UK Pensions
#17
Re: UK Pensions
Class 3 is the default, it was quoted to me too. You have to _request_ to apply for Class 2. To get the Class 2 rate, it seems to be required that [1] you were working "immediately" before you left the UK, and [2] left for work reasons/ were working "immediately" after you arrived in your new country of residence. The application asks for your employment history before and after you left the UK, but one person on BE was approved, IIRC, after not working for a couple of _years_ after they arrived in their new country, so I am not sure what the logic is. I also don't recall seeing anyone on BE report that they were rejected for Class 2.
#18
Account Closed
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 0
Re: UK Pensions
For years that you were or are employed of self employed outside of the uk you qualify for the cheaper class 2 contributions. I think that they are cheaper than class 3 because while you are working in the UK your NI payments on earned income pay for more than just your state pension, probably things like NHS and Dole. In 2014 i bought 5 years of class 2 contributions cost about 650 Quid.
#19
Forum Regular
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 70
Re: UK Pensions
You need to contact the International Pension Centre at the Department of Work and Pensions in Newcastle. They will answer all your questions, they are very helpful.
Note, the default for voluntary contributions is Class 3, currently at around £730/year, which is a pretty good deal, but you need to request approval to be allowed to make Class 2 contributions, currently at around £155/year, and you will be sent the form to apply for Class 2 .... unless you can do that on-line these days? ETA per SaskRuss above, apparently you can download and print them from the DWP web site these days,
Note, the default for voluntary contributions is Class 3, currently at around £730/year, which is a pretty good deal, but you need to request approval to be allowed to make Class 2 contributions, currently at around £155/year, and you will be sent the form to apply for Class 2 .... unless you can do that on-line these days? ETA per SaskRuss above, apparently you can download and print them from the DWP web site these days,
#21
Forum Regular
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 70
Re: UK Pensions
For years that you were or are employed of self employed outside of the uk you qualify for the cheaper class 2 contributions. I think that they are cheaper than class 3 because while you are working in the UK your NI payments on earned income pay for more than just your state pension, probably things like NHS and Dole. In 2014 i bought 5 years of class 2 contributions cost about 650 Quid.
#22
Forum Regular
Joined: May 2021
Location: Stony Plain, AB
Posts: 104
Re: UK Pensions
Hi, as someone mentioned above, under current laws your pension from the UK will not get indexed linked as the pension in the UK and various other countries do. However we don't need to roll over and accept it as a fait accompli. The International Consortium of British Pensioners continues to work hard, along with it's partners in various places such as Canada, Australia and the Caribbean to fix this injustice. See britishpensions.com (Canada) and bpia.org.au/ (Australia) for more information. Please consider joining for a small annual fee, they will also help you if needed regarding back paying NI contributions. There is also the Elections Bill going through Westminster - it just had it's second reading in House of Lords. This bill will give the right to vote to all British citizens regardless of how long they've been out of the UK or where they currently live. Hoping we can get many thousands of frozen pensioners to vote for a party whose manifesto includes annual uprating for all pensioners worldwide.
#24
Just Joined
Joined: Jun 2022
Posts: 4
Re: UK Pensions
Just need advice as to the fees / commissions charged by those holding your QROP accounts that you transferred over from UK to Canada and if any other third parties were involved.
I have a private pension in the UK that I need to desperately transfer, but the Pension Company stated that I may have to involve another organization within the UK to aid in the transfer into QROP.
Any advice to this effect?
I have a private pension in the UK that I need to desperately transfer, but the Pension Company stated that I may have to involve another organization within the UK to aid in the transfer into QROP.
Any advice to this effect?
#25
Re: UK Pensions
Just need advice as to the fees / commissions charged by those holding your QROP accounts that you transferred over from UK to Canada and if any other third parties were involved.
I have a private pension in the UK that I need to desperately transfer, but the Pension Company stated that I may have to involve another organization within the UK to aid in the transfer into QROP.
Any advice to this effect?
I have a private pension in the UK that I need to desperately transfer, but the Pension Company stated that I may have to involve another organization within the UK to aid in the transfer into QROP.
Any advice to this effect?
Last edited by Pulaski; Jun 1st 2022 at 8:57 pm.
#26
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2016
Location: St Catharines, Ontario From Bournemouth UK
Posts: 417
Re: UK Pensions
Just need advice as to the fees / commissions charged by those holding your QROP accounts that you transferred over from UK to Canada and if any other third parties were involved.
I have a private pension in the UK that I need to desperately transfer, but the Pension Company stated that I may have to involve another organization within the UK to aid in the transfer into QROP.
Any advice to this effect?
I have a private pension in the UK that I need to desperately transfer, but the Pension Company stated that I may have to involve another organization within the UK to aid in the transfer into QROP.
Any advice to this effect?
#27
Forum Regular
Joined: May 2021
Location: Stony Plain, AB
Posts: 104
Re: UK Pensions
Just need advice as to the fees / commissions charged by those holding your QROP accounts that you transferred over from UK to Canada and if any other third parties were involved.
I have a private pension in the UK that I need to desperately transfer, but the Pension Company stated that I may have to involve another organization within the UK to aid in the transfer into QROP.
Any advice to this effect?
I have a private pension in the UK that I need to desperately transfer, but the Pension Company stated that I may have to involve another organization within the UK to aid in the transfer into QROP.
Any advice to this effect?
#28
Just Joined
Joined: Jun 2022
Posts: 4
Re: UK Pensions
Desperation rarely needs to good decision making, and IMO pensions are invarably better left where they are. I don't think any country in the world has better protections for pension investors than the UK, espectially to protect people from themselves by prohibting premature withdrawal of savings that were supposed to maintain you during your retirement (and it's this stipulation that makes moving a UK pension investment into a QROPS outside the UK, tricky). Also having part of your pension investments with a different manager in a different country provides additional diversification, which also has very real value.
#29
Just Joined
Joined: Jun 2022
Posts: 4
Re: UK Pensions
Thanks, will have to look into it. But is it legal for a non-UK resident to move Private Pensions into a Drawdown in the UK? But then once again if you are going to access this amount it could be complicated when you are 71 years old. Does it then have to be transferred into a RRIF via a QROP, or is it possible to keep it in the Drawdown?
#30
Just Joined
Joined: Jun 2022
Posts: 4
Re: UK Pensions
Hi, I transferred a couple of Aviva personal pensions from the UK into a Canadian RRSP account but as there are (were?) time limits on it the RRSP was new, I could not roll it into an existing RRSP. I believe the UK Inland Revenue had to be informed if I withdrew from that fund witin a certain time, I think 5 years. I had RRSPs and TFSA at Hollis Wealth in Ottawa and they handled it for me once I gave them the signed paperwork that I completed after getting it from Aviva. I think it too about 6 months. There was no-one involved and no fees, though there may have been acount closing fees from Aviva but nothing drastic. I did the transfer back in 2015ish.