British Expats - Elections Bill

British Expats (https://britishexpats.com/forum/)

- The Maple Leaf (https://britishexpats.com/forum/maple-leaf-98/)

- - Elections Bill (https://britishexpats.com/forum/maple-leaf-98/elections-bill-943757/)

Re: Elections Bill

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kingsboy48 (Post 13111955)

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.

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 Governmentâ€™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 hasnâ€™t quite arrived yet! In the meantime, thereâ€™s some (rather more general) information about how to register as on overseas voter at https://www.gov.uk/voting-when-abroad but Iâ€™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.