PLEASE HELP UNFREEZE UK PENSIONS ABROAD

[Guest HeyGay]

Please will you consider supporting this petition to the British government, many expats around the world urgently need your support.

 

Also Please send this to any one you know who can sign it also.

 

Dear Friend

 

In the past some of you will already have received requests from me to sign petitions seeking parity of pension payments to UK citizens living abroad in countries where the UK has not paid them the annual increase in state pensions. We now have the opportunity to get the matter debated in the House of Commons. If you would care to sign the petition scroll down; if you wish to see the justification (again?) read on:

 

Pensioners living in EC countries and certain favoured countries such as Israel, USA, the Philippines, Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro receive annual increases in the same way that UK resident pensioners receive them. This is only fair since all pensioners will have paid into the National Insurance fund throughout their working lives and are entitled to equitable treatment.

 

This brings us to the situation affecting those UK citizens who live in Commonwealth countries such as Canada, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia as well as many other countries such as Thailand where I live. Pensioners living in those countries have their pensions 'frozen' at the rate they were receiving from the day they ceased UK residence, or the day they start receiving pension if they already live abroad. There is no justification for this unfair treatment; the usual response from HM Govedrnment is that there is no legal obligation as the UK has reciprocal social security agreements with the unfrozen countries and not the others. This despite the fact that reciprocal social security agreements are not entered into solely with a view to paying annual uprating to UK pensioners abroad. They are not strictly necessary for that purpose as uprating can be achieved through UK legislation.

 

Recent research has shown that the benefit to the UK economy from pensioners emigrating is on average

[Guest fountainhall]

Thank for bringing up this important issue. I think it is a disgrace the UK government freezes pensions, just as it is a disgrace that those UK citizens who have paid their National Insurance contributions throughout their working lives but happen to live overseas are denied treatment on the National Health Service. I will happily sign the petition.

[Guest]

Thank for bringing up this important issue. I think it is a disgrace the UK government freezes pensions, just as it is a disgrace that those UK citizens who have paid their National Insurance contributions throughout their working lives but happen to live overseas are denied treatment on the National Health Service. I will happily sign the petition.

 

I have signed it and agree totally with the comments.

 

As I see it, if a pensioner moves abroad, he loses NHS entitlements after just 6 months, but still is liable for tax until he's been away for a full year.

 

Where's the justice in that?

This is no way to treat someone who has spent a lifetime working and paying tax.

 

I would not mind if we had a low tax economy, but the working man is burdened by taxes to support those who never intend to work. Then when he retires, he gets screwed by these silly rules.

 

Are you posting this on all the forums, including Ting Tong?

[billyhouston]

Your pension is frozen and you cannot use the NHS but, if you remain UK Domiciled, HMRC screw you for Inheritance Tax on your worldwide assets. Losing UK Domicile isn't easy; simply living overseas for 20 years doesn't do it.

[Guest]

Losing UK Domicile isn't easy; simply living overseas for 20 years doesn't do it.

 

Yes, but if you cut all obvious links, close bank accounts etc, the process for losing domicile doesn't seem that difficult.