UK State Pension Cost of Living Rises in the news.

[GuestHouse]

The issue of cost of living increases to UK expat state pensions is back in the news.

Labour leader candidate Jeremy Corbyn has long supported the call for UK expat pensioners to receive the inflation linked rises, regardless of where they live, While Keith Vaz has also joined the call for this discrimination to end.

http://www.theguardian.com/money/2015/aug/15/hope-for-expats-uk-pensions#comment-57587162

http://www.theguardian.com/money/2015/aug/15/keith-vaz-frozen-pensions

[i claudius]

Well as Cornyn has as much chance as me of becoming prime minister,and hardly anyone reads the Guardian except those of a left wing persuasion and those at the BBC, not a lot of hope ,and as the last Labour pm Bliar made sure we would not get it,I reckon pigs will fly first

[GuestHouse]

Well as Cornyn has as much chance as me of becoming prime minister,and hardly anyone reads the Guardian except those of a left wing persuasion and those at the BBC, not a lot of hope ,and as the last Labour pm Bliar made sure we would not get it,I reckon pigs will fly first

I don't share your negativity.

The current government (and the previous coalition government) have a track record of denying labour policies that might allow Labour to claim to care about people's futures.

I see this issue as being 'ripe for plucking'.

A low cost change in the pension rules would rob Labour of this policy and secure the Tories as the party of 'aspiration'.

As for Bliar ensuring the raises would not be given, I believe this as much a failing as the campaign for fair pensions - they went to Europe with a case that could and was defeated on a point of the court's jurisdiction.

[i claudius]

Negativity? I have lived long enough to realize that if you have been a good citizen ,paid your taxes ,always done the right thing and been A good Britain all your life ,you matter not a jot any longer,and pensioners are way down the pile,now if you had just jumped of the back of a lorry on the M 1

[GuestHouse]

Negativity? I have lived long enough to realize that if you have been a good citizen ,paid your taxes ,always done the right thing and been A good Britain all your life ,you matter not a jot any longer,and pensioners are way down the pile,now if you had just jumped of the back of a lorry on the M 1

I take it you have not been following the UK news.

The protected position of pensioners in the recent welfare and government expenditure cuts is something of a political issue.

Every single area of public finance has been subject to significant cuts in funding - with the exception overseas aid and any funding that is specifically directed towards pensioners (resident pensioners in the UK and 'other privileged locations' are enjoying the benefits of the 'Triple Lock', a guarantee no other sector of society has).

Edited August 16, 2015 by GuestHouse

[bartender100]

Always been easy for Labor to give it away and then leave the mess to the Tories

[i claudius]

Negativity? I have lived long enough to realize that if you have been a good citizen ,paid your taxes ,always done the right thing and been A good Britain all your life ,you matter not a jot any longer,and pensioners are way down the pile,now if you had just jumped of the back of a lorry on the M 1

I take it you have not been following the UK news.

The protected position of pensioners in the recent welfare and government expenditure cuts is something of a political issue.

Every single area of public finance has been subject to significant cuts in funding - with the exception overseas aid and any funding that is specifically directed towards pensioners (resident pensioners in the UK and 'other privileged locations' are enjoying the benefits of the 'Triple Lock', a guarantee no other sector of society has).

Is that why i have just recieved a letter telling me that as i get over 10500 pounds a year i must pay back tax of 400 quid ,because they made a mistake , but then someone has to pay the 100 pounds a day to put up illegal immegrants at the travel lodge , so as a pensioner i must help.

[GuestHouse]

Is that why i have just recieved a letter telling me that as i get over 10500 pounds a year i must pay back tax of 400 quid ,because they made a mistake , but then someone has to pay the 100 pounds a day to put up illegal immegrants at the travel lodge , so as a pensioner i must help.

I see you have the immigrant bug, see them everywhere you look.

It probably starts first thing in the morning when you look in the mirror.

[billd766]

Well as Cornyn has as much chance as me of becoming prime minister,and hardly anyone reads the Guardian except those of a left wing persuasion and those at the BBC, not a lot of hope ,and as the last Labour pm Bliar made sure we would not get it,I reckon pigs will fly first

I don't share your negativity.

The current government (and the previous coalition government) have a track record of denying labour policies that might allow Labour to claim to care about people's futures.

I see this issue as being 'ripe for plucking'.

A low cost change in the pension rules would rob Labour of this policy and secure the Tories as the party of 'aspiration'.

As for Bliar ensuring the raises would not be given, I believe this as much a failing as the campaign for fair pensions - they went to Europe with a case that could and was defeated on a point of the court's jurisdiction.

Actually ALL the UK governments going back to at least 1955 have refused to acknowledge or rectify The problem.

Those same governments have had had NO qualms of taxing overseas pensioners (frozen or not frozen) on any income in excess of the personal allowance during the same period.. They take with greed and grudgingly give where they HAVE to.

[i claudius]

Is that why i have just recieved a letter telling me that as i get over 10500 pounds a year i must pay back tax of 400 quid ,because they made a mistake , but then someone has to pay the 100 pounds a day to put up illegal immegrants at the travel lodge , so as a pensioner i must help.

I see you have the immigrant bug, see them everywhere you look.

It probably starts first thing in the morning when you look in the mirror.

Yes but i pay my way ,the Thai govt gives us nothing ,unlike the scrounging grunts that go to Britain.

[sandyf]

Negativity? I have lived long enough to realize that if you have been a good citizen ,paid your taxes ,always done the right thing and been A good Britain all your life ,you matter not a jot any longer,and pensioners are way down the pile,now if you had just jumped of the back of a lorry on the M 1

I take it you have not been following the UK news.

The protected position of pensioners in the recent welfare and government expenditure cuts is something of a political issue.

Every single area of public finance has been subject to significant cuts in funding - with the exception overseas aid and any funding that is specifically directed towards pensioners (resident pensioners in the UK and 'other privileged locations' are enjoying the benefits of the 'Triple Lock', a guarantee no other sector of society has).

Is that why i have just recieved a letter telling me that as i get over 10500 pounds a year i must pay back tax of 400 quid ,because they made a mistake , but then someone has to pay the 100 pounds a day to put up illegal immegrants at the travel lodge , so as a pensioner i must help.

This is where the tax on my pension went last year.

Welfare (24.52%)

Health (18.87%)

Education (13.15%)

State Pensions (12.12%)

National debt interest (7.0%)

Defence (5.31%)

Criminal Justice (4.4%)

Transport (2.95%)

Business Industry (2.74%)

Government Administration (2.05%)

Culture eg sports, libraries, museums (1.69%)

Environment (1.66%)

Housing and utilities eg street lighting (1.64%)

Overseas aid (1.15%)

UK Contribution to the EU Budget (0.75%)

[sandmike]

Negativity? I have lived long enough to realize that if you have been a good citizen ,paid your taxes ,always done the right thing and been A good Britain all your life ,you matter not a jot any longer,and pensioners are way down the pile,now if you had just jumped of the back of a lorry on the M 1

I take it you have not been following the UK news.

The protected position of pensioners in the recent welfare and government expenditure cuts is something of a political issue.

Every single area of public finance has been subject to significant cuts in funding - with the exception overseas aid and any funding that is specifically directed towards pensioners (resident pensioners in the UK and 'other privileged locations' are enjoying the benefits of the 'Triple Lock', a guarantee no other sector of society has).

Is that why i have just recieved a letter telling me that as i get over 10500 pounds a year i must pay back tax of 400 quid ,because they made a mistake , but then someone has to pay the 100 pounds a day to put up illegal immegrants at the travel lodge , so as a pensioner i must help.

As a thought, why not ask them for their calculations for you to check ...

It may only delay the inevitable, or they may have miscalculated ...

[billd766]

Is that why i have just recieved a letter telling me that as i get over 10500 pounds a year i must pay back tax of 400 quid ,because they made a mistake , but then someone has to pay the 100 pounds a day to put up illegal immegrants at the travel lodge , so as a pensioner i must help.

I see you have the immigrant bug, see them everywhere you look.

It probably starts first thing in the morning when you look in the mirror.

Yes but i pay my way ,the Thai govt gives us nothing ,unlike the scrounging grunts that go to Britain.

I also pay my way as does every other expat in Thailand.

One big difference between the UK and Thailand is that if an expat connits an offence in Thailand he can be jailed and deported unlike the UK where it has happened in rare cases but the UK taxpayer ended up paying the bill. Also in Thailand very few expats have come here and demand that the Thai government changes all the laws in their favour.

If I have no job and no money in Thailand it is MY problem and not Thailands. I cannot go to the Thai authorities and demand money, a home etc because I don't have one as it is my human and civil right. They would have a good laugh and deport me and quite rightly so.

Being an alien in another is a privilege and NOT an automatic right despite what the PC brigade will tell you.

Why should Thailand support me and equally why should thbe west support all the refugees at their cost?

[emilymat]

Well as Cornyn has as much chance as me of becoming prime minister,and hardly anyone reads the Guardian except those of a left wing persuasion and those at the BBC, not a lot of hope ,and as the last Labour pm Bliar made sure we would not get it,I reckon pigs will fly first

I don't share your negativity.

The current government (and the previous coalition government) have a track record of denying labour policies that might allow Labour to claim to care about people's futures.

I see this issue as being 'ripe for plucking'.

A low cost change in the pension rules would rob Labour of this policy and secure the Tories as the party of 'aspiration'.

As for Bliar ensuring the raises would not be given, I believe this as much a failing as the campaign for fair pensions - they went to Europe with a case that could and was defeated on a point of the court's jurisdiction.

Good points. I have the transcript of the ECHR hearing, which, as you say, came down in favour of the government, but only on a majority split decision.

Two sentences by the government barrister still stick in my throat.

"Those people who choose to absent themselves from the UK should not expect to receive benefits similar to those who remain" and.......

"Those UK citizens living abroad make no contribution to the UK economy".

It makes the UK sound like an open prison and my 2000 pound a year income tax must be going somewhere else.!!

Its a classic demonstration of the difference between 'justice' and the law. I'm not so blind as to realise that the lack of a social security agreement between Thailand/UK is the government justification - unlike, say, the Philippines. We should have recruited thousands of Thai nurses and home helps years ago!. But it's the language issue that favoured Filipino's

Also, I know the argument why I have to pay tax on a modest private pension. i.e. It is UK generated and I was tax exempt for the contributions made whilst in work.

I hope the campaign continues. However, we need to accept that the Treasury civil servants will fight it tooth and nail.

Strange, but this government bangs on about withdrawing from the European Court of Human Rights etc. but is happy to continue to endorse this decision.

Ironically, and this must be a fact for many here, if the pound/baht rate goes up by 1 or 2 baht it is as good, if not better than the rise in pensions. Obviously though, it can also go down.

I have no great hopes at present of any change but I think the campaign needs to be continued.

[i claudius]

Negativity? I have lived long enough to realize that if you have been a good citizen ,paid your taxes ,always done the right thing and been A good Britain all your life ,you matter not a jot any longer,and pensioners are way down the pile,now if you had just jumped of the back of a lorry on the M 1

I take it you have not been following the UK news.

The protected position of pensioners in the recent welfare and government expenditure cuts is something of a political issue.

Every single area of public finance has been subject to significant cuts in funding - with the exception overseas aid and any funding that is specifically directed towards pensioners (resident pensioners in the UK and 'other privileged locations' are enjoying the benefits of the 'Triple Lock', a guarantee no other sector of society has).

Is that why i have just recieved a letter telling me that as i get over 10500 pounds a year i must pay back tax of 400 quid ,because they made a mistake , but then someone has to pay the 100 pounds a day to put up illegal immegrants at the travel lodge , so as a pensioner i must help.

As a thought, why not ask them for their calculations for you to check ...

It may only delay the inevitable, or they may have miscalculated ...

I rang yesterday ,there is a 35 minute wait for someone to talk to you ,also about 6 years ago this happened before , i spent an hour or so on the phone being passed from pillar to post , all very polite but when i was sent back to the original dept i realized you just cannot win. unless you are prepared for a long and expensive battle .

[sandmike]

Negativity? I have lived long enough to realize that if you have been a good citizen ,paid your taxes ,always done the right thing and been A good Britain all your life ,you matter not a jot any longer,and pensioners are way down the pile,now if you had just jumped of the back of a lorry on the M 1

I take it you have not been following the UK news.

The protected position of pensioners in the recent welfare and government expenditure cuts is something of a political issue.

Every single area of public finance has been subject to significant cuts in funding - with the exception overseas aid and any funding that is specifically directed towards pensioners (resident pensioners in the UK and 'other privileged locations' are enjoying the benefits of the 'Triple Lock', a guarantee no other sector of society has).

Is that why i have just recieved a letter telling me that as i get over 10500 pounds a year i must pay back tax of 400 quid ,because they made a mistake , but then someone has to pay the 100 pounds a day to put up illegal immegrants at the travel lodge , so as a pensioner i must help.

As a thought, why not ask them for their calculations for you to check ...

It may only delay the inevitable, or they may have miscalculated ...

I rang yesterday ,there is a 35 minute wait for someone to talk to you ,also about 6 years ago this happened before , i spent an hour or so on the phone being passed from pillar to post , all very polite but when i was sent back to the original dept i realized you just cannot win. unless you are prepared for a long and expensive battle .

I've had success in the past writing a letter to them. It takes a month or two for a response, but they do respond. Good luck. SM

[Eff1n2ret]

I rang yesterday ,there is a 35 minute wait for someone to talk to you

Funny that, I rang HMRC a few days ago and the automated message said there was currently a 35 minute wait. I nearly put the phone down, but then decided to listen to a general message about something or other. After about 10 seconds I was put through to an assistant who sorted out my problem in a few minutes. They'd sent me a new coding notice which effectively wanted me to pay tax twice on my house rental income. He reinstated my old code on the spot.

HMRC have their little hiccups, a favourite one is to assume an annual increase in the State Retirement Pension, which they've done at least twice with me. I guess it's built into their system to calculate an increase for everybody and they don't seem to have any mechanism for sifting out the minority who don't get one. How they suddenly decided to tax me on rental income which comes to me tax paid I've no idea. However, I've always found them to be efficient and reasonable to deal with on the phone.

They are open from 8am and their website says their lines are less busy before 10am

[sandmike]

Just to clarify Eff1n2ret, the post you refer to with the 35 min wait was posted by I claudius, and not by myself ... Cheers