Rise In British Men Marrying Thai Brides Behind Foreign Pensions Increase, U K Govt Suggests

[7by7]

Wow, lot of bile out there today.

There always is whenever UK pensions are discussed!

[kimamey]

Stop paying allowances to illegal immigrants and their extended families in UK and it will easily offset the cost of the rise in pension payments to people who paid tax and NI all their lives in the UK>

Rant over.

Sorry to spoil your rant, but illegal immigrants cannot claim any benefits in the UK.

Neither can legal ones, until they are no longer subject to immigration control; i.e. have ILR or the equivalent.

You're right about that although they will get help if there detained prior to deportation but that's to be expected and asylum seekers don't get benefits until they are granted asylum. I have heard of illegal immigrants fraudulently getting benefits but I doubt that's widespread.

There is however a problem with immigrants playing the system to avoid tax and get benefits. Obviously immigrants aren't the only ones to do this. I've heard that in certain areas there a lot of taxi drivers (Afghans mainly) who according to them don't make any profit from their work. They also claim allowances for accountants even though they never have any accounts to show.

I haven't really looked into this issue much yet so I don't know the details. If you live in the UK, you're married and your wife hasn't worked will she still get a pension. If she does it seems unfair. The problem is this is all very complicated. I just hope they don't go with the idea that was floated a few years back whereby you only get a pension if you're resident in the UK. I assume EU residency would be OK

[IsaanUSA]

This sounds pretty easy to me. If you didn't pay in to the system, then you cannot expect to receive a pension.

Side note: I have no idea how pensions work in the UK.

[BrianCR]

This sounds pretty easy to me. If you didn't pay in to the system, then you cannot expect to receive a pension.

Side note: I have no idea how pensions work in the UK.

So why comment?

[BrianCR]

why dont we stop paying money to countrys like nigeria then who hate the UK. Oh and stop paying for nigerians etc in the UK. Maybe we could save billions !!

Nigerians have oil.

No, the rich Nigerians have oil the poor have nothing! Same as in the rest of the world!

[darrendsd]

This sounds pretty easy to me. If you didn't pay in to the system, then you cannot expect to receive a pension.

Side note: I have no idea how pensions work in the UK.

So why comment?

Because he is entitled to his opinion and what he is saying makes sense

Are only people from the UK allowed to post on this thread?

[reader]

When the UK opts out of the EEC (and it will) all the benefits that foreigners enjoy will be cut, and quite rightly so. In thailand foreign husbands are entitled to absolutely nothing. So why should Thai brides be allowed to have rights in the UK ?

[JAG]

This sounds pretty easy to me. If you du

Side note: I have no idea how pensions work in the UK.

Unfortunately it would appear that the people responsible for running the pension system in the UK have no idea either!

[Spalpeen]

British men marrying Thai women? I wonder why?

[7by7]

When the UK opts out of the EEC (and it will) all the benefits that foreigners enjoy will be cut, and quite rightly so. In thailand foreign husbands are entitled to absolutely nothing. So why should Thai brides be allowed to have rights in the UK ?

Another post from another poster ignorant of what 'foreigners' can and cannot claim in the UK!

Maybe you should read Playing the blame game - it's all the immigrants fault...

Of this 370,000 (foreign born people claiming state benefits in the UK), over one-half are actually British citizens. They didn’t arrive here yesterday – many will have come ten, twenty or more years ago, and are fully a part of British society.

Another point: 370,000 sounds like a big figure, but it represents a fraction more than 6% of the 5.5 million people in receipt of these benefits. Not such a large figure after all.

BTW, the EEC no longer exists, so it will be difficult for the UK to 'opt out' of it.

Not as difficult as it would be for the UK to break the numerous treaties that leaving the EU would involve, though.

[MAJIC]

Stop paying allowances to illegal immigrants and their extended families in UK and it will easily offset the cost of the rise in pension payments to people who paid tax and NI all their lives in the UK>

Rant over.

Sorry to spoil your rant, but illegal immigrants cannot claim any benefits in the UK.

Neither can legal ones, until they are no longer subject to immigration control; i.e. have ILR or the equivalent.

But that does not include EEC members,and the UK/EEC open border system! e.g : such as a fellow near where I live, from Slovakia,who has been in the UK for six years,as a self imployed Carpenter,claiming housing benefit,job Seekers allowance,pays no council Tax,etc and thankfully was deported 2 months ago back to Slovakia,because he could not show any paperwork,that he has earned 1p or paid 1p in tax(which was the reason he was caught out)

It happens. Immigration control only exists outside of Europe,unless you know otherwise? But you are correct about illegal immigrants,except most of them are fraudsters,and now don't need to be illegal, and can walk in from any EEC Country,and do the same as our Slovakian friend.

Edited May 7, 2013 by MAJIC

[yoshiwara]

So why should Thai brides be allowed to have rights in the UK ?

'Brides' don't, but wives do, from whatever country. No distinction is made and that's that. However the Home Office (still called that?) does have some interest in 'marriages of convenience' (bloke earns a few bob for doing it) but less about arranged marriages. From taxation throough a whole range of entitlements the status of marriage allows for a separate category of treatment. This is not in the main varied according to the wife's country of origin policies. Would be messy if they did.

[yoshiwara]

Stop paying allowances to illegal immigrants and their extended families in UK and it will easily offset the cost of the rise in pension payments to people who paid tax and NI all their lives in the UK>

Rant over.

Sorry to spoil your rant, but illegal immigrants cannot claim any benefits in the UK.

Neither can legal ones, until they are no longer subject to immigration control; i.e. have ILR or the equivalent.

But that does not include EEC members,and the UK/EEC open border system! e.g : such as a fellow near where I live, from Slovakia,who has been in the UK for six years,as a self imployed Carpenter,claiming housing benefit,job Seekers allowance,pays no council Tax,etc and thankfully was deported 2 months ago back to Slovakia,because he could not show any paperwork,that he has earned 1p or paid 1p in tax(which was the reason he was caught out)

It happens. Immigration control only exists outside of Europe,unless you know otherwise? But you are correct about illegal immigrants,except most of them are fraudsters,and now don't need to be illegal, and can walk in from any EEC Country,and do the same as our Slovakian friend.

Where this leads to is strange things like if the UK withdraws from the EU and Scotland went independent and entered the EU, then our anti-immigrant friends would be putting back up Hadrian's Wall and conducting round-ups of all Tartan wearing weirdies and dumping them the other side of the border. Can't wait.

[MAJIC]

This is called passing the buck for their xxxx up in earlier years,

also many Brits married to Philippino women and other Europeans too not only Thais

The uk govt made the mistake of opening its borders to allow unskilled eu workers into the country, these unskilled workers bring in their families and find that they are entitled to claim benefits because they are low earners,, whilst the majority of uk unemployed find that they are better off on benefits so stay there,,, now the purse strings are getting tighter,

Let the less skilled workers earn decent money (not a measly £5 per hour!) and the problem will solve itself (at least partially). The lower the wages, the more people preferring to wangle social security benefits. Not that I'm defending my fellow countrymen, many of whom have emigrated to the UK since we joined the EU, but I can totally understand people who choose the latter having to choose between working their asses off for peanuts (washing dishes, cleaning toilets, etc.) or staying on jobseeker's allowance and the like.

I agree with your comment of skilled workers pittance,however a small increase is in order; the minimum rate is now £6-19 p.

[Dr Wanchai]

Rise In British Men Marrying Thai Brides

How's a man supposed to get a rise these days?

Pfizer has the answer.

Edited May 7, 2013 by Dr Wanchai

[MAJIC]

Stop paying allowances to illegal immigrants and their extended families in UK and it will easily offset the cost of the rise in pension payments to people who paid tax and NI all their lives in the UK>

Rant over.

Sorry to spoil your rant, but illegal immigrants cannot claim any benefits in the UK.

Neither can legal ones, until they are no longer subject to immigration control; i.e. have ILR or the equivalent.

But that does not include EEC members,and the UK/EEC open border system! e.g : such as a fellow near where I live, from Slovakia,who has been in the UK for six years,as a self imployed Carpenter,claiming housing benefit,job Seekers allowance,pays no council Tax,etc and thankfully was deported 2 months ago back to Slovakia,because he could not show any paperwork,that he has earned 1p or paid 1p in tax(which was the reason he was caught out)

It happens. Immigration control only exists outside of Europe,unless you know otherwise? But you are correct about illegal immigrants,except most of them are fraudsters,and now don't need to be illegal, and can walk in from any EEC Country,and do the same as our Slovakian friend.

Where this leads to is strange things like if the UK withdraws from the EU and Scotland went independent and entered the EU, then our anti-immigrant friends would be putting back up Hadrian's Wall and conducting round-ups of all Tartan wearing weirdies and dumping them the other side of the border. Can't wait.

Last weeks Local Council Elections,in which UKIP did exceedingly well to put it mildly,has registered what the people want,and no ifs or buts,a Referendum on our membership of Europe,Labour (under Blair) promised it,so did Cameron,and both of them reneded (lied) on the referendum. Given the choice we will be out of the Europe that we have now,which was a big lie,anybody remember the Common Market? the big lie sold to the British people by Edward Heath and the Tory Government,no wonder Cameron is not in favour,of the British peoples wishes,he wants us to remain slaves to the type of Thatcherite Governments he was weaned on,as Thatchers Financial Advisor! he would have done better to become a used car salesman,Arthur Daley would have been proud of him.

[wellred]

Stop paying allowances to illegal immigrants and their extended families in UK and it will easily offset the cost of the rise in pension payments to people who paid tax and NI all their lives in the UK>

Rant over.

Excuse me. This is Thai visa where one is not allowed to suggest anything sensible.

Edited May 7, 2013 by wellred

[Ticketmaster]

The US did it years ago. My wife can't get one penny of Social Security unless she has lived in the US for five years while married to me. If I am married to an American woman and live in America and she is a housewife all her life (pays no taxes), she gets it. But ex-pats are a small minority that is easy to target. So, yes, according to the US government, I have a "second class" wife.

I am saddened to see my Brit cousins are now to get the same treatment.

[MaiChai]

Stop paying allowances to illegal immigrants and their extended families in UK and it will easily offset the cost of the rise in pension payments to people who paid tax and NI all their lives in the UK>

Rant over.

Or even Eastern Europeans who can turn up and start claiming benefits. Apparently Polish is now the 2nd most spoken language in the UK.

[bobl]

Is anyone surprised by this, given that fossils like these are allowed to have influence - let alone to speak...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2983652/Baroness-Warnock-Dementia-sufferers-may-have-a-duty-to-die.html

[bobl]

Stop paying allowances to illegal immigrants and their extended families in UK and it will easily offset the cost of the rise in pension payments to people who paid tax and NI all their lives in the UK>

Rant over.

Or even Eastern Europeans who can turn up and start claiming benefits. Apparently Polish is now the 2nd most spoken language in the UK.

Last time I visited the UK I was surprised how many Polish people there were in my home town. My uncle, a welder, worked at a small fabrication shop. From about 20 staff, he's the last remaining brit on the payroll.

[jalansanitwong]

Sometimes you have to come on side with governments even if their intentions are sneaky.

I am vehemently opposed to all these third world girls marrying foreign men and living on pensions/allowances etc etc when they've never paid taxes in the west and probably not in their home country either.

Why should western tax payers fork out money for all these thai,filipino trophy wives.

I would put a quota on Thai and Filipino girls entering Australia. Say ..... 10 girls per year and they must speak fluent English and have income tax records.

10 is enough.

[Thai at Heart]

Nice bit of useless nationalist rhetoric.

Ukip has these buggars rattled.

Edited May 8, 2013 by Thai at Heart

[Lite Beer]

These new rules will also apply to English Wives that live in UK but have not worked.
They will not get a pension either.

[davehowden]

So a Thai wife living in the UK, who has never worked in the UK or paid anything into the system still qualifies for a pension and National Health?

[Lite Beer]

Pensions: Steve Webb defends reforms for new spouse claimants

Pensions minister Steve Webb has said plans to reform the pensions system will save hundreds of millions of pounds in the long term.

From 2016, entitlement to a state pension will depend on an individual's own contributions, rather than the employment record of their spouse.

Mr Webb said some 200,000 overseas residents receive this payment at a cost of £410m a year.

But the change will equally affect spouses in the UK.

The measure to be announced in the Queen's Speech on Wednesday will not affect existing claimants.

Full Story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22423878

-- BBC 2013-05-06

[webfact]

Expat Wives and Widows to be Stripped of their UK Pension Rights



Thai wives and widows are set to be robbed of the British state pensions to which they have been entitled, in sweeping cuts that are planned by the UK Government.

In a move that sees foreign national spouses stripped of their financial security, the British Government is expected to announce today ( Wednesday) that they will no longer be entitled to the state pension rights that a wife or widow would have, were they to be a UK resident.

The announcement, expected in the traditional Queens speech, ( In which outlines of planned changes to British Law and government are announced), is a part of a series of austerity measures which the Coalition government expects to introduce in the coming year.

Currently if a British national marries a non British National, she has the same rights to wife and widows pension as her counterpart in the UK but in the planned move she will no longer be entitled to any benefits, and many expats , who have paid UK Taxes all their lives before retiring to live outside the UK will be outraged to see their wives stripped of their future financial security.

The British Pensions Minister, Steve Webb, has already stated that “too many foreign people who have never set foot in Britain at all are receiving UK pensions.”

The move which would affect over 250,000 foreign national spouses and widows around the world is not expected to see any major objection within the UK Parliament and hence an easy target for the ministry which has been tasked with reducing costs. However little thought has been afforded to those women, many of whom are supporting the children of their spouses and rely totally on their allowance to provide a living.

Full story: http://www.pattaya103.com/widows-stripped-uk-pension/

--Pattaya 103 FM 2013-05-08

[BirdsandBooze]

This might be useful to those approaching UK state retirement age. It is by the British Australian Pension Association but the info about foreign wives of UK citizens living abroad is relevant to those here. http://www.britishpensions.org.au/pension-guidelines.htm#No7

[Lite Beer]

I don't know why these articles keep banging on about Expat Wives and Foreign Wives.

This change also affects British Wives living in UK.

No insurance contributions means no State Pension.

No longer will any Spouse qualify based on their Spouse's contributions.

[DGS1244]

Widows of British Ex-pats do not receive any pension when their husband dies until they reach normal womens retiring age, it use to be 45 but changed last year. So according to the UK figures there must be a hell of a lot of 'elderly' UK widows in Thailand. The figures just do not add up.