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

[bikerider21]

Maybe, if a lot of UK women wern't so fussy at what is "boyfriend material" then men wouldn't need to look abroad.

Only slight joking of course. Men are just as bad.

It's not a joke it's perfectly true. Just look at The Weakest Link on TV. Is there anyone you would choose to even date, let alone marry, of any age? Better to not go on that show and show the world how really stupid you are. But not only the UK, it's even harder in Germany to find a good wife and then to keep her for more than two years or so. Maybe it's ugly fat jealous stupid female politcians pushing this bill

[chasntong]

I retired two years ago, and have been married to my Thai wife for 20 years she is 58 she has to wait until she is 67 to recieve a pension (not likely now), are they serious that all these men are marrying 67 year old Thai women to get a pension?

[Suradit69]

Maybe, if a lot of UK women wern't so fussy at what is "boyfriend material" then men wouldn't need to look abroad.

Only slight joking of course. Men are just as bad.

Maybe "foreign" women will become a great deal more fussy now.

[Equalizer]

I am an expat, i am married here, no way on earth should anyone be allowed to claim anything from the UK if they have never paid tax there. Sponging gits. And i am not wealthy.

[AyG]

Once the European Court of Human Rights decided that the purpose of the national insurance contributions once makes whilst working in the UK was to provide for a pension for people living in the UK, and so threw out the appeal against the government's refusal to increase pensions in line with inflation for expats living in certain countries (including Thailand), then this was the obvious next step, based upon the same logic. It doesn't stop it being incredibly unfair; I paid my contributions my entire working life, yet am not going to get what I paid for because I live in Thailand.

[DGS1244]

I am an expat, i am married here, no way on earth should anyone be allowed to claim anything from the UK if they have never paid tax there. Sponging gits. And i am not wealthy.

Get your facts right, half the UK wives have never worked or paid insurance so why should they be treated different to a wife in Thailand. It is also to do with insurance nothing to do with tax, I still pay tax in UK but wife here cannot get pension until normal retiring age. What is good for one she be good for the other.

[AyG]

I am an expat, i am married here, no way on earth should anyone be allowed to claim anything from the UK if they have never paid tax there. Sponging gits. And i am not wealthy.

Do you think that the British widows of British men who have never worked themselves should also be left penniless? The pension they receive is by virtue of their husband's national insurance contributions.

And what about the British widows of British men, where neither of them has ever worked and they've lived on state handouts their entire lives? Should they receive anything from the state? Surely the Thai wife of a British man who has paid into the system his whole working life is more deserving than the work-shy British man's work-shy wife?

[epicstuff]

Maybe, if a lot of UK women wern't so fussy at what is "boyfriend material" then men wouldn't need to look abroad.

Only slight joking of course. Men are just as bad.

or make the uk women trim or shave more often

[webfact]

British pension campaign steps up a gear
Claire Connell

BANGKOK: -- The subject of frozen state pensions for British people living overseas, including in Phuket, has heated up in recent months, with one of the campaign leaders sending two letters to British Prime Minister David Cameron outlining the group’s disappointment and frustration on the issue.

Last year The Phuket News reported that the UK government had set up a working group that includes Treasury officials and members of the International Consortium of British Pensioners (ICBP), to investigate the issue of frozen pensions, which affects 500,000 British pensioners living in 120 countries, including Thailand and most of the Commonwealth.

Their state pension entitlement was frozen at the level it stood at when they left the country, which for some is as many as 40 years ago. The ICBP says this could leave many to survive on as little as £30 (B1,400) per week.

In March this year, Tony Bockman, Chairman of the ICBP and one of the leaders of the campaign, wrote to PM David Cameron about the issue. In April Mr Bockman received a reply from MP Steve Webb, the Minister of State for Pensions.

The latest development came less than two weeks ago, when Mr Bockman, annoyed he did not get a personal reply from Mr Cameron himself, wrote a second letter “ to emphasise our disappointment and frustration caused by the failure of Downing Street to engage on this issue”.

“To my extreme disappointment,” wrote Mr Bockman, “I received a reply to that letter, not from you, but from the office of your Pensions Minister, Steve Webb MP.”

“To add to that insult, not only did your Minister not answer even one of the questions posed in my letter, it was a form letter that the DWP [Department for Work and Pensions] sends to anyone who writes to complain about the frozen pensions policy, of which I have seen hundreds, if not thousands, over the past 10 years.”

Mr Bockman’s first letter in March to Mr Cameron said he was representing “almost 600,000 very, very angry British pensioners living overseas.”

He called the situation “inequitable, immoral and unfair”.

“It is an expedient and callous way of saving money by discriminating against the 4 per cent of UK pensioners whose pensions are frozen,” Mr Bockman wrote.

“A frozen pension is just another name for age discrimination, as the older you get, the smaller your pension becomes... to the extent that a 95 year-old pensioner in a “frozen” country receives less than one-third of the pension of a 65 year-old in exactly the same circumstances.”

A reply was returned on April 20 from MP Steve Webb, the Minister of State for Pensions, saying the policy was a “long-standing one of successive governments”.

The policy had been challenged by other groups in the court, to no avail, and UK Governments had “honoured their legal obligations”, he said.

For more information visit pension-parity-uk.com

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-frozen-british-pension-campaign-steps-up-a-gear-39271.php


-- Phuket News 2013-05-08

[Ianatlarge]

It does not affect me directly in any way, but I see this as a mean spirited and petty grab for a small amount of money. I can think of a dozen ways the UK government could decrease costs (say, not invade Afghanistan—again), or even raise revenue by tackling tax evaders. This will bring distress and hurt many people, and save little.

[whiteman]

As I have said many times b4 in New Zealand if you are out of the country more than 6 months your benifits stop so why you think you will be any different in the future Times in the world are a changing

[overherebc]

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.

And then they should be entitled to exactly the same allowances that I get in Thailand or they should be given and forced to do any job that is picked for them. If they refuse then put them on a plane back home. Don't lock them up, that costs too much and is paid for by the British tax payer.

For one I never claimed anything from the Government and paid my full dues, tax and NI. That was for my benefit, no one elses so I feel and am entitled now to every penny I get from UK, and I still pay tax on my pensions, state and private.

My wife here works and saves 30 to 40% of her salary every month for her future. She does not feel entitled to a UK pension because she has never paid anything to the UK.

[Card]

"If you have paid into a pension; then you are fully entitled to what you are owed regardless."

It's the spouses that they are rightly concerned about. Also what about gays? Most paid into the scheme for many years and never even got the right to marry never mind about leaving their pension and death grants to their partners. Don't hear anybody screaming about that do we?

Edited May 8, 2013 by Card

[maddermax]

In the same way that the British Government closed the Jomtien Consular office, they are now hitting the widows of those who have chosen to live overseas because we have no votes back in the UK. This because most of us have declared ourselves to be non-domiciled or resident in the UK to avoid high inheritance taxes.

Having worked for much of my life in the UK and paying my taxes/National Insurance contributions, then continuing to pay them whilst living overseas I am particularly miffed that my pension is not index linked when paid in Thailand. This Government also professes to be a caring government but would prefer to leave our widows destitute to save a few pounds off the budget. This whilst giving an absolute fortune to the welfare scroungers that find their way into the UK, people never born in the UK or having worked for a day there.

I always thought that this government was the party of freedom of choice but this is clearly not so as our brides will clearly be at a disadvantage if they marry a Brit. Our foreign wives are entitled to our pension having looked after us in our old age and helping us to not be a burden on the British national health system.

If there was some way of organising us expats into a group with the power of numbers and voting rights to fight such actions by the British Government, I would be one of the first to sign up.

[BlackJack]

better get used to all these cutbacks

[britinthai]

Rise In British Men Marrying Thai Brides

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

With a young sexy Thai bride

[Keesters]

If a British citizen legitimately married a foreign in the officially recognized legal manner,

then how can they legitimately make her a second class wife?

That is what they want to do.

And what of a British National wife born in India or Hong Kong,

who has never set foot in England, never worked so never paid taxes?

Is she also now a second class British Subject?

Not only the wife but British citizen who paid taxes and NI all his working life but chooses to retire to Thailand is also a second class British citizen. He saves the country pots of money by not being there but can't get pension increases.

[deecee10]

The whole thing is a nonsense created by self-serving, well-off, politicians (lots of Old Etonians in Cameron's mob) looking to find scapegoats to blame.

New immigrants (legal and illegal) to the UK are a far greater drain on the UK welfare system than are any Thai brides of retired expats living in Thailand.

The Health, Housing, Social Security and Education systems are creaking under the demands of newcomers who have contributed nothing financially eg. never paid National Insurance contributions.

The Thai brides "who have never set foot in Britain" consequently have never made any claim on these UK welfare systems.

At the same time their retired expat husbands are not making any claims either, other than their retirement pensions for themselves and their wives, which they are entitled to having contributed to the National Insurance scheme during their working life.

The UK government saves money by having their retirees live overseas.

Imagine if all the British expats, their wives and children returned to that not so green and pleasant land and demanded a full slice of the welfare cake.

It's all ballocks.

[Thai at Heart]

This is really quite bizarre, since they are always banging on about helping the family, and claiming that the best way for kids to be brought up is with a mum around. So now, if mum's opt out and become housewives, they loose access to pensions based on husband's contribution, so there is a double whammy associated with being a stay at home mum.

So, cue, I presume, thousands of stay at home mum's to start claiming the dole?

[NoshowJones]

This post is so full of crap. Next it will be blaming people who have paid pensions for living too long. If you have paid into a pension; then you are fully entitled to what you are owed regardless. Just a shame that the government now is full of rich hi-so dipshits that have no grasp of what it is like to live like a normal person. Stop letting immigrants in with no way to fund themselves, stop foriegn aid to countries that hate us and that will save the honest tax payer more than the money quoted in the above crap.

An absolutely brilliant post. But stop all foreign aid to all countries whether they hate us or not.

[Card]

This post is so full of crap. Next it will be blaming people who have paid pensions for living too long. If you have paid into a pension; then you are fully entitled to what you are owed regardless. Just a shame that the government now is full of rich hi-so dipshits that have no grasp of what it is like to live like a normal person. Stop letting immigrants in with no way to fund themselves, stop foriegn aid to countries that hate us and that will save the honest tax payer more than the money quoted in the above crap.

An absolutely brilliant post. But stop all foreign aid to all countries whether they hate us or not.

That means cutting UK pensions to foreign spouses, which is the same thing as foreign aid, even though UK husbands may not see it like that.

[Rosco911]

It should be stopped. A friend of mine who is 75 years old receives his pension and rightly so but why does his 36 year old Thai wife who has never set foot in Britain. She will receive this for life if its not stopped. In addition to that in the sad event my friend passes away she will receive a widows pension. <deleted> !!!

[NoshowJones]

This post is so full of crap. Next it will be blaming people who have paid pensions for living too long. If you have paid into a pension; then you are fully entitled to what you are owed regardless. Just a shame that the government now is full of rich hi-so dipshits that have no grasp of what it is like to live like a normal person. Stop letting immigrants in with no way to fund themselves, stop foriegn aid to countries that hate us and that will save the honest tax payer more than the money quoted in the above crap.

An absolutely brilliant post. But stop all foreign aid to all countries whether they hate us or not.

That means cutting UK pensions to foreign spouses, which is the same thing as foreign aid, even though UK husbands may not see it like that.

Ok, what I meant was stop foreign aid to other countries governments. If people are living in Thailand, or any country, and have contributed taxes and NI all their working life, they are entitled to a pension for their wives no matter what nationality they are.

[deecee10]

A lot of foreign aid isn't just freebies.

Most of it has strings attached e.g. The Government might say, "We will give you aid to improve your agriculture system provided that you buy the seeds, fertilizer, pesticide, machinery etc. from UK companies."

So the money often flows back to the UK. It's like a Government subsidy to British industry.

The Yanks have been doing this for years.

Now the Chinese are at it and it gives them influence.

[DGS1244]

As I have said many times b4 in New Zealand if you are out of the country more than 6 months your benifits stop so why you think you will be any different in the future Times in the world are a changing

What has New Zealand got to do with this, we are talking about UK and their unfair payment system. Simple answer if you are a New Zealander then go back to NZ, make us all happy.

[whiteman]

As I have said many times b4 in New Zealand if you are out of the country more than 6 months your benifits stop so why you think you will be any different in the future Times in the world are a changing

What has New Zealand got to do with this, we are talking about UK and their unfair payment system. Simple answer if you are a New Zealander then go back to NZ, make us all happy.

Well I say NZ is not in as much S--hit as the UK because they were brave enough to cut back theses sort of things read above .Have I hit a nerve of things to come for you? You can not hold the tide back. Also No need for me to go back just to get the pension. I planned well ahead b4 I moved here not to build it into my budget. Once again all I am saying is most countries follow the lead from other countries that try it first and when it works others will follow. Example raising the retirement age to 67 so soon you will be out of site out of mind it is just a matter of time maybe not in your life time but it will happen bank on it it makes logic sence.

[Suffinator]

That's not all that's in the Queen's Speech. Apparently the coalition Government intends to put a stop to Welfare abuse by those entering the country and who have never paid taxes. These measure including housing, health care and welfare restrictions. About bloody time if you as me - http://meebal.com/now-the-lib-dems-tell-immigrants-that-housing-and-health-care-is-only-available-if-they-have-paid-taxes/

[deecee10]

The Kiwis lose their benefits in NZ because they move to Oz and claim the dole.

[Estrada]

I agree that my wife who has never lived in the UK should not get a pension. I just hope they willl still give me my state pension when I'am 66 and not deduct 30% or indeed anything because I live abtoad. The last labour givernment already let Equitable Life loose half of my pension fund! Bastards! I put in 50k over 29 years and only got back what I put in..

Hard luck..... Your British State Pension will be fixed at the same rate until you die and will not be index linked because you live in Thailand and not the UK, EU or Philippines, although there is to be a debate in the Houses of Parliament in June to redress this unfair treatment.

[Card]

A lot of foreign aid isn't just freebies.

Most of it has strings attached e.g. The Government might say, "We will give you aid to improve your agriculture system provided that you buy the seeds, fertilizer, pesticide, machinery etc. from UK companies."

So the money often flows back to the UK. It's like a Government subsidy to British industry.

The Yanks have been doing this for years.

Now the Chinese are at it and it gives them influence.

True. A lot of British aid never leaves the country. Much of it is used to buy British goods and services like aid 'experts' from the UK. I was a recipient of UK 'foreign aid' when I taught at The University of Malawi in the '70s. They supplemented 1/2 my salary in my UK bank as an inducement as they did with many other expats. I returned home with a few thousand quid of 'British Aid' at the end of it. Not that much but enough to put a deposit on a house.Much western foreign aid is also tied to foreign policy - eg. threat of aid withdrawal from Malawi and Uganda when they threatened laws against gays. It did the trick.