Hello everyone.

I'm moving to Thailand next week and was wondering whether other UK nationals think it's worth carrying on with UK National Insurance contributions? I've looked at the UK Inland Revenue site and I'm still undecided. I wonder whether anyone might have any thoughts or experiences on this.

Don't worry - I won't hold you personally accountable for your advice !

Thanks for your help,

Andy.

Hello everyone.

I'm moving to Thailand next week and was wondering whether other UK nationals think it's worth carrying on with UK National Insurance contributions? I've looked at the UK Inland Revenue site and I'm still undecided. I wonder whether anyone might have any thoughts or experiences on this.

Don't worry - I won't hold you personally accountable for your advice !

Thanks for your help,

Andy.

Hi Andy,

I don't know how old you are but just last week there were changes announced to pension arrangments by the UK Gov. One of the announcements was that it would only be necessary to have paid 30 years of contributions in order to receive a full pension (currently the figure is 44 years) These changes were to be phased in over a period of time starting at "the next Parliament".

Of course pension is not the only concern regarding National Insurance payments, but from a pension point of view (depending on your age) it may not be worth continuing with payments. Medical cover is another issue you should investigate.

I've been an expat for almost 20 years, over half of that time in Thailand, but other places too, I'm currently working in Rome.

I pay national insurance premiums for both me and my wife while overseas and will continue to do so.

To clarify what Prem has said regarding the changes to 30 years of payments, yes this is correct and yes it will be phased in, but we do not yet know how they count years that you must pay and years that you do not.

The crisis is not enough people are paying in, so I do not believe that there will be a reduction across the board in years paid. Also the move is being touted as being specifically to help women.

I suspect the change will be made such that years spent at home raising children will count as free years while all years in which we work will remain as pay years.

As I say I pay my contributions from overseas and will continue to do so, I believe they are a bargain.

Yes i've been paying them for the 18 years since i've been overseas and it got cheaper in recent years when class 3 become the same rate as class 2 (or something like that). I think i pay 102 quid a year which is cheap to get a pension in years to come.