Receiving your pension as an expat can be more complicated than it should be, and with the UK expat population rising steadily, it’s a good idea to get clear on all the intricacies to claim UK pension overseas with a different currency to the British Pound.
The top reasons expats cite for moving out from the UK are a better quality of life, economic reasons and love. The Expat Insider 2018 poll also highlighted a crucial aspect of the UK expat population. About 51% of them may not return to the UK. What happens to this population as far as pension arrangements are concerned?
This guide will discuss all the retirement aspects for UK expats, their pension options to claim UK pension abroad, and key life decisions on whether to leave their pension in the UK or send it abroad to their host country. Let’s unpack the details below to find out how can expats claim UK state pension and more!
With the ever-changing state pension age, knowing that you’ve finally retired and can access your pension can be such a moment of relief. If you retire outside the United Kingdom, understanding how the pension system works for expats can help you in making a decision on the best way forward in respect of your pensions and how to make a claim from abroad.
As from April 2011, the Default Retirement Age was scrapped and you can now work beyond 65. However, now that you are already retired and moved or planning to move abroad, the following are the options available to claim UK pension abroad.
Option 1: Leave Your Pension Pot with the Same Provider in the UK
You may opt to leave your pension in the UK. If the pension is a defined contribution plan, you can access part of your contributions as from the age of 55. Other pension plans may also allow you to withdraw up to 25% by the age of 55 tax-free.
In case you decide not to withdraw or you are not eligible, you’ll have to wait until you attain the state pension age. The pension will be subject to ongoing annual management fees that range from 0.75% to 1.5% per year.
Ensure you register for regular updates to track the performance of your pension scheme while overseas.
Option 2: Move Your Combined Pensions Abroad
All other factors remaining constant, if you become a tax resident overseas for more than 5 years, you lose tax relief benefits on your UK pension contributions. This and other factors make it sensible to move the pension to a recognised overseas pension scheme (ROPS) also known as qualifying recognised overseas pension scheme (QROPS).
Some of the benefits of this approach include:
Option 3: Transfer to a Different Pensions Plan within the UK
It is your statutory right to move your pension to any preferred pension scheme registered in the UK. You may even transfer to a self-invested personal pension (SIPP) where you enjoy some control and flexibility of your pension.
The flexibility SIPP gives you include the opportunity to decide where to invest your pension money. You can choose Investment Trusts, ETFs, direct stocks and other funds. You also have the option of making withdrawals from your pension starting at 55 years.
However, not moving your pension from the UK means that you will be subject to the UK pension regulations and any taxation changes.
If you have made contributions to the UK National Insurance or any other pension schemes in the EEA or non-EEA countries in the course of your working life, you can make a claim from your country of residence. The following are the steps to find out how can expats claim UK state pension.
Step 1: Establish the Different Pensions You Enrolled
Apart from your state pension, you may have had a workplace pension, personal pension and state pensions from other countries.
Step 2: Get the Pension Statements
This will help you establish how much you contributed and the amounts due to you from each pension fund. For the UK state pension, you can easily get the State Pension statement.
Step 3: Make A Claim
For you to claim UK state pension abroad, you must be within 4 months to the state pension age. If your age qualifies, contact the International Pension Centre or send them the claim on email or post.
For claims involving state pensions from other countries that you contributed, check out the following scenarios:
Step 4: Choose Where to Be Paid
Inform the pension authorities on the country you would like to be paid in. Most private pensions and workplace pensions will pay into your UK bank account and you’ll have to transfer to the country and bank of your choice.
On the other hand, state pension can be paid into your UK bank account or an account in the country you live in. The best approach is to have your payments done in the UK and then look for a reliable money transfer service provider like RationalFX that will offer you favourable exchange rates and lower transfer costs.
Step 5: Determine the Frequency of your payments
You have the option to choose a once every 4 weeks payment plan or a once every 13 weeks pension payment plan. Where the state pension is less than £5 per week, you’ll receive a yearly payment every December.
Sending your pension abroad can get very costly very quickly. Making recurring payments abroad can impose a lot of unnecessary charges over time, costing you more than you think.
One of the ways to minimise the cost is to use a reliable money transfer provider, that offers a pension transfer service. These companies charge lower fees, helping you save on recurring payments abroad.
Who to choose to handle your pension transfers?
We’ve analysed a number of money transfer providers, and found RationalFX to be one of the most suitable companies for sending money abroad, including your pension without overpaying.
RationalFX is a trusted money transfer company registered in England as Rational Foreign Exchange Limited. It is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority, regulated by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and boasts of a solid financial base.
RationalFX serves both personal and business clients looking to transfer money to different parts of the world. It supports over 50 global currencies, giving you numerous transfer options.
As an assurance to pensioners in the EU, the UK government has made it clear that deal or no-deal Brexit, their state pensions will continue being uprated up to 2022. Thereafter, uprating will depend on whether or not Britain has reciprocal arrangements with the EU country you retire in.
We worked with RationalFX to get the most accurate rates for this independent comparison – if you would like to find out more about their award-winning service click here
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