Twitcher1958

I commented elsewhere on a statement made that the UK state pension is frozen at the point you leave the UK. I thought it was frozen from the point at which you start receiving it, unlike other countries, like the US where it’s index linked - but that’s a different argument. (I know about making additional NI contributions).
which is correct?

MidAtlantic

It will remain at the level it is on the day you leave the UK (ie if you are already in receipt of it) or when you first qualify for the pension, if you are already abroad.

bats

I thought it was the day you start receiving it.
​​​if you go back to the UK for a vacation or whatever you get the current rate while you're there and then it returns to your usual rate. I've no idea how they know you are there

tdrinker

You have to tell them you are in the UK and apply for the upgraded pension for the duration of the visit. You also have to be in the UK on your pension payment date. This also applies if you visit a country where the pension isn't frozen, although it doesn't apply to visits to USA and Bermuda.

Muskoka

Hi - I just want to confirm this please. Are you saying that if you are already living in Canada and become UK Pension age then you will get the UK Pension amount because of your entitlement (age), or what I thought was that you got the UK Pension frozen the day you leave the UK?

Twitcher1958

I am living in Canada and my understanding, which others seem to have confirmed, is that when I start receiving my UK state pension, it will be frozen at that time, not at the level it was when I left the UK 12 years ago. If I was already receiving the pension when I left the UK, it would have been frozen at that level.
Your question demonstrates why I asked because I saw a similar comment to your understanding elsewhere and wanted to check.

Muskoka

Thats awesome. Thanks so much

tdrinker

If you leave the UK before pension age, you get the full pension on reaching pension age, i.e. the same amount as if you had stayed in the UK. It will be frozen at that amount if you are living in a "frozen" country such as Canada.

Twitcher1958

Sorry for continuing this issue ad finitum - but it seems that you are confirming what’s said above?
But I think you would only get the same amount as if you stayed working in the UK if you’d paid for your additional years whilst in Canada - if you left say 10 years ago, with 20 years ‘in the bank’, and made no extra payments, you wouldn’t get a full pension but you’d get the appropriate amount for your 20 years of contributions, which would then be frozen at that level.

dbd33

Good grief. You make payments. You can make payments from the UK, from Canada, from Outer Mongolia.

Eventually you retire. How much is paid to you depends on your contributions at that date; not how you paid, not where you paid from, not how much you had paid at some point in the past. Just how much you have paid total and what the pension payment is at that time.

If you are in Canada you receive that amount indefinitely. If you are somewhere else that amount may increase.

tdrinker

Of course. If you stay in the UK and keep making contributions or move to Canada and keep making contributions, you get the same starting pension, which increases annually if you were in the UK and is frozen if you are in Canada.

If you move to Canada and stop making contributions, you will get a lower pension than if you had stayed in the UK and continued making contributions. Your starting pension is based on your contributions, not your location. Whether the pension is increased annually thereafter is based on your location.