This guy's my idol and hero. I'd love to drain my naive (not a typo) country's welfare reservoir into total bankruptcy and live off the proceeds in sunny paradise.

2 hours ago, Moonlover said:

And although I am now retired and am in effect a beneficiary, I still pay tax and I would prefer to see my small contribution being used legitimately, not stolen.

 

As long as your being treated in a dignified manner I believe your right. A friend of mine from Britain has been retired now for some 15 years and he tells me he gets not one thin dime in COLA unless he returns or splits his time between the UK and here which I think is unfair. Top that up with the pound under pressure i.e. low exchange rate to the baht and low interest rates on his saving (the government has told him all his working days to save for retirement) and he gets no medical coverage. It seems to me that he is like a boxer with one arm tied behind his back and getting the snot beat out of him by a government that obviously does not give a S**t

10 hours ago, AGareth2 said:

best not return to the UK

If his name was Hamza people would yell for blood, but with his surname, enjoy the sunshine... Just make the money last 5555

 

Just like America plenty of people claiming disability that can work.

I'm not going to vilify the man for something that was printed in the sun which anybody with half a brain would understand.

If we are on about tax payers expense then I think that we should look a bit more to MP's expenses which is in the millions and where public money is spent bailing out banks to the tune of billions.

On the surface this guy seems to be playing the system but if his claim is legitimate and he has paid his nhs stamp then I don't see the problem.

Hard to believe that a pensioner with a council flat in Stoke would risk his freedom just to have a taste of life in Thailand with some young fit Asian lass.

 

 

 

 

Edited April 1, 20179 yr by chickenslegs

One of many who live off the system ,

where being a parasite 

is easier than playing by the rules,

 

1 hour ago, chickenslegs said:

Hard to believe that a pensioner with a council flat in Stoke would risk his freedom just to have a taste of life in Thailand with some young fit Asian lass.

 

 

 

 

you want to read again what you have written and think about it and then answer yourself

1 hour ago, zd1 said:

I'm not going to vilify the man for something that was printed in the sun which anybody with half a brain would understand.

If we are on about tax payers expense then I think that we should look a bit more to MP's expenses which is in the millions and where public money is spent bailing out banks to the tune of billions.

On the surface this guy seems to be playing the system but if his claim is legitimate and he has paid his nhs stamp then I don't see the problem.

you have seen the video evidence on this guy. and I do agree with you about the MP,s

Americans can live anywhere and receive their pensions.  They must also pay US tax no matter where they live although there is a quite high foreign-earned income exclusion so only really high earners will need to pay tax on foreign-sourced income while they will need to pay regular taxes on US-sourced income.  Both foreign -sourced and US-sourced income are added together to come up with your gross income which determines your tax rate.

 

And wot no word about  May and the Tory thieving ass wipes stealing the benefits of the true disabled , or the non increase in pension's for people living in certain country's , could be said also stolen by the British Government , 

If I lived in the UK, I would be able to claim Housing Allowance, Free Schooling for my kids, Free medical care for me and my kids, Dental care, Free bus pass, Cold weather allowance, Free TV licence plus many more benefits available to pensioners.

However, although I paid my taxes and NI contributions all my working life, and still pay tax even today, I live in Thailand.  Because of that, I'm unable to claim any of these benefits.  Consequently I cost the UK government far less by living here than I would by living in the UK.  So what is my reward? ----- a frozen state pension from the day I moved here!!

 

I do agree that this guy was fraudulently claiming benefits that even morally was not entitled to.

 

Rant over! 

18 hours ago, Chris Lawrence said:

Australia' Government are trying to stop pensioners from enjoying themselves.

The rationale is that if they give you money in Aus you spend it in Aus so they end up getting about 70% back anyway through subsequent economic activity. If they pay you in Thailand they get nothing back.

17 hours ago, rmacee said:

Thieving and cheating individual ..no sympathy for this trash ...should be 5 years minimum to stop this abuse ..

There would be No government left if they truly enforced what you feel so strongly about!

22 hours ago, Jack Mountain said:

Luckaly i am born in Holland where we not have such a jealous judicial system .... yet.

Jealous? You mean  fair and equitable? The benefits are intended for those who are in true need and are not intended to finance the comfortable retirements of lazy parasites in exotic countries.  People who fraudulently collect benefits  intended for those who are in true need are evil  thieves stealing from the disabled. I suggest you check your moral compass and  review  the concept of responsible behaviour.   The convicted thief  broke his social contract obligations..

 

I do wonder if he is current member of TVF. How will his dear wife support herself now?

Edited April 2, 20179 yr by geriatrickid

He will be out again in about 4 months on "monitered" release ,you better believe it , and his time will be spent in an open prison , watching tv . when he is released he can claim the benefits again ,and as long as he lives in the UK he will get them , 

Easy solution, link all databases together, so that if somebody claims benefits, and wants to leave the country, their benefits get stopped whenever they go through border control. 

1 hour ago, geriatrickid said:

Jealous? You mean  fair and equitable? The benefits are intended for those who are in true need and are not intended to finance the comfortable retirements of lazy parasites in exotic countries.  People who fraudulently collect benefits  intended for those who are in true need are evil  thieves stealing from the disabled. I suggest you check your moral compass and  review  the concept of responsible behaviour.   The convicted thief  broke his social contract obligations..

 

I do wonder if he is current member of TVF. How will his dear wife support herself now?

Why limit your stay abroad to 3 months when you are 100% disabled to work? It's an immoral law.

Edited April 2, 20179 yr by Jack Mountain

13 hours ago, chickenslegs said:

Hard to believe that a pensioner with a council flat in Stoke would risk his freedom just to have a taste of life in Thailand with some young fit Asian lass.

 

 

 

 

 

11 hours ago, oldgent said:

you want to read again what you have written and think about it and then answer yourself

I think think he's being ironic.

2 hours ago, Jack Mountain said:

Why limit your stay abroad to 3 months when you are 100% disabled to work? It's an immoral law.

Because then they can't check if your really disabled. I have seen series like Britain on the fiddle and you see how many people pretend to be disabled or sick and how much fraud is committed. 

Edited April 2, 20179 yr by robblok

haha watch the video in the opening he knows the cameras are on so he walks like he is crippled and a later one shows him scooting through the airport two bags in tow.  no defense for this guy but it must also piss off a lot of people to see their taxes go to retire in Britain programs adopted by many "refugees" on the dole.

Well, if it's any consolation to the British and Aussie TV members, disability and Medicare fraud is rampant in the US and runs to many billions of dollars each year.  There are scads of fraudsters around in the financial world too.  Just think of Bernie Madoff and the 65 billion that he stole.  Lots of wealthy elderly people lost everything they had because he was so well trusted.  He had been the chairman of NASDAQ at one time.  I've been scammed a couple times myself but didn't lose everything because of diversification of my assets.

There are many British pensioners in Thailand who boast about using an accommodation address in the UK so that they still claim benefits including pension increases they are not entitled to. The HMRC in UK will happily accept and investigate anonymous letters about such people. I know of several in Chiang Mai who have boasted, but later been left with legal action against them and fines and backpayments. Good luck to the UK authorities, and bad luck to the fraudulent claimants.

15 minutes ago, steven100 said:

.... who in their 20-40 yrs thinks about putting super away, ?   no one ...   and it's worse now for anyone at 20-40 yrs  .. imo   

Have to agree with you there, also I think it's a "cultural/age" issue. As a kid I only knew two people that actually owned their own home; it was work > retire > go on the pension. Super and investing wasn't a "thing" where I came from. Re the kids of today, I'm hoping with all the talk about pensions and super nowadays they are more financially astute and smart enough to throw a little extra in. Even $10-20 a week will make a difference over a working life.

 

7 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

If you have some spare cash floating around you might look at gold stocks, they don't pay returns, but might just add some coin in your pocket from time to time. 

I don't, hence scratching my head looking for a way to boost nest-egg. Situation all self inflicted, for an allegedly intelligent guy I'm a total dick when it comes to money ... just never cared about it. Cest la vie, far from destitute, just don't fancy working to 67 and dropping dead as soon as I retire. Would love to retire in 8 years so time to "grow up" properly and get my shit together. 

----

Back on topic though; people like the guy in the article seriously piss me off not only due to the waste of money he scammed but the fact it taints those in real need leading to the "dole bludger" tainting of people who are in genuine need.

On ‎4‎/‎1‎/‎2017 at 8:38 PM, elgordo38 said:

As long as your being treated in a dignified manner I believe your right. A friend of mine from Britain has been retired now for some 15 years and he tells me he gets not one thin dime in COLA unless he returns or splits his time between the UK and here which I think is unfair. Top that up with the pound under pressure i.e. low exchange rate to the baht and low interest rates on his saving (the government has told him all his working days to save for retirement) and he gets no medical coverage. It seems to me that he is like a boxer with one arm tied behind his back and getting the snot beat out of him by a government that obviously does not give a S**t

Every Brit who chooses to retire abroad knows the rules and restrictions he or she faces. They are quite clear and well documented. If, after having given them due consideration, that person still decides that that is their chosen path, then so be it. They have no choice but to accept those rules. Not to do so would be akin to buying a car that you really do not like and then blaming the salesman!

 

I am in the same situation as your friend in regard to these rules. I have been living the expat life now for 10 years and have no regrets and I certainly don't believe, or feel, that my government doesn't 'give a s**t' about me, as you put it.

 

I perceive you are, sir, an American. Perhaps you'd care to discuss whether your government treats native American Indians with dignity?

Edited April 3, 20179 yr by Moonlover

Off topic posts removed and responses to same.