Pension cuts could affect future claimaints

[sargeant]

Sticks
I am not sure so please bear that in mind

he didn't pay enough NI only about ten years worth

and has been receiving pension credits

Firstly it seems he does NOT qualify for a state pension he needs 30 years
Secondly i believe (not sure) but it seems he was receiving social security payments to make up for his shortfall of 20 years.
I am going to presume that as he is now considered to be living permanently abroad/ Non Resident and he therefore ceases to be entitled to anything

I have been told he is entitled to a minimum of £64 a week?

Maybe if he was resident in the UK but i do not think it applies if he is Non Resident ie living permanently abroad
If anyone can be more precise please assist sticks

[Big Boy]

The problem is that through his working life he didn't pay enough NI only about ten years worth

I know that you won't like this answer sticks, and I admit that I don't know your friend's full circumstance. However, to me this sums up what is wrong with the UK at the moment. Too many people looking for handouts, and expecting the workforce to finance it.

[sticks]

Thanks for that big boy we all know what's wrong with the uk system and people bleeding it but he lived there for 67 years and worked most of them and he is British didn't ponce off of the state.

[sargeant]

2 points sticks
1. I am British and i did pay into the system and I am getting screwed your friend only paid in for 10 years
2. I still pay Tax and i do not see why it should be given to someone who HAS NOT paid his dues to live the same life as me when i saved and PAID IN and am still paying in and i DO NOT own a house here

[lindosfan1]

What puzzles me is he was there for 67 years but only paid National insurance for 10 years. Does not make sense.

[Big Boy]

Thanks for that big boy we all know what's wrong with the uk system and people bleeding it but he lived there for 67 years and worked most of them and he is British didn't ponce off of the state.

If he worked but didn't pay his dues, and has been claiming Pension Credits, what else do you call it?

I had to pay in for over 40 years. I paid tax all my life, and I am still paying. I am not able to own a house here.

Despite living and working in the UK for over 20 years, and having accrued more NI credits than your friend, my wife will not get a pension either.

I assume your friend has other incomes anyway to enable him to stay here legally. If he wants a pension that badly, I beleive it is possible to pay the missing 20 years payments - he will have had letters advising of the scheme (my wife used to get them annually).

Sh*t happens.

[sargeant]

What puzzles me is he was there for 67 years but only paid National insurance for 10 years. Does not make sense.

Yes Lindos i was puzzled but he could have been self employed and opted out of NI contributions somehow

[lindosfan1]

If self employed they still pay towards pensions.

[caller]

If self employed they still pay towards pensions.

Only if operating within the law. From what sticks has said, his friend couldn't have been.

Neither will he be sent to live in an old peoples home should he return, as a way of getting a pension, that's just rubbish.

[Dannie Boy]

If self employed they still pay towards pensions.

Assuming he was self employed and if he didn't make contributions (self employed would be class 2 I believe, which are ridiculously cheap compared to class 1) then he doesn't deserve a lot of sympathy. Of course if its for other reasons then this comment may not apply.

[margaretcarnes]

Probably a misprint BB because I just did the calc and mine came out at £110.15 as well

The proposed new basic rate pension isn't law yet, and won't be in place for a while, so the online calculators can only show the facts as they are now.

[margaretcarnes]

looking for a bit of information for a friend he as been living here for eight years and as been receiving pension credits they have now been stopped he went back to the uk to try and sort out the problem and was told that because he doesn't live there any more that he is not intietal to them and no money, is this correct can they just stop paying him and give him nothing.
He was told that if he moved back there they would put him in a old peoples home and reinstate his pension. He didn't want that and I don't blame him for that he has a house here and he is still independent why would he want to be put in a home and left there to DIE.

The problem is that through his working life he didn't pay enough NI only about ten years worth so does anyone know if he is intietaled to any thing, he as sent letters to the DWP and emailed them but they don't reply back I have been told he is intietaled to a minimum of £64 a week? is this true and if so how can he start the ball rolling.

many thanks and much appreciated to some information

Your friend has been illegally claiming Pension Credit. It is a means tested benefit - like Income Support - and can't be claimed by Brits living abroad.
Regardless of the reasons for his lack of NI contributions, it's too late for him to make that up now with AVC's. I'm pretty sure those have to be paid before the state pension starts, and in any case would cost him a fortune.
So all he is legally entitled to now is his basic pension based on the 10 years contributions. I haven't got the figures to hand but £64 seems too high, but I'll check.
However - his overpayment of Pension Credit will be recovered from what little state pension he does get. It will be recovered at source. And IMO it would be pointless him appealing. At the end of the day he has made a fraudulent claim.
Now - this is where it gets more interesting, because depending on his age he COULD have claimed the Pension Credit before he was 65. Say that's what happened. He gets Pension Credit. Goes to Thailand. Turns 65 there. Fails to claim his State Pension for whatever reason. Get my drift? Even more of an overpayment. Plus he would now need to claim his pension in order to have a lot of it stopped against the overpayment...... So he goes back to the UK to make the claim and gets' taken to court. Either way he can't win. And quite honestly he only has himself to blame.

[margaretcarnes]

As i read that Lomu should get the flat rate 144 quid a week

Richard and i (116.15 quid a week in my case ) will still keep getting only that so hang in there Lomu your pension is still going up ours is NOT and will NOT even though I am still paying Tax

That's how I see it as well Sarge - Lomu should by rights get the £144.

But - if the rest of us who are on less don't get upped to £144 at the same time it will cause an inequality which could surely be judged illegal.
Normally with a change like this what would happen would be the new rate would be frozen - say at 144 - until the rest of us caught up. However, that stil doesn't solve the problem of some people getting more than they've paid for. So the government is going to have to decide exactly what type of benefit the new basic pension is. i'e is it contribution based? Clearly not 100%. So is it means tested? By all accounts so far - no. And so it follows that the only other option is if they class it as a Universal Benefit, which as well as descriminating again against those of us who have paid full whack, would also raise another question. Because traditionally other Universal Benefits aren't paid to those living abroad either (things like Winter Fuel Allowance, Child Benefit.)
So, soon after this thread began I put these questions to my DWP Pensions Liaison Officer. A nice lady who is on the ball and does bits of training for us. I haven't had a reply yet.

[sargeant]

Thanks a heap mags that answers sticks question
quote Big Boy

If he worked but didn't pay his dues, and has been claiming Pension Credits, what else do you call it?

quote caller

Only if operating within the law. From what sticks has said, his friend couldn't have been.

quote mags

Your friend has been illegally claiming Pension Credit

I am afraid that the 2 members that have been caught on this forum are probably quite typical and it is those people that have caused the detrimental changes that affect me and my wife's future.

I would suggest it is a huge amount of money when ALL bogus claims are calculated ie a single case of 8 years @ 100 quid a week = 5,200 quid a year = 41,600 quid over 8 years i would bet a few $s that that single case is actually a lot more

[sticks]

Sargeant don't come to conclusions that we've been caught out I still have 17 years to go before I retire and who knows what's going to happen with the system by that time as come.
I was only asking for some advise to try and help a friend, it's not my fault that some of use have been screwed by the British government, I've paid more then enough into the system and also like you my wife will not receive nothing.
Thank you every one for your help on this it looks like its a bad subject for some of you and I don't understand why you jump to conclusions about people you don't even know.