jerry brewer

Hi
the link to the e petition

sign if you can

it's your pension....

cheers
Jerry

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/16387

quote :-

END THE UNFAIR FROZEN OVERSEAS PENSION POLICY

Responsible department: Department for Work and Pensions

Under regulation 3 of the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Regulations British pensioners who retire to any one of over 120 countries, mainly in the Commonwealth, have their rightful state pension frozen. Meanwhile, those who retire to other countries have their pension uprated annually, just as though they never left the UK. This discriminatory policy currently impacts on the lives of over half a million British pensioners and curtails the freedom of choice of all British pensioners in retirement. We call for this Government to heed the plea of the International Consortium of British Pensioners to repeal this Regulation.

calliope

Outside Europe, if you look at many of the countries where they are not frozen they are places where the rich and mighty would retire like Channel Islands, USA, Bermuda. They always look after themselves.

Pollyana

Threads merged

Amazulu

I agree witht the UK government. In fact, I would freeze this pension for all countries outside the UK.

renth

Good luck with the e-petition. In a few years UK pensioners overseas will get nothing. The country is bankrupt.

calliope

I'm not all that certain UK pensioners in Britain will get anything in a few years.

Wol

Entitled of course to your own opinion. But it seems perverse at the very least that some of us who contributed for decades into the UK are frozen purely because of our domicile, yet:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/poli...-the-dole.html

Dreamy

I think a lot of people would say, okay, I've left the country, I'm lucky to get anything... but it's inherently unfair (I know, I know) that it depends which country you move to as to whether your pension is frozen or not.

The EU I can understand.. but the list of countries where it isn't frozen seems randomly bizarre.

It should either be frozen for all or for none of 'em.

moneypenny20

Wot she said.

lesleys

The bizarre thing is that if you defer claiming your pension the pension isn't frozen. When you do eventually claim it all the increases are included up to that date. The deferred sum is either paid as a lump sum or used to provide a higher (frozen) pension.

eg Pension is £100 a wk when you reach 65. Claim immediately and you get it frozen at £100 pw.
Defer until you are 70. By then the pension is £120pw.
You either take the lump sum (all your accumulated 5 years' worth plus interest) and get a pension of £120 pw
OR get an increased pension of about 50% extra pw, £180 pw frozen for life.

renth

That's very handy to know.

Wol

Yes, I wish I'd been aware of it before I started drawing my state pension.

Although it's logical really: after all, if you defer drawing it until you die the fund doesn't pay anything out (I'm using the word "fund" pretty loosely in this context ). And pro-rata.

In fact I think you are better off taking it when you can - a bird in the hand etc.

tomar

You must factor in how much you will loose by not claiming say 100pds a week for 5 years? Then how long you will have to live after 70 to make up for the loss of that income from the increase.
Also don't forget that every time you visit UK you can claim for the extra that your state pension would now be worth had you never left. Obviously it reverts to the lower rate on your return to OZ.
Before I was due to get my state pension, we paid in extra to make up my short fall to get an increased pension, from memory it was about 2000pds, and as long as I lived past 62 I would be in credit. I wasn't the main wage earner, and didn't work much after children. Luckily I am well past that now, so financially it paid off.
Feel sorry for everyone who now has to wait longer for the state pension.

benreffell

At least we'll get some, your pension will just end up in the pockets of the ANC!!!

And you won't be able to say anything cos it'll now come under the new "state secrets" law ..... the bok becomes the bitch of the ANC.

Amazulu

Who the f**k are you?

I left SA in 1993 and never intend to live there again. Since I sold my last property there 2 years ago, I have no assets or investments there. All my assets are in Australia, UK or offshore. I earn a fairly high income and reckon I will have a comfortable retirement.

Enjoy your frozen UK state (excuse of a) pension.