Loafing Along

Agreed , as I mentioned the people in Newcastle are very helpful but I had to make the official application through the Spanish Social Security as a long term resident

tebo53

Sorry Loafing, but I still beg to differ. If you go on the uk.gov website you can apply for your quote, as I have done, and they will send it direct to your Spanish address. I did that after living here also as a long term resident. I didn't involve the Spanish Social Security at any stage.

Fred James

Do you have a Spanish pension as well? That would explain why you had to claim in Spain.

The only time I have been to an INSS office was to process my E121 as it was then.

davidinspain

Same for me,in fact even though I was in the UK when I called them,they insisted it was to be posted to Spain.

Loafing Along

Yes I did all that too but was collecting pensions from various EU sources including UK so EU rules applied :
State pensions abroad - Your Europe

Spanish Social Security very efficient at sorting it all

Loafing Along

Yes exactly

bobd22

If you are on a pension that meant you were opted out of SERPs I.e. all government and some private pensions that meant you paid very slightly less percentage in NI. That means that if you are not currently drawing your state pension but will be on the new single tier pension you will not get the £155 or so per month but it will be reduced according to how many years you were opted out. In my case I have 40 years government pension and will have my single tier pension reduced by around £35 per week, in fact I end up with exactly the same as the state pension pre the introduction of the single tier pension. I worked out that my NI gain was under £3 per week when I finished working so for £3 gain in payment I lose £35 ! It makes sense somewhere?

tebo53

I agree generally with what you are saying, but I will be drawing the new state pension from 26th October this year and according to my letter from Newcastle only 4 month ago I states that I will be getting £802.00 per Month. It stated in the letter that I have aquired some "protected" pension, from where I don't know. I've paid into the pension for over 40 years and was opted out for about, maybe, ten years. My letter from Newcastle does not contain any references to any reduction in pension.

johnnyone

Since the new full state pension started (April?), any contracted out period is taken into account reducing the pension you receive.

spainrico

Thanks for all the comments, I have a while to go yet - so I will see what the rules are then.

bobd22

If you were only contracted out for around 10 years you have no doubt built up extra pension in SERPs. Any SERPs which take you over the single tier amount you get in addition. So more than likely you have lost some of the single tier pension but more than made it up with your SERPs contributions. My working life from 18 to retiring at 58 was government service so no SERPs hence I lose maximum. I don't think if anyone has the minimum 35 years NI contributions they can get less than what the basic state pension was at the change to single tier pension which is what I will get per my latest pension forecast. By the way my pension forecast didn't mention why I had the reduction I had to research it to find out why. They do have a fancy name for the amount they take off you can't remember what it is.

bobd22

This explains the situation for the likes of myself

https://www.gov.uk/new-state-pension/youve-been-in-a-workplace-personal-or-stakeholder-pension