UK State Pension - What is absolute minimum ?

[nontabury]

3 hours ago, chiang mai said:

 

Did you even bother to click on the link and read what is written or are you, as usual, just winging it!

 

Here, Page 7 of the link, the document therein is specific to returning expats:

 

"To claim any disability benefits or Carer’s Allowance you must be present and ‘ordinarily resident’ in Great Britain and have been present for not less than 104 of the last 156 weeks, that is 2 out of the last 3 years. See section 2.2 for information about ‘ordinary residence’. The 104-week presence requirement does not apply for PIP and AA if you are terminally ill. If you are covered by EU rules, periods of residence in another EEA country may count as residence in Great Britain for these benefits, and reciprocal agreements with some non EEA countries contain similar rules. In some cases you may be able to rely on EU law to satisfy the 104 week presence test".

BTW there is no reciprocal agreement with Thailand.

 

 

 

Hi  C.M. No I will leave it all to you as regards winging. What with you being the expert.

 Over the last few days I have investigating how much The British Government are saving in regards to Some ex-pats who live in certain countries,mainly in relation to pensioners. All my information has been gleamed from a UK lawyer specializing in Immigration issues, plus talking to government officials. I will post it on the main TV thread on UK State pensions within the next couple of days.

 

[evadgib]

 

There's a pinned topic on this...

 

Edited September 9, 2016 by evadgib

[freebyrd]

3 hours ago, 12DrinkMore said:

 

The minimum is zero.

 

If this was prior to about a decade ago and he had been married to somebody making NI contributions, then he could receive a pension under those rules. This is no longer the case, and only personal contributions count and not the spouse's.

 

It was 4 years ago and he's never been married. He left the UK in the mid 60's as an 18 year old. I get mine when I'm 66 having paid 19 years NI contributions. Print out as of last year was £72 a week.

[freebyrd]

2 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

 

Yeah l guess could be possible maybe he was signed on the dole in UK which could be a reason, one of my UK father-laws got a basic pension he hadn't worked for most his life only short time as they " Down Pit " why l man. 

 

He never signed on and he left the UK when he was 18.

[UniqueWord]

11 hours ago, steve187 said:

minimum required for new state pension is 10 years of contributions in own name, so a minimum is 10/35 of about £150 or nothing

Just to be clear, I understand this to mean (10/35)*150 or £42.86 per week.  Is this correct for the minimum?  Plus, if the number of contributions is below 10, then the pension payable is zero?

Also, although not relevant to the post but still on topic, what is the age at which this becomes payable, and is this payable even if non-resident in the UK?  Many thanks for your replies.  UW.

[Jonmarleesco]

It depends entirely on how much you paid in. Nil equals nil. Maximum under the new system is 35 years of NI contributions, Class 3 of which can be continued while not resident, and from as far back as seven years.

[Kwasaki]

35 minutes ago, freebyrd said:

 

He never signed on and he left the UK when he was 18.

 

Well l guess they made a mistake to his advantage. 

[dick dasterdly]

1 hour ago, nontabury said:

 

Correct, " However"  if you can show to the authorities that you have returned to the UK permanently, you will be eligible for Health care and other benefits from day one.

   Ways to show your intentions are to remain in the UK would possible include,documentation to show you have sold your house abroad,or a termination agreement for rented accommdation in that country. If you are not already registered with a NHS doctor or dentist,then quickly do so. Again if you own a house or can show documentation proving you have signed a legal agreement to rent in the UK this would also help. If you have school age children,and you can get them enrolled immediately this would most likely be the clincher. In addition if you are bringing into the UK a none British partner who has been granted a settlement visa, this again would more than likely ensure YOU  would receive all benefits available to you,but not of course to your non British partner.

I suspect this is the most important point.

 

NHS hospitals will have no reason to suspect a Brit. of not being entitled to free health care - unless they haven't been referred to the hospital by a doctor?

[Jonmarleesco]

15 minutes ago, UniqueWord said:

Just to be clear, I understand this to mean (10/35)*150 or £42.86 per week.  Is this correct for the minimum?  Plus, if the number of contributions is below 10, then the pension payable is zero?

Also, although not relevant to the post but still on topic, what is the age at which this becomes payable, and is this payable even if non-resident in the UK?  Many thanks for your replies.  UW.

Payable from 65. The later you take it, the more you receive. This can include an initial lump sum payment if taken after 66, though tax could be an issue if too large an amount is commuted. Payable to non-residents, though possibly without annual increases once taken, dependent on country of residence. Thailand, for example, means no annual increase. 

[Pilotman]

11 hours ago, manxninja said:

If you are British and havnt paid in enough contributions, dont worry you will recieve income support instead, still not much but not much difference betwen that and a pension, you will also get housing beneifit ect, so try not to worry.

Only if you are UK located and resident, if you are not, you won't get anything and in fact shouldn't get anything 

[dick dasterdly]

11 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

Only if you are UK located and resident, if you are not, you won't get anything and in fact shouldn't get anything 

Why the hell not if we've paid taxes throughout our lives - even on our private pensions?!

[sometimewoodworker]

3 minutes ago, Jonmarleesco said:

Payable from 65. The later you take it, the more you receive. This can include an initial lump sum payment if taken after 66, though tax could be an issue if too large an amount is commuted. Payable to non-residents, though possibly without annual increases once taken, dependent on country of residence. Thailand, for example, means no annual increase. 

 

Not quite enough information.

 

the age at which you become eligible to get the new state pension for those men born on or after 6th April 1951 starts at age 65. However the age progressively goes up to age 70

 

for example if you are a man born on 7 April 1954 your pension age is 65 years 6 months and 30 days

[PETERTHEEATER]

Of course, if you do draw a UK Government Pension yet live outside of the EU then you do not receive any annual cost of living increase as do those pensioners resident in the UK. Consequently the value of your pension erodes year by year.

[12DrinkMore]

3 hours ago, freebyrd said:

 

He never signed on and he left the UK when he was 18.

 

There is another possible route if he worked in another country and there was a social security agreement with the UK in place.

 

But I am not familiar with it because it does not affect me.

[chiang mai]

7 hours ago, nontabury said:

 

Not quite correct,it's not written in stone that you must be resident back in the UK for 104 wks,this is at the officials discretion.

What I did find interesting is that most of these benefits are based on residency in the UK,not on British nationality and the fact that a returning applicant may have paid N.I. and  income tax into the system for many years, in deed many applicants could be still paying Income tax. Compare this with Thailand,where  a returning Thai 

would be eligible for health care the minute they get off the plane, simple based on their Nationality, so unlike us non-Thais who have very few rights.

  Personally even though it discriminates  against me, I think the Thais have got it right.

 

 

It is of no consequence what a person has paid in the past or even pays presently, NHS eligibility is based on residency, not on NI contributions nor on taxes paid.

[dhream]

Australia's the same. You forfeit your medicare after 3 years away. You can't fudge the system. The immigration database synchronises with all the other social services computers. Computer says 'no'.

Sent from my SM-J200GU using Tapatalk

[red roger]

12 hours ago, phantomfiddler said:

A friend of mine gets 67P a week ! Yes sixty seven pence every week. I fare a little better at around a fiver a week. We are both in our 70,s, born and bred in U.K. but let,s be fair, they do need most of the money to pay all the illegal immigrants who have no intention of working or integrating

Wrong fiddler. The money stolen from the poor is to prop up the bankers and to subsidise tax cuts for the rich. Camoron, Dismay and other right wang winkers must have orgasms seeing posts such as yours which pits the lower orders against each other in order to distract scrutiny from those truly guilty of dividing Great Britain   

[roger101]

13 hours ago, remobb said:

If you want to be 100% sure contact the pensions dept. I have just recently started receiving mine and have found they are very efficient. My pension is paid directly into my Thai bank account on the dot every month.

My pension is paid into my UK bank and then I transfer it over via Transferwise. I get a good rate of exchange which is quoted before the transaction is carried out. Is your exchange rate compatible. I got 45.6 last week.

[louse1953]

14 hours ago, freebyrd said:

 

I had a boss in BKK, he never paid any NI contributions but apparently applied for and receives a pension as there is a minimum amount for all British subjects. I don't have any idea how much it is. It surprised me, but there you go.

A pom i know rekons he hardly ever paid tax and he gets the minimum of 19,000 baht/month.It was about 24k before Brexit.

[louse1953]

11 hours ago, KarenBravo said:

For state benefits, you have to reside in the UK for two years?

 

Does this mean that an elderly British passport holder that turns up at Heathrow penniless won't be fed, housed and have their medical needs attended to?

A pom i know did it all online and hadn't been back for yonks.None of this 2 year crap.

[jamie2009]

On September 9, 2016 at 11:19 AM, 12DrinkMore said:

 

The maximum pension paid is GBP 155.

 

If you defer by one year and take the increased pension you will receive both the 5.8% increase plus the minimum inflation increase of 2.5%, totalling 8.3% more pension. To do this you forego one year's pension.

 

Breakeven is 100/9.3 about 12 years.

 

I have had 2 Forecasts, one Online and one by Post from the Pension Service.

The online one didn't take into account that I had opted out, the one from the Pension Service did so was slightly less.

When I retire in January 2016 my State Pension will be £178, £155 is the Starting Amount.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/514293/your-state-pension-explained-apr-2016.pdf

[rockingrobin]

On 9/9/2016 at 2:59 AM, freebyrd said:

 

I had a boss in BKK, he never paid any NI contributions but apparently applied for and receives a pension as there is a minimum amount for all British subjects. I don't have any idea how much it is. It surprised me, but there you go.

Not paying UK NI does not necessarily mean you are  not entitled to the UK state pension.

If a person as  contributed to the social security system of a country which the UK as  an agreement with then these can count towards qualifying toward the UK state pension

Edited September 10, 2016 by rockingrobin

[nausea]

On 9/9/2016 at 1:58 AM, steve187 said:

minimum required for new state pension is 10 years of contributions in own name, so a minimum is 10/35 of about £150 or nothing

Really? What about if you opted out?  I'm thinking I have about 20 years, but for 17 of those years was paying into an occupational pension. As I understand it that's a £4 deduction per year, giving me, on your figures,  a minimum of £82. I know, I need to contact the UK and get an estimate. But I'm lazy. I'd be very surprised to get anything at all, I'm just putting of the evil day. £82 would be nice. By the way, does the date you left the UK have any significance.

 

 

[Gillyflower]

I'm not a 'born and bred' UK national, but I am considered as a UK expat living abroad.  I worked in England for about 3 years I think (it was so long ago).  I receive in pounds 9.87 per week.  It went up 27 p in March 2016.   It is paid into my French bank account every 3 months and one is dependent on exchange rates.  Oh, when our dear Tony was in power, he brought in a Chrissie present for us, payable in December.  I got pounds 14.08 last year.  Can't wait for December.

 

I think this info suits your situation.

 

I'm English, thanks to me Momma and me Poppa.  I even got myself a Brit passport so that I could get in easily and not be in the Alien line.

[Pilotman]

On 9/9/2016 at 8:24 AM, dick dasterdly said:

Why the hell not if we've paid taxes throughout our lives - even on our private pensions?!

That should have read, 'never been resident in the UK'

[topt]

It may already have been covered but article here of relevance to the original question -

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/pensions-retirement/financial-planning/face-a-smaller-state-pension-because-you-were-contracted-out-her/

[Gillyflower]

Since my last post, I have been thinking about it all.  When I reached a certain age it was the French pension people who asked me to write a resume of my working life.  As I had worked in many countries, it was them that contacted the equivalent people in the various countries.  I said that I worked 3 years in England, but my dates didn't correspond with Newcastle.  It turned out that they had no record of the 9 months that I worked in Plymouth.  I hadn't been declared it seems.  So all in all I worked just over 2 years.

Just for interest sake, and which has nothing to do with the topic.......the only country that refused to give me a pension after working for 20 years was Australia.  Even Sweden (3 months), Canada (6 months) give me one.

 

 

[rogeroc]

Not everyone who has paid NI contributions for 35 years will receive £155 per week when they reach their state pension age. A massive amount of workers in Government organisations for example are described as being 'contracted out'. I believe that means that as a result of their pension schemes they paid a lower amount of NI contributions and will therefore receive less than £155 per week.

[jamie2009]

6 minutes ago, rogeroc said:

Not everyone who has paid NI contributions for 35 years will receive £155 per week when they reach their state pension age. A massive amount of workers in Government organisations for example are described as being 'contracted out'. I believe that means that as a result of their pension schemes they paid a lower amount of NI contributions and will therefore receive less than £155 per week.

Yes they will receive less State Pension but Government Organisations have in the past paid very generous PRivate Pensions so it doesn't really matter what their State Pension is

[rickudon]

On 9/9/2016 at 10:10 AM, 12DrinkMore said:

 

Note that a lot of the older guys around here if they have been working in the UK private sector were contracted out of the full NI contributions. If they are blithely expecting to receive a full 155 Quid/week State pension on top of their private pension, then I suggest they rapidly go to the government website and get an online breakdown.

 

As usual the UK government was very deceptive about this, and the "simplified one State Pension for all" is a blatant lie to get a few votes. 

 

Exactly. It took me 3 years to get a quote out of the pension service because of this new system - and i will get 120 pounds a week, not 155 - basically barely more than the old system - because i was contracted out for 25 years. Due to collect early next year. It also applies to all public sector workers, not just private.