Claiming State Pension

squishy2020

I have just received an invitation to claim my state pension. I have to provide 4 bits of information, 3 are easy but one asks 'Dates of time spent living or working abroad'

In about 1980 I went to Australia on a working holiday, but I have no records of how long it was or the dates, its was only a few months. Any advice on how to deal with this? I have plenty of NI years to get the full pension.

In addition I have worked abroad a few times for a number of weeks while working for my ex employer in the UK. I assume that this information is not required?

TIA

flaneurs_lobster

They are really only interested in employment/residency overseas that may entitle you to a foreign pension. Think you can safely say "None".

squishy2020

flaneurs_lobster said:

They are really only interested in employment/residency overseas that may entitle you to a foreign pension. Think you can safely say "None".

Thanks they don't give much in the way of guidance but this sounds sensible.

pinnks

If you have more than 10 UK years then the mathematics of any bilateral social security agreement will not change the amount of your pension and you will simply get a pension based on your UK NI record as if you had not been abroad.

The social security agreement with Australia was withdrawn in about 2000.  You probably won't meet the requirements for an Australian pension but you could talk to DWP International Pension Centre to check if they think it is worth pursuing.

If you were employed by a UK employer but active for short periods abroad, then you would still have been subject to UK rules and NIC.