Elections Bill
 

The Elections BIll in Westminster has now received Royal Assent. The bill gives the right to vote for all expats regardless of how long they've been out of the UK. This is potentially huge for pensioners, and their voting family members, living in Canada, Australia amongst other places where the UK state pension is 'frozen'. There are around 500,000 'frozen' pensioners around the world, many of whom lost the chance to vote previously. Now that their vote is restored hopefully the government will take our requests to be treated like the other 96% of pensioners, and have our annual pensions uprated, more seriously since there's some votes to be had.

Re: Elections Bill
 

I am not holding my breath and this gets talked about every year along with the usual petition but nowt get's done.

Re: Elections Bill
 

Not sure how to feel about this, my life is in Canada, I don't think I have a right to have a say in how the UK governs itself. But best of luck with the pension thing.

Re: Elections Bill
 

I've always taken that view - although there are exceptions. For example, the Brexit referendum would affect the usefulness of your passport so I felt that was a legitimate reason for voting. The frozen pension issue is also legitimate.

Here's an idea. I'd rather be able to vote in Canada without having to become a citizen. How about I exchange the right to vote in the UK for the right to vote in Canada. One of those reciprocal things. :lol:

Re: Elections Bill
 

Yeah but you are a Brit so have the godamned right to complain about anything and everything as that's what Brits are good at. Today I am wearing my I am Canadian hat but tomorrow who knows.

Re: Elections Bill
 

As someone who has worked in Germany using my British passport I was aggrieved at not being able to vote in the Brexit vote and I've now lost the right to easily work in the EU (though thankfully I recently retired anyway). Frozen pensions issue is the only thing I feel obligated to vote in a GE about. I know it's been talked about etc for years but I do believe we'll get there sooner rather than later.

Re: Elections Bill
 

Same here. I really don't feel that I now know enough about happenings, politics etc in the UK to have the right to a say by voting over there.

I have voted here for almost 50 years now because Canada is my home, not the UK.

As for pensions, neither OH or myself had much pension invested in the UK because we in effect only had 21/2 years of full employment after university and before leaving the UK, and we were advised by our accountant to withdraw everything that had been paid in during those 2.5 years as well as the previous 10 or more years of summer time jobs, Christmas mail delivery etc.

That gave us a little sum to help with settling down over here.

Re: Elections Bill
 

I haven't voted in Canada because I don't feel settled here. I don't think one should dabble in the affairs of a foreign country. I'm at least as well informed about politics in the UK as the average voter and will not hesitate to vote if the chance arises.

Re: Elections Bill
 

Withdraw money from the state pension scheme? can you do that? I am surprised

Re: Elections Bill
 

So am I, would love to know how its done!

Re: Elections Bill
 

I'm guessing Scilly meant employee pension contributions rather than NI ones.

Re: Elections Bill
 

I wondered but then the Christmas post job doesnt have a pension scheme. Anyway with 21 years of NI contributions he would probably get $500 a month state pension

Re: Elections Bill
 

I think he meant 2 1/2 (2.5) years.

Re: Elections Bill
 

I think you are right. So rereading he probably has 12/35th of a state pension that he could claim.

Re: Elections Bill
 

I would be surprised if very much, if any, National Insurance was paid on those years of short term/ part time jobs. Looks to me as if he only paid N.I. on 2 1/2 years of full time employment. You need a minimum 10 FULL years of N.I. contributions before you can get any UK state pension so he's probably not eligible for anything. He would have been able to buy back years to qualify but that ship has almost certainly sailed by now. He could contact britishpensions.com who, for just $25, will advise him on his entitlement, how to pay back any years and provide further help.

Re: Elections Bill
 

My little jobs when at school were counted which surprised me. Saturday jobs, Christmas post, that kind of thing. it's qualifying years for NI contribution, not full years, So if he has 10 years where he earned the proscribed minimum amount for that year then he's eligible. There's absolutely no need to pay anyone to find out how much pension is due and not just how many years of NI contributions but which years were paid. Just go online at the government website,

Re: Elections Bill
 

I contacted the MP for my previous UK constituency regarding when and how I might be able to vote in UK GEs in future.
This is his reply;

Thank you for getting in touch about the Elections Act and the widening of eligibility to vote in UK elections for overseas voters from the current 15 year limit. My team have checked the timings with the experts in the House of Commons Library who have answered as follows:
[...] The 15-year limit on overseas voter registration is to be removed and they will be able to register again in the constituency, having previously been registered to vote before they left.
However, they will not be able to register just yet.
Although the Elections Act has now been passed, the provisions in the Bill are being implemented in phases. The Government’s priority are the voter ID provisions for domestic voters in polling stations, and these will be in place in time for local elections in May 2023.
The new provisions for overseas voters need additional secondary legislation to be in place and this is expected next year. Once that is in place, newly enfranchised overseas voters will be able to register with the local council. It is expected this will be sometime later in 2023 or early 2024 but there is no firm date as yet.
So it is definitely on its way, but it hasn’t quite arrived yet! In the meantime, there’s some (rather more general) information about how to register as on overseas voter at https://www.gov.uk/voting-when-abroad but I’m sure this will be updated once your vote has been successfully restored!

I hope that does not mean I'll miss the chance to vote in the next GE which could be Spring 2023.