UK State Pension upgrade.

[Mike@Bonbeach]

Hi all.

I was under the impression that if you returned to the UK for a holiday then your state pension (OAP) would get uprated for the duration.

We have lived in Au now for 4 years, when we left the UK our pensions were roughly 82.50GBP per week(ie full entitlement). We thought that we would be upgraded to todays rate (100 GBP per week?) for the number of weeks we were in the UK. I have just received notification that we will be paid an extra 3.08GBP for each week we were in the UK. I would have expected an amount more in line with 17.50GBP per week.

Apart from not getting what I thought we would be entitled to, have I misunderstood the rules, as I am sure the UK state pension has increased more than 3.08GBP a week in 4 years.

Any help would be appreciated.

Will be on the phone to Newcastle this evening.

Mike

[Guest The Pom Queen]

Hi Mike

Did you find anything out as I'm sure this will be of interest to other members?

[mamba]

Have been in Oz 23 days now from England and yesterday received a letter from The Pension Service and after informing me that as a resident of Australia I will not be receiving any future increase in State Pension goes on to say

"You can still get the increased amount if you visit the UK, or a country where EC regulations apply, as long as you are covered by the regulations"

Three points spring to mind,

The letter does not explain the regulations so presume it was written by Kafka or Joseph Heller,secondly the envelope was postmarked Malta which only adds insult to injury and thirdly why can't the UK authorities be quite so efficient when dealing with requests for tax rebates.

Mamba

[Mike@Bonbeach]

Hi

Yes, after hounding them ,they admitted that they had made a mistake and my reckoning was correct. The missing amount was paid into our bank about 5 days later, so well worth pursuing.

Mike.

PS. telephone number for the Pension Service from Australia is 0011441912187777, and they are open 8am to 8pm Mon-Fri UK time.