Invitation to claim State Pension - Question re Living / Working Abroad

Cevets

I recently received the invitation letter to claim my State Pension (due September 2023). I am curious about one of the items of information it states I will require to complete my online application;

• Dates of time spent living or working abroad

My Pension Forecast indicates I will receive the full state pension and I have also confirmed this via the Telephone helpline.

I have actually spent approximately 18 years working abroad during my working life but I'm curious why they are asking this question at this time. 

xylophone

As a check for people in certain circumstances.

https://www.gov.uk/new-state-pension/living-and-working-overseas#:~:text=Your UK State Pension if you've lived or worked abroad&text=You need 10 years of,the EEA


Have you checked on whether you are entitled to a foreign pension as well as uk pension?

Bostonerimus1

Reciprocal Social Security Agreements with other countries mean that contributions to foreign schemes can be used to qualify for the UK State Pension and there are obviously other rules and points of interaction if you have lived and worked in EU/EEA countries. If you have enough NI contributions to qualify for full UK SP it's probably not relevant, although if you live abroad then you might not get UK SP inflation increases depending on the particular country.

Cevets

Thanks for the responses. I was thinking it may have been related to Tax contributions, not that I have anything to hide. With being self employed all my working life I have had a number of 'meetings' with the IR and didn't fancy having to face another as I enter retirement.