State Pension Question

Mensch

woolly_wombat wrote: »

From the EU 'Your Europe' website:
http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/work/retire-abroad/state-pensions-abroad/index_en.htm#
The UK International Pension Centre contact details can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/international-pension-centre

Several posters claiming French/German pensions have reported having to prove on an annual basis that they are still alive and kicking, so at least you won't have that hassle if you are able to claim from the UK.

I'd be very interested to hear how you get on (my husband will be making a claim for a small French pension in a few years time).

WW

I was aware of that from the outset but with a British pal who I worked with in Germany (but now living and working in Poland) having applied directly - and successfully - to Hamburg, I thought I'd give it a go as well.

For clarification, Fr Jablonski did respond speedily to the original request and has twice asked for further details. The sticking point is a 12-month period in 1978/79 when I was in hospital and recovering later from several operations on my leg.

It appears my then employer's responsibilities to pay my wages and NICS equivalents passed on to some kind of insurance company and no one can determine who or what that company was. The employer died a few years ago and so did his records apparently.

Fr Jablonski also told me during my call that she had requested a pension forecast (for me, of course) from the UK and that had been returned very quickly. Quite how that affects my German entitlement she was unable to say though. Perhaps someone on here could enlighten me?

Still, I'm sure I'll get a response before I qualify in July!

JezR

As part of the complete calculation they need to know contribution history into all pension systems that there is a reciprocal arrangement with Germany. They then count all your years as if they had been paid into the German system, then calculate a pro rata amount. More important for countries with a high minimum year requirement though.

doubleug

Thanks for your brilliant reply.Actually my contributions were based on 46 years-1966-2012 and yes indeed i was contracted out and in an occupational scheme.
What would my wife (dob 01/01/1952) have got under the new scheme had she been a few years younger?. Her current pension is currently based on six years contributions when working and a further 18 years bringing up children?

doubleug

zagfles wrote: »

It looks like you've not got much SERPS, so were you in a contracted out occupational scheme, or were you self employed? Does your state pension statement show a "contracted out deduction"?

If you were self-employed you might have lost out. If you were in a contracted out scheme you almost certainly haven't. The new "full" pension is reduced by contracted out deductions.

Interesting--thanks. i contributed 46 years of NI and paid into an occupational pension. I wonder how many future contracted out pensioners are expecting this supa duper new rate is one question -but more importantly--why the heck do the government keep banging on about everybody getting the higher figure--as a right.? Who's conning who?

I think there is going to be one heck of a row next spring

doubleug

jem16 wrote: »

As you only have £118 it looks like you have been contracted out for most of your working life so it's more than likely that your pension under the new rules would have been less than what you're getting now due to the contracted out deduction. In reality your £118 would have been your foundation amount and that's what you would be getting.

You have lost nothing by being older.

Thank you for you reply-good.
I was indeed contracted out and in an occupational scheme. i do wonder though if there are thousands upon thousands "out there" who have been very clearly told by the government that they will be entitled for the new full pension and only when they get their forecast will they see the true figure.
I sense a heck of a public row next spring re this forked tongue approach from Whitehall

jem16

doubleug wrote: »

Thank you for you reply-good.
I was indeed contracted out and in an occupational scheme. i do wonder though if there are thousands upon thousands "out there" who have been very clearly told by the government that they will be entitled for the new full pension and only when they get their forecast will they see the true figure.

The government never said that everyone would get the full pension and it was quite clearly set out in the white paper. Did you read this?

Anything else that came from politicians and the media should always be taken with a large pinch of salt.

I sense a heck of a public row next spring re this forked tongue approach from Whitehall

Only from those who never bother to actually read the details and find out for themselves.

JezR

As was said way back in 2011 at the consultation stage:

Many pensioners would receive their single-tier pension through a combination of their state pension and contracted-out pension scheme, as happens now.

Originally this would have still been the case for about half those retiring as late as 2050. However, the transitional arrangements adopted in the end were more generous to those who could build up to the full single-tier amount from their foundation level until retirement.

gfplux

It has been possible to get some form of state pension forcasting for many years. I know that I had one or more starting in the early 1990's when in my 40's as my pension date grew closer.
What I am so amazed about is how many people have never bothered.

p00hsticks

doubleug wrote: »

why the heck do the government keep banging on about everybody getting the higher figure--as a right.? Who's conning who?

I don't believe that the government have been 'banging on about everyone getting the higher figure -- as a right'. The details have been out there for ages for anyone taking a real interest.

The main part of the population that I've seen getting the wrong end of the stick about this are existing pensioners, completely unaffected by the new rules, who've half read some shoddy journalism by the likes of the Mail and are now convinced that they're being hard done by and everyone in future will be getting more than them....

Mensch

woolly_wombat wrote: »

From the EU 'Your Europe' website:
http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/work/retire-abroad/state-pensions-abroad/index_en.htm#
The UK International Pension Centre contact details can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/international-pension-centre

Several posters claiming French/German pensions have reported having to prove on an annual basis that they are still alive and kicking, so at least you won't have that hassle if you are able to claim from the UK.

I'd be very interested to hear how you get on (my husband will be making a claim for a small French pension in a few years time).

WW

UPDATE

I received a letter from Fr Jablonski on Thursday, asking me to complete another form stating I wasn't disabled or in receipt of a whole range of different benefits.


This form could have been issued by her a year ago when she sent out the original application forms, I would have thought.