Drawing a UK state pension from abroad

[merlin]

Does anybody know anything about drawing a state pension from abroad?

I was talking to a chap that has lived here for a couple of years. He tells me he receives a state pension from the UK, almost a hundred pounds per week. He tells me that he has paid in less than half of the stamps or whatever to receive a full pension. I can understand that if he lived in the UK he would receive some kind of benefit instead of the pension, but does anybody know how he receives anything living out here, not having paid in enough in the UK. He assures me that is above board, and that they send it to his Bulgarian bank account. Just wondering, since I still pay contributions both here and in the UK, and I am starting to wonder if it is worth it.

[Odsox]

The UK government changed the goalposts a while back, you now only need 30 years worth of stamps/contributions for a full pension.
If you don't have enough contributions you get paid pro rata.
The pension can be paid in most countries I believe and certainly in all EU countries and commonwealth countries.

EDIT: I should have added that you HAVE to apply for your pension in the last country that you worked in, so if you have been officially "on the books" in Bulgaria, the UK will disown you and insist that you apply for a Bulgarian pension.

[marshlander]

Interested so I looked it up. https://www.gov.uk/state-pension-if-you-retire-abroad It's a minefield isn't it? There are contact detals on the site to check if you are elegible - you may be paying in for no return - worth a call.

[merlin]

The UK government changed the goalposts a while back, you now only need 30 years worth of stamps/contributions for a full pension.
If you don't have enough contributions you get paid pro rata.
The pension can be paid in most countries I believe and certainly in all EU countries and commonwealth countries.

EDIT: I should have added that you HAVE to apply for your pension in the last country that you worked in, so if you have been officially "on the books" in Bulgaria, the UK will disown you and insist that you apply for a Bulgarian pension.

That would be about right then, I pay in zillions, and end up on a Bulgarian pension,lol. The difficult part is spending all that £30 per month, it's a while off yet, since I found out last night that I will now be 67 and a bit before I can draw a pension, another 17 years, I think I will put it in a jar!

[merlin]

Just had a look at that link from marshland, a very good link, tells you all about what you will get by way of an easy online calculator, turns out that I have paid just a couple of years over the 30 years required. Apparently they don’t not take into account any contributions before the age of 19, so that shortened my calculation, since I joined the army at 16. but a very good link I thought I had forfeited any pension by moving abroad.

[Odsox]

That would be about right then, I pay in zillions, and end up on a Bulgarian pension,lol. The difficult part is spending all that £30 per month

You should have moved to Ireland, the basic Irish pension is about €203 per week.
(at the moment)

[merlin]

203 Euro, wow! I could live like a king on that here. I am now trying to find out if insurance and pension payments made in a country other than the UK would count towards a pension should that person move back to the UK before retirement age.

[Odsox]

Yes you can, as I said you apply for your pension in the last country you worked in. What happens in theory is that the country that pays gets a percentage from all the other countries you worked in prior to retiring.
So if you go back to the UK just before retirement age and either get a job or sign on or buy some self employed stamps, you should be entitled to a full UK pension.
I suspect there is a minimum length of time to be employed though and it will probably all have changed in 17 years anyway.

[demi]

Don't have any personal experiance of it but my friends dad was recieving his UK pension from Greece and living quite comfertably off it. He wasn't that old either, same as my parents, in his 50's. I think he took early retirement for health reasons of some sort. And i believe he is now living in Thailand and still recieveing his pension from there. So yes its possible.
When the time comes for me i doubt id be entitled to anything, as iv bearly worked at all in the UK.

[diggernotdreamer]

I checked with the tax office before I left to live in Ireland 4 years ago, my pension age is 66 and they said you contact them with your new details and they will register you are living abroad. There is a web site, https://www.gov.uk/browse/working/state-pension. I have paid in for 30 years so I get a full pension, I think the Irish government may top it up to the equivalent generous Irish pension, that is if it is still in operation when I am that age., Look at that website and they have a calculator so you put in your details and it gives you some idea of what you might get

[marshlander]

Bar stewards! As my pensionable age was raised from 60 to 65 a few years ago it didn't occur to me that the latest change effected me. The penny has dropped that I've now got to wait even longer - in my case 'til I'm 66

[merlin]

Yes you can, as I said you apply for your pension in the last country you worked in. What happens in theory is that the country that pays gets a percentage from all the other countries you worked in prior to retiring.
So if you go back to the UK just before retirement age and either get a job or sign on or buy some self employed stamps, you should be entitled to a full UK pension.
I suspect there is a minimum length of time to be employed though and it will probably all have changed in 17 years anyway.

Really good information odsox, I will be looking into that. As you say, over the next 17 years it could well change, probally back to the 40 years required before, so it's valuble information, thanks for that.

[oldjerry]

Tony,correct me if I'm wrong,but do you still get the yearly pension rises when you live abroad,something in my head about it staying at the rate it is when you go abroad ?(that might be just a proposal,applicable to those outside the EU,or alcohol - induced hallucination.)

[okra]

The state pension is inflation proofed if you live in most EU countries but not for Australia, NZ, South Africa, Canada and about another 170 countries. It's probably best to check with the Overseas Pension Department.

[oldfella]

if you have your National Insurance Code No; and phone the Following No in the Uk they will give the full information regarding your Pension.

0190 2187777
Good luck;

Eddy