Right To A Pension

[Samuraisan]

Can a British citizen, who has lived outside GB nearly all their life, never having contributed , still claim a British pension at 65 ? Someone told me could, but I find it hard to believe and suspect some kind of " fraud " ?

[SIRandyraven]

You have to pay a minimum number of years of NI contribution to gain a pension. But I think they could claim benefits .....
In the same way someone from France or Italy could arrive in uk and after x months claim benefits.

[B00]

Don't see why not. There's millions who've lived here all their life who haven't contributed but still claim it.

[pastafreak]

I could have claimed a UK pension,despite having worked very little here when it was offered.

[Psybbo]

So I needn't have worked for 65 years!

[fiction-factory]

I think there's some misinformation here

[Psybbo]

Sorry 47 years

[Psybbo]

FF :-)

[fiction-factory]

https://www.gov.uk/state-pension/eligibility

[fiction-factory]

I wasn't referring to your figure, Psybbo, though I knew it was wrong

[Samuraisan]

That's what I thought. I can't see how they could be elegible. They don't even luve in the UK. Something fishy indeed.

[mikey4444]

The key to your answer is "lived outside of Britain nearly all their life"

If they not lived here, then they couldn't have paid any NICs, so the answer is NO. And if they haven't lived here, they could claim any benefits either.

If they had paid some NICs for a short while, then they may be entitled to a small OAP.

[retrocop]

Just asked my wife about this question and it is by no means tablets of stone.
Her mothers Scottish relatives (mainly cousins) emigrated to Canada years ago at about the age of 20yrs. They may have paid N.I. from 16yrs til 20yrs when they left. They got a UK pension,apparently, but not a full pension which did not rise with inflation. I am told that they kept it banked in the UK as spending money when they returned to visit relatives. Make of that what you will!!

[THECORBYLOON]

There are various Reciprocal Agreements between the UK and other countries so that contributions made to one country's (or several countries') social security scheme count toward the UK State Pension and vice versa.

[mikey4444]

Retro...from what you have said, that is the way our OAP is meant to work.

If you have paid some NICs, then some kind of pension will be due to you. Depending on where you live in the world, when you take the OAP at the allotted age, will depend on whether it is index-linked or not.

Samuraisan...whoever that "somebody" is, is either lying or has got the wrong end of the stick.

[Peter Pedant]

well Sue Lloyd Roberts did anyone notice
lived in Thpain for god knows how long
and then when she need a BMT, erm re immigrated to the UK to have it for free

well she did pay her taxes ...once

[THECORBYLOON]

The Reciprocal Agreements [RA] vary from country to country meaning that when someone has emigrated, the claimant continues to receive the rate of pension they received when last in the UK so it is not uprated each year and for some RAs, not all benefits are covered.

[Samuraisan]

Thanks all for your answers. Quite honestly, knowing this person, I doubt they have made any contribution in any country. They have always worked hand to mouth , undeclared. Anyway, it is not my problem, I
was just curious.

[Dee Sa]

if they come back to live permanently in the UK they can claim benefits if there have been nil pension payments, but wont get it if they continue to live elsewhere.