lynnbrooks

In our endless list of things to do,we have sent our forms off for a pension forecast for our state pension so we can decide whether to keep paying it as an expat which we will be this year..yipee.....

What has others done.?..are you still paying it or not bothering?
Lynn

Sue from Manchester

We decided to pay voluntary contributions so hopefully we will get something when we are 65 to add to our little bits of superannuation cos you won't get the means tested age pension here unless very poorly off. It depends on your age when you come over. If you're still fairly young and have plenty of years left to pay into a superan scheme it may not be worth it. If you're a bit more... ahem.. mature, like me, you may consider it worth it. It's only a few quid a week.

annqldau

We decided to keep our national insurance up as well for the same reasons also mentioned and for people who think they may return to UK for good in future it makes it slightly easier to return and restart things I heard at a future date. Also, under the impression that if you keep it up you still have some sort of right to NHS care as well in the UK if you were there without the Aus UK reciprocale deal.

surfdude

Could you please let me know where I go (web site ?) to get necessary paperwork to carrying on paying/or get a forcast ? Do payments have to be continuous ? We have been here nearly two years and didn't think of this !

annqldau

Will ask husband he sorted it out.

annqldau

Will ask husband he sorted it out.

ossigeno

I decided to pay class 2 contributions same benefits as class 3

Class 2 = £2.05/week
Class 3 = £7.35/week

You can decide anytime up to 6 years later what to do.

lynnbrooks

You need to contact the Inland Revenue:
address is:

Inland Revenue,
Centre for Non-Residents,
Benton Park View,
Newcastle-upon-Tyne,
NE98 1ZZ
uk

Tel No for uk residents...0845 915 4811
Outside uk residents......dial international code then 44 191 225 4811

We contacted them and asked for a pension forecast based on what we have paid in so far.
They sent the forms ,we filled them in and waiting the reply..then we'll decide.
Also try the website... www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk

hope it helps
Lynn

JAJ

Possibly, but remember if you stay in Australia your UK state pension won't be indexed.


Not true. You have to be living in the UK to use the NHS. Reciprocal schemes may cover emergency treatment, but not more than that usually.


Jeremy

OBI WAN

Class 2 is a self employed contribution, if you are not registered with uk inland revenue as a self employed person you are not entitled to pay this rate of contribution, you do not have a choice you must pay class 3 voluntary conts. If you do not pay class 3 contributions within 3 years of the shortfall, the amount of voluntary contributions will go up.

surfdude

Many thanks for the info, I will give them a ring and do the same !

ossigeno

I have spoken at length to the Inland Revenue overseas unit on several occasions and it was they who recommended the class 2 contributions and the 6 year time frame. Their number is +44 191 2257917. I was an employee in UK.

If you read the article http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/cnr/osc.htm#3 although about workers posted abroad it does state "..following a review of the legislation these employees can pay either Class 2 or 3 contributions currently £2.10 or £7.35 per week respectively..". Exactly what Non-Residents advised me for an expat.



Cheers

lynnbrooks

It seems to me that a lot of you have decided to continue to pay the n.i. cont. but paying the minimum class 2 of 2.10 a week, will that entitle us to the max state pension or will it be the minimum.?.i suspect the latter but wanted to ask others.
Lynn

andrewb

We looked into it before we left and decided not to continue as when we worked out what we would pay in and what we would get out, it was about equal. The UK state pension is unlikely to get any better and so we decided to put the money into the bank and go from there.

CreditCardKing

Its unlikely that the UK state pension will be around in 35 years when I retire, however if it was then the amounts that I would pay into it would be far less than what I would gain from the state pension. Excluding increase for inflation on both the pension and the contributions if I paid around £400 per year national insurance for another 35 years totalling £14,000. If I received the state pension of around £4000 per year for 20 years then I would earn £80,000, this is considerably more than £14,000 paid in. I will not bother as the UK state pension in the future will likely have the same rules as the Australian pension it will be means tested and you would need to be living in the UK to claim it.