UK State Pension Payments for Expats?
Pensions is a subject of great interest to many British expats. Some of the members of the British Expat Forum for Canada have done a great job of unearthing the latest rules and have posted the information on the following thread:
UK pension payment
5 Responses to “UK State Pension Payments for Expats?”
Not long now until the appeal at The Hague is heard. (See the thread for details.) I am still monitoring the issue and will post the results on receipt.
Thanks, Buddyboy – I’m sure a lot of readers will appreciate it. 🙂
What a terrible shame it is that people have to even contest this issue, which should have been automatically redressed by the government years ago, given its constant bleating about how its priority is to see that everyone gets a fair shake.
Tell that to the squadron leader who fought in the Battle of Britain, settled in Queensland, Australia, then retired on a two-pound pension, which remained at that level when he was 100 years of age. I assume he has died by now, disappointed at an unappreciative Great Britain for which he risked his life.
Now, more than ever, given the time that has elapsed since this parsimonious “law” was passed denying those who settled overseas in certain countries an annually upgraded pension, career politicians will be digging in their heels to make sure it remains on the books.
After all, the extra payouts to deserving pensioners might force our pols to cut their expense claims; then who will pay for their chocolates, their porn videos, their newspaper subscriptions, duckhouses, ad nauseam. Worse; how will they be able to pay to clean their moats?
Here in NZ this UK expat since 1996 , would very much appreciate any recent news about a Euro Commission for Human Rights ENQUIRY , supposedly in early September 2009
Has the Enquiry taken place ? was there a judgement ?
My understanding from reports on the net is that th UK can well afford to update our pensions for the reported reason that these State Pension Fund are in very good financial health and not in dire straits as had been previously suggested .
Now , with the pound sterling having dropped about 15% in only 3 months
our pensioners in NZ are really feeling life very difficult.
Any news would be very much appreciated
Kind Regards
Derek Lessware , Wanganui, New Zealand
The ECHR case was heard in Strasbourg [not The Hague] on September 2nd before 17 judges in the Grand Chamber. British Pensions in Australia [BPiA] has made some DVD’s of the 1 hour 40 min hearing, should anyone be interested. It will cost you A$10 to pay for its making its packaging and postage to Australia or more if overseas, but we believe it is worth listening to and seeing the case being presented.
Our thoughts on the hearing are shown at our website http://www.bpia.org.au and we invite those who are interested to join BPiA for a small annual sub, which is used to help fund the lawsuit and the ongoing lobbying we believe will be necessary to achieve a remedy, supported we hope with a favourable outcome from the Strasbourg hearing.
The outcome is not expected until about April 2010 and after that we expect to be getting on with negotiating with the UK Goverment of the day to get the eventual outcome we are all seeking, parity of our UK age pensions with those who live in non pension-frozen countries like Jamaica, The Philippines, Turkey, Israel, the US as well as all the EEA countries.
Why not email me at bpia@people.net.au and ask for an application form to join the fight for justice with the 40,000 others from all around the world? An application form to join BPiA is available at our website too.
I post on the website each month, the latest report of most of the relevant activities re our UK age pensions. This month I will write about our efforts to get the issue brought to the attention of as many Commonwealth nations as posibble, who were attending the recent CHOGM which has just finished.
Hoping for the best pension outcome with all the hard work in which we are engaged.
Sincerely .
Jim Tilley
Hon Chairman British Pensions in Australia Inc
Phone + 61 2 9521 7964