Old Age Pension frozen?
 

Could anyone tell me is it true that your "old age pension" is frozen when you move to Ireland and so you don't get any more rises to it. Thanks Anne

Re: Old Age Pension frozen?
 

If you live in the EEA (EU plus Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and Lichtenstein), your pension is NOT frozen.

Here is a list of "frozen" and "unfrozen" countries.

Re: Old Age Pension frozen?
 

Thank you. As UK is coming out of the EU I presume that will change though?

Re: Old Age Pension frozen?
 

Who knows, certainly no-one on here, in fact no-one even KNOWS if or when the UK will even start the leaving process.

Re: Old Age Pension frozen?
 

It may, or may not, it's impossible to say either way at the moment.

I live in the US and pensions paid in the US are not frozen, yet the US has never been part of the EU.

Pensions paid in many British Commonwealth countries are frozen, or at least four of the largest ones, in terms of population - Canada, Australia, India, and New Zealand. There really seems to be neither rhyme nor reason as to which countries get indexed pensions, and which are frozen.

Re: Old Age Pension frozen?
 

It's all to do with reciprocal agreements, the UK has one with the USA, but not Canada or Australia.

Re: Old Age Pension frozen?
 

Yeah, but as I added above, there seems to be neither rhyme nor reason as to which countries have reciprocal agreements and which don't - though it seems, er, "interesting" :rolleyes: that four countries with (among the) largest numbers of British pensioners don't have an agreement.

That said, I have never seen an explanation as to what any foreign government has to do with the unilateral disbursement of money by the British government to its retired citizens living overseas (and presumably a much smaller number of non-citizen, former long term residents).

Re: Old Age Pension frozen?
 

What are these agreements anyway?
How does that affect a UK pensioner living in White Rock, BC and another living just across the border in Blaine, WA.
The one in USA gets a UK linked-index to his/her pension every year and the one in Canada doesn't...what does the agreement offer the pensioner in Canada as compensation?

Re: Old Age Pension frozen?
 

Exactly this, as I said in my post above. :nod:

Re: Old Age Pension frozen?
 

Thanks, very interesting. So basically I need to find out if Ireland and UK have a reciprocal pension agreement. Anne

Re: Old Age Pension frozen?
 

The Republic of Ireland is a member of EU since 1973 therefore UK pensions, for those UK pensioners that live there, are index-linked to the UK inflation rate.
What happens when UK exercises its exit from EU will have to be re-negotiated.

Re: Old Age Pension frozen?
 

That's not possible to do as the UK haasn't even triggered Article 50 to start the process, and it will take at least 2 years, but probably more, for it to fully be actioned.

Re: Old Age Pension frozen?
 

It says on Citizens Information that Ireland has a Bilateral Social Security Agreement with the UK which is outside of the EU agreement (there are several other countries). Citizens from countries which have this agreement have pension rights as per that country protected. This reads to me that it is nothing to do with the EU.

Re: Old Age Pension frozen?
 

So you didn't really need to ask the question, as the internet has sorted it out..

Re: Old Age Pension frozen?
 

The thread helped me to get to that point. So very sorry if I was a nuisance to you!

Re: Old Age Pension frozen?
 

I haven't read the content of any Bilateral Social Agreement between UK and Ireland regarding index-linked pensions so cannot comment. That may have to do with work related contributions to pensions.
The reference I read to who qualifies to get UK index-linked state pensions is here....

https://www.gov.uk/government/public...-state-pension

If UK exits EU then all those arrangements will, by necessity, have to be re-negotiated... which will include Ireland.

Re: Old Age Pension frozen?
 

No, as Jeffand Anne said, there is a separate agreement with Ireland. The UK has a unique relationship with Ireland - for example the UK and Ireland have their own "mini-Schengen area" which predates the existence of the EU, and Irish citizens, if they move to the UK, can register to vote. These, and other agreements weren't voided when the UK and Ireland joined the EU, and therefore it is unlikely that they would be voided if/when the UK leaves.

Re: Old Age Pension frozen?
 

True and what counts is now anyway. Just because I might have to work until I'm 70, doesn't mean a change will affect people who already get a pension if that makes sense.

Re: Old Age Pension frozen?
 

If anyone can direct me to a link to see what the Ireland/UK separate agreement consists with regard to index-linking to the UK State Pension....I'd appreciate.
Right now I'm watching the EU commission say that Ireland must demand back-tax from the Apple Co. to the tune of US$14.5...wow! there goes another tax-haven.

Re: Old Age Pension frozen?
 

That's exactly it. I am in the Philippines and they have a reciprocal agreement with UK - we get the increase and Filipinos in the UK get their NI contributions credited towards thei Filipino pensions, plus get to use the NHS. The Philippines have just concluded a similar agreement with Germany. Nothing to do with the EU. It does seem as though those countries mentioned, with largish UK expats would cost the UK more than they get back! Australia i believe cancelled their agreement with the UK a few years ago on the grounds of cost efficiency.

Re: Old Age Pension frozen?
 

Nothing new there with Apple, but exciting times ahead. While people are talking about Apple, I'm sure there are plenty of German companies not paying any tax in Germany (Volkswagen etc.).

This is what they say:
The European Commission has concluded that Ireland granted undue tax benefits of up to 13 billion euros to Apple," the commission said in a statement Tuesday.
"This is illegal under EU state aid rules, because it allowed Apple to pay substantially less tax than other businesses. Ireland must now recover the illegal aid."


We'll see if that happens, because then we could question everything.
Why is person A earning more money than person B, if they have the same job title etc. I always thought it was about equal rights:sarcasm:.


Sorry for going off topic.

Re: Old Age Pension frozen?
 

If people were more effective at using Google, I'd bet that 75% of the BE threads asking for hard information (non-opinion, non-discussion/debate threads) would go away. :lol:

Re: Old Age Pension frozen?
 

You are correct quiltman...the Philippines IS a special arrangement as in my link.... https://www.gov.uk/government/public...-state-pension ....Part 2.

Ireland is under Part 1 which is ALL EEA countries. If UK exits EU it will have no effect on index-linking your pension in the Philippines/USA and others... but it may to those who are currently residing in EU.

If Australia canceled why does the UK pensioner, residing there, be so independently punished if UK no longer has to reciprocate....anybody know?

Re: Old Age Pension frozen?
 

A few years back a group of pensioners in South Africa took court action against the UK Government over frozen pensions. It went to the House of Lords. It was decided that HMG were quite within their power to freeze pensions for those in South Africa, while in the USA they are uprated annually.

Re: Old Age Pension frozen?
 

There has been much debate about this over the years and court cases are ongoing. The latest decision against up-rating those frozen pensions was knocked down by the EU Human Rights Commission....lots to read here...

Frozen pensions force expats to come home - Telegraph

If UK now leave EU and no agreement reached, it will be problematic for the Courts to justify continuing payment of index-linking to those UK State pensioners residing there, and denying those elsewhere.
If no agreement reached the tide of returning UK pensioners from EU, not immigrants, will likely overwhelm the UK's Social Services.

Unless Ireland has a separate agreement regarding index-linked pensions, as some have alluded, that will also have to be re-negotiated the same as other EEA countries.

Re: Old Age Pension frozen?
 

No it won't. The indexation/no-indexation countries are already a random grab-bag with neither rhyme nor reason as to which countries have the "relevant" (though heaven only knows how :rolleyes:) government treaty, and which don't. Consistency does not appear to be among the criteria as to the residents of which countries get indexation, and which don't.

Has anyone considered the pennies at stake for indexation in the current (last 20 years) economic climate? :unsure: It hardly seems to be worth uprooting your life to return to the UK for a few pounds a week even after a decade or more of lost indexation.

Re: Old Age Pension frozen?
 

I agree it would be silly to uproot a life of retirement dreams just because the UK Citizens/Gov't are not willing to comply with fairness....yet the 90 year old lady from Canada (linked) has already said she will return as she cannot otherwise survive without her pension being index-linked to UK inflation or, doubtless, be relying on the welfare of the Canadian taxpayer.... when she has already paid the same amount to UK NI as anyone else.

Given that UK does not receive agreement for its citizens in EU to index-linked pensions and health care in future..... we might be looking at something different....Not far to cross the channel compared to crossing the Atlantic.

I'm fortunate not to rely on my UK State pension but, if there was an overwhelming surge to show UK its unfairness, I'd temporarily return... as a mark of principle.

Re: Old Age Pension frozen?
 

Hello Anne, Is this a private pension or state pension you are referring to? if you plan on retiring outside the UK and have a private pension (ie, not the state one) you could have a few options to look into. Cameron.

Re: Old Age Pension frozen?
 

The OP's post #1 was the question about 'Old Age Pension' and being frozen in Ireland.
I understood that to be ...'The basic state pension, then known as the "Old Age Pension" was introduced in the United Kingdom.'..... and all my posts are referenced to that.
As you said..... any other pension has different options but that's for another thread.

Re: Old Age Pension frozen?
 

Thank you all. Yes, I was referring to the state pension. My husband is 71 and in receipt of his plus an annuity and SERPS. I think I'm right in saying that the annuity is fixed and I was told the other day by a friend that the SERPS element of one's pension never rises either (not sure if that is true or not). I am 61 and will not now get my State Pension until I am 66.

Re: Old Age Pension frozen?
 

yes the annuity is fixed once you are in receipt of your pension there isnt much that can be done! where do you currently reside at the minute?

Re: Old Age Pension frozen?
 

We are in Sonning, Berkshire. One of our children should be completing on his house soon and moving over - his wife is Irish and has a lot of family there and he is half Irish from my first husband. They will be renting for a while and then buying most likely in Galway.

I am going to get my husband to check if his SERPS element has gone up over the years. We both have other pensions so are fortunately not reliant on the State one but I like to do a lot of research. Anne

Re: Old Age Pension frozen?
 

Old Age Pension is now called State Retirement Pension. You at the back there, do not fall asleep, I am watching you !

Re: Old Age Pension frozen?
 

It'll always be Old Age Pension to me LOL

Re: Old Age Pension frozen?
 

Which is ironic considering that they are raising the age at which it can be claimed. :rolleyes:

Re: Old Age Pension frozen?
 

Don't I know it! I am 61 and won't get mine until I am 66 now. Anne

Re: Old Age Pension frozen?
 

66! Luxury! :rolleyes: