The wording on the website says that you have to reside in Canada for 10 years, not reside as a PR or citizen. From that I take it that you need 10 years physical presence, regardless of your status. So you qualify.

The allowance is a fixed amount based on your income in the previous year. They find your income in the table then look across to see how much benefit is. Once you have achieved the 10 year hurdle you qualify for the appropriate amount. It is not prorated according to time in Canada.

Scroll down to table 5 at the bottom of this page:
https://www.canada.ca/en/services/be.../payments.html

That certainly seems the case. It's just that I originally entered Canada as a visitor in 2005, then had an extension in 2006 and then a second PR application was the quickest way to get the CIC issues resolved, by which time the rules changed allowing me to stay (without status) while PR was done properly.

So I was ready for 2005 onwards not to have counted until PR in July 2007.

Thanks very much for that. I can now see where I went wrong.

It seems there are different rules for the survivors rate and considerably so in a way I didn't expect.

When I began looking at this some time ago, I was doing nothing more than looking at the OAS rules for age 65.

On this page https://www.canada.ca/en/services/be...it-amount.html it contains the following:
(and this may be useful for those who have to wait until 65)

So that has what I had read and when I reached 65 I'd have done 17 (15 if only from the PR date).

When I discovered a form of OAS could be paid to 60 to 64 year olds if widowed, where I went wrong was in thinking it would be the same qualifying rule (before any income considerations applied) but just applied from between 60 and 64 for those widowed, and at 60, it would be 5 years fewer accrued.

Now that you've put me right, I can see that it's a very different rule for calculating the survivors amount and I can now see the rate on the table, so many thanks

And don't forget the extra 25p on your UK pension when you reach age 80.

not if you live in Canada I don't think - zero indexing

As for the OAS, don't hold your breath, for the reason there was a zero rate increase as of January 1, 2017, whereas living in the UK it would be a 2.5% yearly increase as of April 6 in each & every year till further notice

And if you did live in the UK under the new state pension rules qualifying with 35 years NIC paid in, it amounts to approx £159.55 X FX 1.6Cdn (x 4.333 to get to a calender mth) = $1106 Cdn/mth as of April 6, 2017

If you don't live in the UK & live in a country that state pensioners do not get indexing, then you are stuck with the rate at the time you start collecting the UK state pension

Bristol, you're richer than you think

The 25p is the extra for reaching 80. It's not indexed, it's just there and is unchanged for decades. You'd think by now they'd have scrapped it - ideal opportunity with the new system but I've read nothing to say it's disappearing.

No, I always expected to do well enough come 'pension payday' and I now know I'm going to be doing even better from now until then.

I'll be a bit like my mother in law struggling to spend it all.

I still won't be wasting it though.

if you are not going to spend it, or waste it, then what's the purpose?

OK, I get it 'you'll sell the house', tell the children to make on their own, get rid of the MIL to get her own place so you can get a rented one bedroom place wherever & still have money left at the end of each month for travelling?

Struggling to spend it all isn't the same as not spending it.

The plan always was to sell the duplex - which I've done. But since that involved a loss of rental income, there had to be enough capital to cover that money until the big pension payday and other eventualities - and there is.

You've probably seen my references to taking the family on a Euro trip. I can push the boat out a bit on that now. I won't book the George V in Paris or Negresco in Nice, Ritz Carlton at Cannes or anything but better than a small backstreet hotel near the station is now likely.

5-6 years down the road on the basis that you still live in Canada

when your state pension age comes around, have you considered deferring the state pension to a future date so you could max out on whatever GIS might be going for you with the OAS?

The money will go much further here (being housed) just as it always did from day one. And I'm not likely to abandon the family here. I promised my wife I'd look after them.

I doubt I'll even make up the missing three years conts for RP even though it's a bargain.

I'll take it all when it's available and live to enjoy it rather than rub my hands at what 'might be' and then die the day before it's due.

If it was the difference between doing okay and better, that's one thing but the difference between doing well and 'weller' isn't so significant.

Besides which I've invested more in the UK than Canada, so it would be wrong to take from Canada instead of the UK when funds are due to me.

I don't know if it's been mentioned already but those who were employed in a UK public service, such as NHS, teachers, Civil Service, and who contracted out of the additional state pension payments will now have their sate pension reduced for every year that they contracted out.

That's probably not very clear. My experience is that a few years ago I was eligible for a full UK state pension. The rules for that pension have changed and now I'm no longer going to get a full pension. Even though I have worked enough years, just, the years I worked in the NHS and contracted out mean that my pension will be reduced by about £4.50 for each year I was contracted out. I've also had the date I'll be getting my pension moved by 2 years.

We splurged (using money given to us by FIL for christmas) for drinks at the Negresco at Christmas time. Quite the place inside but an 11 euro beer is still a beer at the end of the day. If you are going to Nice I can let you know about a hotel for 37 euros/night with breakfast.

By all means.

I have stayed in two places midway between station and Prom late 90s and 2001 (one in a shopping street, one in a residential street). One had a pre-packed breakfast in the room and the other a nice breakfast room and very attractive courtyard. Both were about the same rate - something like £30 but I can't remember if that was room or each.

I'm happy enough for an aparthotel. I saw a dead basic one for around $80 a night that takes all four but bump it up to $110 and those places are significantly better.

Of course it would be great to book a hotel where you can leap out of bed and open the balcony doors onto a view of the sea but that at least triples the price.

We may be there a week so an extra $1500 minimum to see the sea in the morning, when you can cross the road to see it any time, is better spent on something else. It would pay for an extra stop in Geneva or Annecy. Or even Venice. Or reduce the airport time/flight changes on the journey.

We went to have a pot of tea on the terrace at the Ritz, Cannes but they'd closed it. It was the first week of December but everywhere else had their outdoors parts open and screened off.

We crossed the road to a restaurant that had a boarded seating area on the beach and ate there while getting suntanned arms.

as I said, 'Bristol, you are richer than you think'. See how the numbers look from now till you are 65, then when you start collecting your OAS.

Excluding any private or occupational pensions from the UK, US or Canada, as well as exclude any RRSP's or TFSA's, 401k

For many expats on here that have had the benefit of at least 15 years working in the UK or the minimum (with top up) equivalent of 50% NIC's years to get maximum state pension, + at least the last 10 years of CPP contributions, + at least 15 -20 years years of residency in Canada for OAS

- In today's numbers, they could look like the following

OAS $300/mth

CPP $5OO/mth

UK state pension $500/mth

Any qualifying GIS extra

Its basic, basic, only $1300/mth ($15,600/yr), without any add-on's or other monies

Is that enough for you to live on?

Have you topped up your NIC's to the max possible?

In Canada calculating income to qualify for GIS (guaranteed income supplement) taking a single person with that minimum income - for GIS purpose calculations, is counted as the CPP + the UK state pension, which are $1000/mth, $12,000/yr

From the rate table 1, a single person would qualify for an additional $230/mth, bringing their updated income to $1300 + $230 GIS/mth = $1550/mth. Provincial extras + GST/HST on top of that.


https://www.canada.ca/en/services/be...s/tab1-36.html

For a partner couple, even better

https://www.canada.ca/en/services/be.../payments.html

As I said, not richer than I think, I know how well placed I am. There's a difference.

UK state pension for those born after 1951 for men of 1953 for women needs a minimum of 10 years for partial pension and. 35 years with no contracting out. The new maximum pension amount is £155.65.

Pretty sure Bristol will have contracted out.