Expat Registration

[gharknes]

Can anyone give me some information on this, I've been told that if I register as an Expat in Thailand that they will notify the UK National insurance Dept and my stamp will be paid up while I'm living in Thailand, is this true and what are the risks pitfalls if any ?

[Crossy]

Can anyone give me some information on this, I've been told that if I register as an Expat in Thailand that they will notify the UK National insurance Dept and my stamp will be paid up while I'm living in Thailand, is this true and what are the risks pitfalls if any ?

Nope, not true.

Your stamp is paid either by your employer in the UK or by yourself making contributions.

AFAIK The only time the government pays the stamp is if you are on the dole.

[scotsman]

You can pay your own national insurance class 3 contributions at the inland revenue national insurance contributions office benton park view newcastle upon tyne ne981zz england. There web site is www.hmrc.gov.uk I would check on how many years you have as they will be changing the law in july 2007. If you have 30 years contributions then you will have enough for your state pension and you will not have to pay anymore as they dont give refunds. I hope that information is of any help.

[gharknes]

You can pay your own national insurance class 3 contributions at the inland revenue national insurance contributions office benton park view newcastle upon tyne ne981zz england. There web site is www.hmrc.gov.uk I would check on how many years you have as they will be changing the law in july 2007. If you have 30 years contributions then you will have enough for your state pension and you will not have to pay anymore as they dont give refunds. I hope that information is of any help.

I started work on the 30/08/76 and stopped on the 30/03/2004 so I need to contribute for another 2 years approx for 30 years then.

[lungbing]

Scotsman,

Please can you give a source for that information about changing the number of years needed to qualify for a UK pension. At the moment you need something like 44 years of paying your stamp to qualify for a full pension. If that is reduced to 30 years you can start work at 20 and retire at 50! Not likely I think.

[briley]

lungbing - this is a proposed change from 2010, but the law will be put before parliment in October and appears very likely to go through.

BUT no you still have to wait until 65 (or more) to retire!

Try

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/pensionsreform/

For more information.

For the OP I'd hold off paying the 2 years since currently you can get free credits from age 60-65 if unemployed and appear to be resident inthe UK. In addition you might end up in the UK paying a couple of years for some reason or another.

If you over pay you don't get your money back.

[lungbing]

Riley,

Thanks very much for pointing me to that. I'll plough through the White Paper later on. But by 2010 I'll be 62 anyway so any changes are unlikely to affect me, it will be too late to do much then. I am already paying Class 3 voluntary NI payments so as to get a full pension, and of course, a better pension for my future widow.

I like the subtle reference of 'appearing to be resident in the UK' to qualify for the 60 - 65 age NI stamp being paid for you.

regards,

Lung Bing

[briley]

lungbing - your under 65 in 2010 so the changes do effect you, but you've probably paid too much already. I look like being able to save 3 years of payments as I've been delaying payments for 1998- present!

[endure]

According to Radio 4's Money programme yesterday lunchtime the '30 year' thing is likely to be brought in in April 2007.

[scotsman]

Hi the information that briley gave you is correct as I was trying to pay my contributions when I was in the uk last month. I telephoned the inland revenue and they told me about this change in the law next year and that I did not have to pay anymore contibutions as I will have payed enough as i had 32 years paid. I will be able to get my full pension when I am 65 so thats great news.

[pipchatel]

Hi Depending on your age you currently need 44 years paid NI contributions.

If you were born after 1954? it looks like you will ghave to pay lomger than that.

I am just paying off 3 years unpaid to bring me to 44 yrs paid. I will reach that golden age 2008!

Hope this helps

Pip

[pipchatel]

just one other point that is important. Every one is different and your personal circumstances are king. You should apply for a personal pension forcast. The address up above (newcastle) is the place. You will need to request a personal Pension forecast and provide all your info, last employer, when you left U K, NI number etc. If they dont have enough info they will send you a form.

It all takes a couple of months but you will then know exactly your own personal situation as to your pension and any shortfall in contributions. A pleasent surprise for me was finding out my Thai wife,

(as my dependent) will get 60% of my pension in her own right. Even though she will only be

43 when its paid (upon my 65th)

Let me know if you need the full address in Newcastle, they are really very helpfull.

Cheers Pip

[scotsman]

I was born after 1954 but as I said in my post I was told by the inland revenue pensions depatment at newcastle that the new law will apply to me, I did get a pension forecast before I phoned. I had tryed to set up a direct debit to pay my contributions but there was a mixup and nothing came off my bank account so thats why I telephoned them. I can only say that if the inland revenue tells you that you dont have to pay then you take it as granted. I also had a look at the white paper and it tells you that if you have paid 30 years then you will qualify for your full state pension. I did not see anything to do with when you were born. If the new law does not get through then the man at the inland revenue told me I could just pay the missing year and carry on with my direct debit again.

[pipchatel]

I was born after 1954 but as I said in my post I was told by the inland revenue pensions depatment at newcastle that the new law will apply to me, I did get a pension forecast before I phoned. I had tryed to set up a direct debit to pay my contributions but there was a mixup and nothing came off my bank account so thats why I telephoned them. I can only say that if the inland revenue tells you that you dont have to pay then you take it as granted. I also had a look at the white paper and it tells you that if you have paid 30 years then you will qualify for your full state pension. I did not see anything to do with when you were born. If the new law does not get through then the man at the inland revenue told me I could just pay the missing year and carry on with my direct debit again.

Well thanks for that. I find it all a bit strange having worked for 46 yrs! I thought the whole issue was that the system was running out of cash, too many old ones not enough young ones to pay?

So this 30 yr rule sounds ?? strange. Thanks for your info and would value anthing you learn. I will certainly contact the tax office again. I will also hang fire to pay any more arrears, in my case just 2 yrs to pay to make 44 yrs full intitlement

Best regards from Lampang

Pip