Happy Birthday. Hope you do something more interesting than hanging out on this forum mulling over pensions!!!! but incase you do not here are some links:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/p...0-for-421.html

http://www.pensionsadvisoryservice.o...s/entitlement/

http://www.pensionsadvisoryservice.o...ions/index.asp

http://www.pensionsadvisoryservice.o...contributions/

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTax...on/DG_10014671

YOU WILL NEED TO QUOTE YOUR NATIONAL INSURANCE NUMBER (NI).

National Insurance Helpline for non-UK residents
This helpline answers queries regarding National Insurance status and entitlements, pension status and health care provisions, for people under State Pension age who live or work abroad
Opening hours
8.00 am to 5.00 pm, Monday to Friday
Closed weekends and bank holidays
001144845 915 4811


Cheers.

Thank you. I am doing something tonight, so will have a browse through in between packing boxes this afternoon!

I have just noticed that you are now moving back to the UK hence the packing boxes. So being aged 46 will mean you will retire in 20 years time. If you intend to (and are able to) work for the next 20 years within the UK, and already have at least1 0 full years of NI payments to your name then that should meet the 30 year requirement to receive a full pension. For me I only have 14 years to my name (been in OZ 13 years) and do not intend to work in the UK for 26 years. So the outlay was worth it to me. For a year to be a qualifying year requires you to have paid a full years NI contribution. So if you have paid part year contributions previously then you can fill these in (at a small cost) stretching back to 1996 (i.e. moving to OZ and moving back etc). It may be worth you paying the part year missed to make it a full qualifying year.

Regarding moving back it would appear that from the little I know (was back there last NOV) that now is a good time to return in terms of exchange rate and property prices. Benefits of a recession I guess. Employment may be another matter!!!! I genuinely hope that the UK lives up to your expectations. Are you heading for Essex? Do you think in time you will come to miss any aspects of OZ as it is not all bad?

LOL...will i miss anyhing about Oz? Ummm... ok ok, i will be totally honest. I might occasionally miss my al fresco breakfasts in the sunshine at the beach. Apart from that not much really. I dont really fit the Australian psyche i'm afraid. I am a strong assertive independant woman who has previously run her own business. I find it very hard to tolerate Aussie blokes attitudes to women i'm afraid So i think i am better off out of here.

We are heading to Essex initially, but it depends on where OH gets a job. He is a psych nurse and has already had plenty of offers and already has 3 job interviews lined up on return. He seems to be in high demand, so work wont be a problem. I am going to be studying, but might look for part time work evetually.
I am sure it will live up to expectations. We have grandchildren to spoil rotten and i cant wait cb

Happy Birthday flea, mine was last Friday, and I'm a year older than you. How can you be a grandma already? I'm no where close to being one, my oldest is still in Uni and it seems he has no girlfriend. Probably a good thing