Note re frozen pensions for retired Brits or Brits approaching retirement age

[arjay]

You may be interested in signing this petition, requesting that British pensioners living overseas should receive the cost of living increases on their currently frozen state pensions.

Currently those Brits living overseas (apart from the USA) have their UK state pensions frozen at the amount when they first start taking it.

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/601821

[AlexO]

Not just the USA, all EU Nations and even the Philippine's. It really is one of the most discriminatory rules about. But Canada, South Africa and Australia and New Zealand. Must have been some real chinless jobsworth who came up with this ruling.

[747man]

It's NOT Only the USA Where the UK State pension is NOT Frozen,There are Many Countries were it isn't....It's FROZEN Where the U.K Has No Recipricol Agreement with the other country....

eg: In This part of the World....It's NOT Frozen in The Philippines......

[sometimewoodworker]

You may be interested in signing this petition, requesting that British pensioners living overseas should receive the cost of living increases on their currently frozen state pensions.

Currently those Brits living overseas (apart from the USA) have their UK state pensions frozen at the amount when they first start taking it.

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/601821

Your information is wrong. There are many countries where the pension is increased, a close one is the Philippines there are others
Barbados
Bermuda
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Gibraltar
Guernsey
the Isle of Man
Israel
Jamaica
Jersey
Kosovo
Mauritius
Montenegro
North Macedonia
the Philippines
Serbia
Turkey
USA
Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden

Note, I do not suggest that signing the petition is a bad idea. Just that incorrect information is a bad idea.

[Earnest]

Arjay, not seen you posting in ages, how you doing?

[choi choi]

Nothing will materialize out of it. This has been debated several times.
Also,NHS treatment terminated.
Even though NI contributions UK government has received throughout expats lives
Even illegal immigrants get free treatment.
But I will sign.Miracles do happen!

[arjay]

Arjay, not seen you posting in ages, how you doing?

Hi Earnest, Thanks for asking. I'm living back in the UK now with my Asian partner. I returned to the UK in 2015.

After 15 years in LOS, it definitely causes a conflict. When I am in the UK I miss and want to be in LOS and when in LOS I get frustrated with certain things and am glad to return to the UK. I was visiting LOS once or twice a year until Feb 2020, since then I've been stuck in blighty.

Frustrations in the UK, - cold wet and windy, its more limiting as to where one can go and eating out is expensive. In LOS people are friendlier in bars and restaurants etc. Driving more predictable in the UK, though roads busier. Little or no corrupt bureaucracy in the UK, though almost everything has to be done online now. Free NHS here, but one has to wait a long time for specialist appointments. LOS private hospitals will see you straight away, but never sure if they really need to do all the tests they say.

Plus I pay more per month in council tax here than I did for a whole 2 years in the moobahn in LOS.

[arjay]

Nothing will materialize out of it. This has been debated several times.
Also,NHS treatment terminated.
Even though NI contributions UK government has received throughout expats lives
Even illegal immigrants get free treatment.
But I will sign.Miracles do happen!

Yes, I agree with all your points. Nevertheless it's worth a try.

It's shame that many people who would benefit probably won't know about the petition. It is galling that people pay into a scheme for most of their working lives expecting a certain outcome, only to then either find the goalposts get moved, or their circumstances preclude them from benefiting. I noted about a year before I reached pension age, they took away the higher tax relief allowance, and the year after (2016) they put the state pension up to a new fixed higher amount. So I lost out both ways, though I do now benefit from free NHS prescriptions.

Woodworker, yes agreed I forgot to mention the EU countries and some other countries where there is some sort of reciprocal arrangement. It ought however to be of interest to retired Brits living in Thailand whose UK state pensions are frozen and don't get the annual cost of living uplifts, which is why I posted it on UM. (It is also frozen in Canada, Australia as well as the Asian countries).

I thought I would come back to the UK to learn a foreign language!!

[papafarang]

You may be interested in signing this petition, requesting that British pensioners living overseas should receive the cost of living increases on their currently frozen state pensions.

Currently those Brits living overseas (apart from the USA) have their UK state pensions frozen at the amount when they first start taking it.

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/601821

Your information is wrong. There are many countries where the pension is increased, a close one is the Philippines there are others
Barbados
Bermuda
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Gibraltar
Guernsey
the Isle of Man
Israel
Jamaica
Jersey
Kosovo
Mauritius
Montenegro
North Macedonia
the Philippines
Serbia
Turkey
USA
Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden

Note, I do not suggest that signing the petition is a bad idea. Just that incorrect information is a bad idea.

But thailand don't. Any other place don't matter because we're in thailand. look around and you'll notice this place looks nothing like Liechtenstein.

[Khun Paul]

I agree, if we keep knocking at the door it will eventually be seen for what it is an out of date system thjat needs to be addressed.
A mute point I currently pay more in UK Income tax than any increase I would gain. Seems stupid does it not

[sometimewoodworker]

You may be interested in signing this petition, requesting that British pensioners living overseas should receive the cost of living increases on their currently frozen state pensions.

Currently those Brits living overseas (apart from the USA) have their UK state pensions frozen at the amount when they first start taking it.

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/601821

Your information is wrong. There are many countries where the pension is increased, a close one is the Philippines there are others

——— snip ——-

Note, I do not suggest that signing the petition is a bad idea. Just that incorrect information is a bad idea.

But thailand don't. Any other place don't matter because we're in thailand. look around and you'll notice this place looks nothing like Liechtenstein.

Did you read my correction?
@arjay did

[papafarang]

You may be interested in signing this petition, requesting that British pensioners living overseas should receive the cost of living increases on their currently frozen state pensions.

Currently those Brits living overseas (apart from the USA) have their UK state pensions frozen at the amount when they first start taking it.

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/601821

Your information is wrong. There are many countries where the pension is increased, a close one is the Philippines there are others

——— snip ——-

Note, I do not suggest that signing the petition is a bad idea. Just that incorrect information is a bad idea.

But thailand don't. Any other place don't matter because we're in thailand. look around and you'll notice this place looks nothing like Liechtenstein.

Did you read my correction?
@arjay did

but were still in thailand ,on a thai forum . where you can get increases means nothing to any off us unless we're going to leave thailand. i doubt any pensioners in any of those listed countries will be signing because they don't need to.

[AlexO]

Can someone please explain to me what the Reciprocal Agreement actually is. Why should a person who earns money from pensions paid by another Country ( your home Country presumably) have to fill out tax returns in the Country you now reside. I have never heard of anyone with a UK pension having to fill out a Thai tax return, so surely that is a Reciprocal Agreement??

[Earnest]

Hi Earnest, Thanks for asking. I'm living back in the UK now with my Asian partner. I returned to the UK in 2015.

I never knew you'd come home.

[arjay]

I agree, if we keep knocking at the door it will eventually be seen for what it is an out of date system thjat needs to be addressed.
A mute point I currently pay more in UK Income tax than any increase I would gain. Seems stupid does it not

It wouldn't affect your income tax anyway. Pensions earned in the UK are still taxable for UK domiciled people living overseas.

Even though I was non- UK resident for tax purposes, I still had to pay UK income tax on my UK earned and sourced occupational pension throughout my time living in Thailand. UK state pensions still form part of your UK sourced income.

It is just that it seems unfair on UK nationals having paid into a pension scheme then to not receive the cost of living increases simply because they live in another country.

Can someone please explain to me what the Reciprocal Agreement actually is. Why should a person who earns money from pensions paid by another Country ( your home Country presumably) have to fill out tax returns in the Country you now reside. I have never heard of anyone with a UK pension having to fill out a Thai tax return, so surely that is a Reciprocal Agreement??

AlexO, reciprocal agreements, just means in essence an agreement with the other country to provide various benefits to the other country's nationals. An example being EU countries.

[arjay]

Hi Earnest, Thanks for asking. I'm living back in the UK now with my Asian partner. I returned to the UK in 2015.

I never knew you'd come home.

When you say "come" home, that sounds like you are already home (in the UK) too?

Just so I am clear on who I think you are, didn't you previously have a different user name? Something like old timer or bald chap, or is that someone else entirely?

[Earnest]

Westers

[arjay]

Westers

Ah, right. I remember that name, though not who I was thinking of.

Are you UK based then? If so, it's a hassle when we can get back to LOS without all the paperwork, PCR, tests and quarantine hassles, or for that matter, across to Laos.

[Earnest]

UK based, just an occasional visitor but not been back since February 2020.

[stattointhailand]

Thank god ...... oops sorry did I say that out loud?