House sitter

OK peeps

I cannot find a section for grey nomads, so have to post here. This is a question about claiming my old age pension. Happy for the mods to move it if I have posted it incorrectly.
I lived in the UK for most of my life and emigrated to NZ 10 years ago. Sadly it was not for me so I moved to Australia where I have been house and pet sitting for the last 2+years. But I don't want to retire here either. The wife and I enjoy our new lifestyle and to be honest, we live in some pretty amazing houses. We want to continue house sitting around the world for the next 5 years. However, we don't get paid for it so I currently work p/t to keep the bank account ticking over. But I will be 65 this year so need to think about claiming the pension. I know I can defer my UK pension but that looks like financial loss. And I don't know how I can claim when I will be living in different countries for an unknown amount of time. I did think about returning to the UK and buying a base but apparently there are rules about how long you can leave the UK without being charged with fraud for claiming a pension and living overseas. At the moment it looks like I have two choices. Defer my pension or give up my world travel as a house sitter. Both options suck! Any thoughts or suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

SanDiegogirl

You can claim your UK State Pension no matter where you live in the world. I, for instance, have lived in the US for 20 years and this year started my UK state pension based on my working in the UK for 35 years.

The pension is paid into my US bank account with no problems.

The only problem you would have in claiming your UK pension, and still living overseas, is where you would have it paid into.

House sitter

Thanks for the fast reply. Much appreciated. The only problem is, I plan to house sit in the USA for about 3 months, then Canada, before moving to Europe living in different countries on a temporary basis whilst we do our house sitting. I am not planning on living in any particular country for the next 5 years and would be unlikely to get bank accounts without a permanent address. Then there is perhaps the added headache of having to go through the procedure of claiming my pension in whichever country I happen to be in.

House sitting allows us to travel and experience different cultures and countries whilst living rent and utility free. We are animal lovers and do it for the pets and their owners and so far its been a win win situation, but UK government pension laws might mean we have to give this up and return to living a 'normal life'......or defer my pension at a financial loss.

christmasoompa

Hi, welcome to BE.

I'd suggest you also look in to the visa side of things for the US & Canada, as from the brief description you've given of what you'll be doing, it sounds to me as though both the US & Canada would require you to have a work permit to do it. But if you ask in the US & Canada immigration sections of the forum then the good folks there will be happy to advise.

Best of luck.

SanDiegogirl

Presuming you maintained a bank account in the UK, then there is nothing stopping you getting your pension paid into a UK bank account, even if you do not live in the UK.

Have a pal who has lived in the US for past 25 years, but his UK State pension gets paid into his UK bank account.

Pulaski

If he's not being paid then personally I doubt it, at least not for the US (I can't be sure about Canada) - it's not much different from an AirBNB, but I will guarantee that if he posts that question in the US forum there will be at least one individual who will advise otherwise because he has a copy of the US Immigration legislation stuck up his ***!

Pulaski

There is at least one long term member of BE who receives his pension in the UK but lives in the US.

dfjordan

I live in Chile and have my pension paid into my UK bank account. I suggest you phone the international pensions section in the UK, and explain your situation to them. I have found them to be very helpful every time I have called. I imagine one complication you might have, and that is the amount you will receive, as if you arent living in a country that has a reciprocal agreement with the UK, your pension becomes frozen at the rate you got when you first received your pension. Give them a call.

House sitter

OOps hope I haven't started a war LOL. Yes I will look into the visa situation and I guess it all depends on how they look at house sitting. Is living in someone's house in return for looking after the house and pets considered some form of unpaid work? I guess people could say they are visiting friends if both the house owner and the sitter agree but I know that would a false declaration. And yes I do have a bank account in the UK but from what I read in the UK pension guide I need to be living there or claim my pension from Australia or NZ or defer my pension. If you live part of the year abroad you must choose which country you want your pension to be paid in. You can’t be paid in one country for part of the year and another for the rest of the year. It also states there will be no change to the rights and status of EU nationals living in the UK, nor UK nationals living in the EU, while the UK remains in the EU. All that has been published so far is for UK nationals who move to the EU after 29 March 2019 (that will be me) the proposed implementation period would mean they can still live, work and study in the EU after the UK has left the EU. How long this period lasts is subject to negotiations, however it is likely to be around 2 years. But nothing on pensions yet. As for the member receiving a pension but living in the US, do you know if this is a private pension or the government UK pension? If I need to return to the UK to claim it I will do so providing the rules allow me to leave the UK again.

Pulaski

You can definitely have your UK state pension paid gross (because you're not living in the UK) into a bank account in the UK while living outside the UK.

House sitter

Sincere thanks for all the replies. I have taken your advice and emailed the international pension people. I have also sent my query to Citizens Advice UK. Based on all the helpful replies I have decided to make the mountain in smaller molehills. So the basic question I have sent to international pensions and CA is: if I return to the UK and claim my old age pension to be paid into my UK bank account, and I am not claiming any other type of benefit (which is where the confusion seems arise), am I allowed to travel extensively throughout the world for as long as I wish without any sanctions on my pension? I will keep you posted as to what they say.
Edited to say thanks to Pulaski as I read your post after posting this one.

scot47

No "sanctions" on your pension.

Keep a UK bank account since you will be travelling around. I thought pension age had been increased. I would check that

https://www.gov.uk/state-pension-age

Pulaski

If you "return to the UK" HMR&C will want to tax you on it in the UK, but that won't be the correct treatment if you are living outside the UK for the entire year, though it may be the easiest solution, paying tax in the UK, and not dealing with taxes in the other country(s) you are living in/visiting during the year. Though if you live for more than six months in another country then you may create tax problems for yourself in that country.