Pension Issues when emigrating.

GoingToOz

Please can anyone advise me about what I need to be doing with regard to my pension.

I am in the process of migrating to Oz, and currently have a civil service pension. Can I take it with me? Should I? What to do?!?!?!?!?

Any and all advice much appreciated, Thanks.

bridiej

Seems to be fairly straightforward - I asked this last week, see here http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=81886

EdInvestor

Re your British state pension, you can keep eligibility for it by playing Class 2 voluntary contributions if you are employed or self-employed overseas. These cost about 10 quid a month.You can make up missing back contributions for a max of 6 years.

Be aware though that if you are still living in Australia when you retire, the Government will not uprate your UK pension for inflation: it will remain frozen at its value at your retirement date.

This does not apply to people retired in other countries such as Europe, the US, Isreal and the Phillipines, to name a few.

This gross injustice is a major sore point among UK expats in Australia and other Commonwealth countries and is the subject of a growing campaign, see this website for details:

http://www.britishpensions.org.au/