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Legal, pensions and money

66 and not paid any national ins stamps

(57 Posts)
Chloejo Wed 20-Nov-19 20:26:34

I wonder if anyone can offer advice. my cousin has always worked in spain but has not paid uk national ins stamps. He wants to come home to the uk where he was born he wont be entitled to a state pension. would he be able to get any help here? he is entitled to Spanish pension which is very low. He is very worried now I know he has been foolish and should have paid national ins if you can do that.

Chardy Mon 13-Jan-20 14:04:31

Perhaps, due to Brexit, quite few ex-pats will be back to the land of their birth.
I too am horrified by the Waspi women's plight (my younger sisters both badly hit, I was hit for 2.5yrs). But children of the Windrush generation who were brought to UK as small children, worked and paid taxes here all their lives, but were threatened or actually sent back to a country they don't remember, where they gave no family, that to me is also an obscenity.

GrannySomerset Mon 13-Jan-20 13:20:50

My experience was that as a part-timer I wasn’t eligible for employers’ schemes. Didn’t pay a full NI contribution until I worked full-time once younger child was 13. Paid as much in voluntary NI as I was allowed but still don’t get a full state pension. Lots of my generation will find themselves in a similar position, I am sure.

Nannarose Mon 13-Jan-20 13:14:17

Caramac and Ellanvannin - your experiences show why so many women have ended up with poor pensions.

Ellanvannin, I know your employer was wrong, but I know some employers (or their clerical staff) told married women that to make the paperwork easier - even though it was quite legal for you to walk down the road to the Post Office and buy your NI stamp over the counter!
And Caramac, from 1978, mothers of children under 12 (16 I think initially, later 12) were credited with NI contributions. Have you looked at your pension forecast?
I cannot think why you were told that paying into a private pension was illegal! I did exactly that from my part-time earnings.

Caramac Mon 13-Jan-20 11:50:09

I wonder if he is moving back because of Brexit? I’m sure he will get some benefits but it does seem harsh on those who have paid into the system all their working lives. Really I think he should be treated as a Spanish immigrant would be.
@Ellanvannin I recall in the 1980’s as a mother of young children, I had a few crappy part time jobs around childcare but never earned enough to pay NI. I looked into paying a small amount into a private pension but was told at that time it was illegal.

notanan2 Mon 13-Jan-20 10:58:13

I also think that benefits given in the uk should be equivalent to that in their home country only

You do realise that for many immigrants in the UK, that would mean getting MORE than brits?

chelseababy Mon 13-Jan-20 10:54:44

I think he will have to pass the habitual residence test before he'll get anything

Hetty58 Mon 13-Jan-20 10:35:20

People should be angry with the unfair system - rather than the people using it. Even valid systems are complained about.

My boss (who was single and childless) used to rant on about paying council tax 'To educate other people's children'. He chose to live in a large house, so paid a lot!

jura2 Mon 13-Jan-20 10:26:32

Having made my life in the UK from the age of 19 - I never paid into the Swiss system apart from a few months. Now we are here in retirement, I am NOT entitled to the Swiss State Pension - it sucks, but why should I expect it- having not paid into it???

Chloejo Mon 13-Jan-20 10:23:09

I posted this message on behalf of my cousin. He is 64 and has always worked in the sports industry but due to health problems he wishes to retire now. I said to him u should have paid voluntary stamps here but for whatever reason he didn’t do I agree it’s of his own making. But at the same point grandad we are still in the EU so people can move freely whatever u think of this. By the way I have worked since 16 and paid full stamps but have got to wait until I’m 66 to get pension. I too get angry when I see all who cd work at my age driving cars and going on hols while claiming disability thank you for the helpful replies I have told him. No one knows anyone circumstances anyone can fall on hard times be made redundant due to health reasons.

CoolioC Fri 22-Nov-19 15:44:19

You don’t have to believe me Suzi, it’s below in black and white. Would you also mind not stalking me because I disagree with you over Prince Andrew. Thank you.

Refunds for employees
TAX GUIDE FOR EMPLOYEES GUIDE5
Introduction
If you stop work part way through the tax year, you may be due a refund of PAYE. This can also apply if you have been on a temporary or ‘emergency’ tax code – such a BR or week one / month one. Other incorrect tax codes may result in tax refunds. For example, this can happen where workers have multiple part-time jobs.
If you leave the UK during the tax year you may also be due a refund.
What you need to know
Where an individual leaves work part way through the year, and is then on out-of-work benefits, or not working and not claiming benefits, it is likely that they will have overpaid tax. This may also happen where someone stops working and leaves the UK.

Pantglas2 Fri 22-Nov-19 15:42:11

I know you want to call CoolioC out each time she says something you don’t like suziewoozie but she’s right on this one.

I know because I moved from uk to EU country in 2004 and claimed tax refund in November of that year. HMRC are happy to refund if sign to say you will not be working in UK again before the end of that tax year, in my case 2004-05.

suziewoozie Fri 22-Nov-19 15:07:02

Yes sure Cool I believe every word of that.

CoolioC Fri 22-Nov-19 13:21:29

I am afraid as a member of the EU, the UK has signed up to freedom of movement and therefore that is what this person has chosen to do, exercise his right. With the freedom of movement and other EU laws a country cannot dip in and out. That is one of the reasons I thought was used in the vote of 2016.

Therefore Grandad, you may be an advocate of remain but may not clearly have understood what it meant? Many didn’t who voted to remain.

I worked for the DWP for years and was astonished at what the UK had to abide by. Even, appealing and losing at the EU court. What surprised me more, was when I left the UK. On my final day of work I picked up my P45 to take to my local tax office. I told my husband to wait for me because I only had to hand it over the counter. When I got to the office there were queues of people, I was astounded. A person was on the door directing people to queues. I asked what was going on. Apparently, it was the time of the year where people who came to work for six months were claiming their tax back so they could return to their own countries for the other six months living off the tax returned! Mostly Europeans from poorer countries at the time, 11 years ago.

Beggars belief.

oldgimmer1 Fri 22-Nov-19 11:02:24

This website seems to be quite helpful:

www.litrg.org.uk/tax-guides/migrants/national-insurance-migrants/national-insurance-and-uk-state-pension

Not sure if it's clicky or not, sorry.

oldgimmer1 Fri 22-Nov-19 10:59:24

Crikey.

No wonder the OP has not reappeared.

hmm.

MawB Fri 22-Nov-19 09:47:48

“She was looking after them” not “he” , bad mistake blush

MawB Fri 22-Nov-19 09:46:17

Hetty I am not aware that anybody was criticising your friend and nor should they. With twins to bring up she would of course be credited with NI contributions for the period he was looking after them. Nobody here has called her feckless and I hope nobody ever would.
But on a more optimistic note regarding dyslexia, I suspect Grandad could say more than most about overcoming that problem and still building a successful career

Pantglas2 Fri 22-Nov-19 09:38:09

My reference to ‘deserving poor’ is a dig at The tories who seem to think there are two classes of poor - the unfortunate and the feckless!

I don’t differentiate as I believe you either fit the criteria for claiming a benefit or you don’t - no judgment on how you got into a position of needing to claim.

Not everyone is blessed with good health, a good work ethic or even good financial acumen and using the language of the gutter to describe them does someone of your standing no credit Grandad1943. I genuinely had you down as more caring than that.

Grandad1943 Fri 22-Nov-19 09:29:56

Pantglas2 Quote [And this is where we enter the ‘deserving poor’ territory Grandad1943......!]End Quote.

Pantglas2, in truth we do not know if the person who is the subject of this thread is in any way "deserving". It may have been that he has never earned sufficient to provide adequately for his retirement.

However, if the above circumstances are indeed the case, then surely he should have assessed his situation in his early middle age and then decided if remaining in Spain was a satisfactory option, or return to Britain in an effort to better secure his future. However, he obviously did no such assessment and now indeed may return to Britain as " underprivileged" and join the many who are in that situation due to no fault of their own in any way.

Persons classed by some as the "deserving poor" are the homeless, many of whom find themselves in that situation due to mental health issues. Those I feel should be supported to the utmost that this nation can provide. However, that is not the case. Here in North Somerset there was recently a BBC report in regard to such persons attending the social services in dire need of help but only being given a single man tent and a sleeping bag as the total physical assistance that they receive, even in the depths of winter.

In the above, does any forum member feel this nation should support the circumstances of this person returning from Spain better than that of those who have always resided in the UK and are truly this nations deserving poor?

Hetty58 Fri 22-Nov-19 09:22:13

Crikey, what a load of judgemental replies on here. I merely answered the OP's question with (hopefully) helpful and factual information.

What makes people decide to be judge and jury? We don't even know the full story or circumstances involved, do we?

By the way, my friend has never worked as she has severe dyslexia. Try finding a job with that. She had twins at 18 and their father walked away. (There's a whole other story of injustice to consider - why was she instantly labelled a feckless single parent whereas he's a jack-the-lad and 'blameless' in society's eyes?)

The welfare state is a vital safety net in my view. I've never needed it but I've never resented paying into it either. I've always thought myself very lucky. Anyone, at any time, could suddenly find themselves ill, unemployed or disabled, so I'm glad that it's there!

The whole idea of paying into a 'pot' for pensions is flawed, anyway. There is no reserve. Pensions come from general taxation so, in fact, each generation pays for the one before. The idea of 'fairness' is voiced loudly by those who suspect that they pay more in than they will get back. Do these people resent those who live to a great age? I ask because pensions/pensioners are the biggest drain on the benefits system.

Urmstongran Fri 22-Nov-19 08:15:22

I agree. It could even be called ‘cherry picking’ or ‘having your cake and eating it’.

I bet he gets a SP here though. Lucky bugger is all I can say.

Peonyrose Fri 22-Nov-19 08:06:30

Why should anyone who has lived and worked in Spain all their working life, decide to relocate here and have us pay for the priviledge. Milking the system. I feel sorry for those that have lived her and worked and bought up families struggling to make ends meet, they deserve help. Spain is his adopted country after all.

NfkDumpling Fri 22-Nov-19 07:51:46

But not the third para of his second.

NfkDumpling Fri 22-Nov-19 07:48:56

I agree with Grandads first post.

Pantglas2 Fri 22-Nov-19 07:33:35

Apologies doramarr, I actually meant ANY of those things rather than ALL of them.