Originally Posted by dunroving

If, say, someone had 30 years' NIC's (35 years now needed to obtain the new flat rate pension), but had some US SS contributions, can they use the SS to "top up" to the 35 years needed for a flat rate pension?

Originally Posted by theOAP

IF, the OP worked in the UK for two years, she would have paid two years worth of class 1 NICs towards a pension. Under the Totalisation Agreement, she can use her US SSA contributions of eight years in order to obtain the mandatory ten years of contributions to qualify for the UK state pension. BUT, she would only be paid a sum equal to two years worth of contributions as a UK state pension and not ten. She may also have made voluntarily contributions for additional NICs, or use a top-up contribution to increase the amount. Of course, the two years of working contributions to the now obtainable UK state pension will bring about WEP for the US SSA payout.

That's assuming the rules for a UK pension remain at the current minimum qualifying period under the Totalisation Agreement, and isn't altered due to the new UK pension rules, and the Totalisation Agreement remains unchanged in respect to UK pension amounts payable.

Originally Posted by nun

If the UK pension amount is calculated on 2 years of contributions the WEP amount would be minimal.......I only brought up the idea of using the Reciprocal SS agreement so that the OP could qualify for the UK state pension and then use that eligibility to get other benefits if she wanted to move to another EU country...that actual amount of the pension was incidental.

Originally Posted by not2old

nun @ post # 47, it was about her being a British citizen & 'Health coverage or benefits if she was to take up ordinary residency in Europe.

Originally Posted by nun

]Yes, someone mentioned that to get healthcare in Portugal you needed to have a UK state pension.....I don't know anything about that, but I did see a way for the OP to qualify for a UK state pension using US SS credits if she needed one to quailfy for other benefits.

Originally Posted by SeattleSheila

Thanks, All. No, I'm not eligible for pension credits. Have to make do with Social Security and my 401(k) retirement savings and cash from sale of my home. I fully expect to pay regular income tax to the IRS for the remainder of my earthly existence.

Originally Posted by theOAP

Good point, but not the reason for my post. You understand all of this but others may benefit from understanding the possibilities which lead to your point.

Originally Posted by bob_grenada

How does NHS funding actually work? As someone who has worked recently in an nhs clinical commissioning group i can tell you.

There are budgets, and targets for the quantity and quality of treatments. Money belongs to patients ultimately, and this money per patient is aggregated up to the size of a GPs list, and that sum is added to other GPs in the area (county or borough) to get to a total. If an area loses people it loses money. With current immigration a lot of budgets are going up, hence the declared need for more, but theres no lottery involved.

Originally Posted by Editha

For an ex-pat considering moving back to the UK, I think it is also important to stress that any rationing that takes place is not of life-saving or essential treatment. Nobody gets told that they can't have their gallstones removed, their appendix out, or their heart surgery because the money has run out. What rationing there is, is of things like fertility treatment, weight loss surgery, counselling, etc.

Rationing is different from waiting lists, which do exist for some operations. Some expensive cancer drugs which only extend life by a few months have been denied because they are not cost-effective, which is a hard decision, but I think a correct one. Transplants are not available for everyone because of a shortage of donors.