so that in itself is not suspicious.

HMRC cannot access your bank accounts, look at your transactions, balances etc, without your permission or a Court Order.

The bank would be in breach of the Data Protection Act to do so without your permission.

The bank only have a legal obligation to notify HMRC of interest for taxation purposes that they have to deduct from your account.

I think you will find that the Data protection Act does not apply to HMG, court orders etc only apply to ordinary people, data protection only applies to ordinary people and non-govt agencies and even then there are plenty of agencies who are selling your private details for cash, look at your local govt for a start. To think otherwise would be foolish, regardless of what you think the morals are, remember they have no morals about not giving you an annual increase to your pension.

[evadgib]

dragonfly94, on 03 Feb 2015 - 07:34, said:

Faz, on 03 Feb 2015 - 06:50, said:

No they can't, but transferring money abroad isn't a crime anyway.

No but claiming you are in the UK for pension updates is when living here!

There are plenty of Pensioners married to foreigners living in the UK that send money abroad regularly to support family, so that in itself is not suspicious.

HMRC cannot access your bank accounts, look at your transactions, balances etc, without your permission or a Court Order.

The bank would be in breach of the Data Protection Act to do so without your permission.

The bank only have a legal obligation to notify HMRC of interest for taxation purposes that they have to deduct from your account.

I think you will find that the Data protection Act does not apply to HMG, court orders etc only apply to ordinary people, data protection only applies to ordinary people and non-govt agencies and even then there are plenty of agencies who are selling your private details for cash, look at your local govt for a start. To think otherwise would be foolish, regardless of what you think the morals are, remember they have no morals about not giving you an annual increase to your pension.

Having successfully DPA'ed HMRC and other govt agencies a number of times the above claim is factually incorrect.

[nong38]

Then we have to agree to differ on this, but I was told this by a very senior source in two Govt departments. Anyone who has any doubts should assume that I might just be correct for safety's sake.

[Jip99]

Then we have to agree to differ on this, but I was told this by a very senior source in two Govt departments. Anyone who has any doubts should assume that I might just be correct for safety's sake.

It is not true, you are scaremongering again.

Faz is spot on.

[jpinx]

Then we have to agree to differ on this, but I was told this by a very senior source in two Govt departments. Anyone who has any doubts should assume that I might just be correct for safety's sake.

That is total rubbish. Having been through the mill with the taxman in his many forms, I can assure you that they can not look at anything in your bank without either your permission or a court order. It's the bank that would get charged under the DPA, and they're not up for that.

Stop being an alarmist!!!

Edit to add -- they can not even look at the stamps in your passport without your permission - or a court order.

Before you post any more alarmist mis-information, please get the chapter and verse of the law applicable and link to it.

[transam]

I thought the Law must give permission for any Gov body to look in bank accounts.

[i claudius]

Then we have to agree to differ on this, but I was told this by a very senior source in two Govt departments. Anyone who has any doubts should assume that I might just be correct for safety's sake.

That is total rubbish. Having been through the mill with the taxman in his many forms, I can assure you that they can not look at anything in your bank without either your permission or a court order. It's the bank that would get charged under the DPA, and they're not up for that.

Stop being an alarmist!!!

Edit to add -- they can not even look at the stamps in your passport without your permission - or a court order.

Before you post any more alarmist mis-information, please get the chapter and verse of the law applicable and link to it.

So if they cannot look in your passport it is highly unlikely that the passport office informs anyone that you live abroad i.e. the pension service

[evadgib]

Looking at a passport rather than address / location of applicant are somewhat different. HMG etc can cross refer the latter...

[jpinx]

Then we have to agree to differ on this, but I was told this by a very senior source in two Govt departments. Anyone who has any doubts should assume that I might just be correct for safety's sake.

That is total rubbish. Having been through the mill with the taxman in his many forms, I can assure you that they can not look at anything in your bank without either your permission or a court order. It's the bank that would get charged under the DPA, and they're not up for that.

Stop being an alarmist!!!

Edit to add -- they can not even look at the stamps in your passport without your permission - or a court order.

Before you post any more alarmist mis-information, please get the chapter and verse of the law applicable and link to it.

So if they cannot look in your passport it is highly unlikely that the passport office informs anyone that you live abroad i.e. the pension service

The Passport office, DVLA, Pension providers (both state and private) and other such "holders of private information" are controlled by the DPA.

Looking at a passport rather than address / location of applicant are somewhat different. HMG etc can cross refer the latter...

Indeed -- the taxman is by no means stupid and will pull together information from whatever sources he needs. In reality you would need to be incredibly stupid or bull-headed to go up against the taxman. They have a policy of negotiating which will virtually always end in a less painful solution than going the whole hog with thc commissioners and court.

[evadgib]

The Investigatory Powers Tribunal

Who we are and what we do

The Tribunal is a court which investigates and determines complaints of unlawful use of covert techniques by public authorities infringing our right to privacy and claims against intelligence or law enforcement agency conduct which breaches a wider range of human rights.

http://www.ipt-uk.com/section.aspx?pageid=19

[Liquorice]

evadgib, on 04 Feb 2015 - 12:58, said:evadgib, on 04 Feb 2015 - 12:58, said:

Looking at a passport rather than address / location of applicant are somewhat different. HMG etc can cross refer the latter...

The HMRC can't even check if you left the UK. Immigration don't keep records of who's left the UK regardless of citizenship

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/arriving-in-or-departing-from-the-uk-ecb15/ecb15-arriving-in-departing-from-the-uk

ECB15. Arriving in /departing from the UK.

ECB15.3 How to check if a person has left the UK

There is no immigration embarkation control at UK ports. If asked by the UK Border Agency to find out if a person has returned home, Entry Clearance staff can:

• check application records to see if the person has re-applied for another entry clearance;
• make enquiries through the local police; and / or
• write to the person at the last known address asking for confirmation of their date of departure from the UK for record purposes.

As long as you keep a UK address and nobody snitches on you, then it is highly unlikely that any government department would ever know you left the UK.

[transam]

evadgib, on 04 Feb 2015 - 12:58, said:

Looking at a passport rather than address / location of applicant are somewhat different. HMG etc can cross refer the latter...

They HMRC can't even check if you left the UK. Immigration don't keep records of who's left the UK regardless of citizenship

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/arriving-in-or-departing-from-the-uk-ecb15/ecb15-arriving-in-departing-from-the-uk

ECB15. Arriving in /departing from the UK.

ECB15.3 How to check if a person has left the UK

There is no immigration embarkation control at UK ports. If asked by the UK Border Agency to find out if a person has returned home, Entry Clearance staff can:

• check application records to see if the person has re-applied for another entry clearance;
• make enquiries through the local police; and / or
• write to the person at the last known address asking for confirmation of their date of departure from the UK for record purposes.

As long as you keep a UK address and nobody snitches on you, then it is highly unlikely that any government department would ever know you left the UK.

But if you get a new PP at Trendy all is revealed.........You must copy every page of your old PP...

[Liquorice]

Revealed to who?...........the Passport service, who under the DPA cannot reveal my details to another party.

Personally, I'd never use Trendy to replace my UK passport. I'd wait for a visit to the UK even if I lost 18 months on the old one.

[transam]

Revealed to who?...........the Passport service, who under the DPA cannot reveal my details to another party.

Personally, I'd never use Trendy to replace my UK passport. I'd wait for a visit to the UK even if I lost 18 months on the old one.

Who knows.........I just know that a guy has been hit with a 30,000 quid demand......

But yes, if I were a rascal I would not renew at Trendy............

[Liquorice]

It wasn't from renewing his passport........that was just coincidence.

My guess he was claiming benefits or falsifying annual self assessment forms for a period of years.

Probably the interest he received from the bank didn't match his reported income and triggered an investigation.

Or he was receiving an income he didn't declare, such as renting a house.

[RupertIII]

If you have, or will have, a frozen UK state pension there is currently a petition at http://www.change.org/p/end-pension-freezing. Whether it will do any good I don't know but no harm in signing and passing on to others to do likewise. To get English language for the form go to the bottom right of the web page and click on the drop down box.

[i claudius]

Revealed to who?...........the Passport service, who under the DPA cannot reveal my details to another party.

Personally, I'd never use Trendy to replace my UK passport. I'd wait for a visit to the UK even if I lost 18 months on the old one.

Who knows.........I just know that a guy has been hit with a 30,000 quid demand......

But yes, if I were a rascal I would not renew at Trendy............

To be honest ,its just to much trouble to renew at trendy ,its just far simpler to do it when you are in the UK i just cant be bothered with the hastle of going to trendy.

[NoshowJones]

The International Consortium of British Pensioners (ICBP)

Another strong article by Simon Read in the Independent : it is clear that the issue of frozen pensions is not going to go away!

http://www.independent.co.uk/…/simon-read-frozen-in-time--t…

other than anti EU, what else is on his manifesto

Hopefully Big Dave and his cronies will fail miserably and the new/old/new or whatever Labour Party will fare worse. Lib/Dems will go into a coalition with just about anybody. Actually the few survivors will try. That leaves UKIP and the odds and sods who may not do any better that Labour/Conservative/Lib/Dems but couldn't do any worse.

There are too many fruitcakes in UKIP. They will implode within a year of entering into a coalition with anyone.

Can anyone see Ferage being a credible "minister for August"?

I don't care how many fruitcakes UKIP have, if they can do something about immigration into the UK, then vote for them.

You won't get any worse with the Tories apart from Labour.

[NoshowJones]

Someone back in the UK has probably shopped him, but the UK government must leave OAPs with enough to live on.

[Liquorice]

Overseas migrants aren't a burden on the UK despite what you may think.

Other than the advantage of free NHS, they aren't entitled to claim any public funds.

They either have to be self sufficient or sponsored.

It's the EU migrants that have 'carte blanche' in the UK.

As long as the UK is in the EU they are powerless to stop the migration of other EU citizens.

[Scott]

An off-topic post has been removed. This is about pensions, not politics.