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Consular Letter Confirming Pension/Income for Retirement Visa.


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As I am in receipt of my UK State Pension I can now use it as part of the 800000 baht towards my Extension of Stay Visa.

Do I need too get a letter every year from the UK Embassy too confirm I am receipt of this prior to applying for my Extension of Stay, my State Pension will never decrease only increase or stay the same ?

i have the original letter from the DWP informing of when I would start too receive it.

Similar my Private Pension although that will always stay the same although it could decrease depending on my Tax Code, I have the original documents outlining what my annual and monthly payment is.

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Yes. You can use a combination of pension and savings ( seasoned for 3 months ).

Because the exchange rate varies, you do have to get the letter every year. Immigration converts from the GBP amount to baht.

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Just now, Lacessit said:

Yes. You can use a combination of pension and savings ( seasoned for 3 months ).

Because the exchange rate varies, you do have to get the letter every year. Immigration converts from the GBP amount to baht.

Yes but as long as I keep more cash in the Bank that should cover any ups and downs of the exchange rate.

My original State Pension letter states when my UK Pension starts and will only cease when I die ?

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You will need a new letter every year from the British embassy, BKK, to support your request for extension of stay.  But you say that your state pension will never increase, only decrease.   That is not true as you should advise the DWP that you are living in Thailand.   Living in Thailand means that your UK state pension will be frozen at the current rate, there will be no increases.

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You need to get a letter from the British Consulate every year. You email them details of ALL your incomes, they DO NOT care about money going out. Email bank statements, their forms and of course credit/debit card details. Costs 52 quid and takes about 10 days. The immigation man then looks at the monthly GBP total, multiplies that by that day's exchange rate. If it is over Bht 65,000 you do not need any savings. If not, you do to make it up to 800K per year.. Simple

Edited by wgdanson
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1 minute ago, wgdanson said:

So you've not told them you are living over here!

I don’t live permanently in Thailand, I still have a property in the UK and return every 3 months spending 3/4 weeks there. I am also liable for UK Income Tax, I have already confirmed my position with the DWP, I am classed as UK Resident.

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11 minutes ago, wgdanson said:

You need to get a letter from the British Consulate every year. You email them details of ALL your incomes, they DO NOT care about money going out. Email bank statements, their forms and of course credit/debit card details. Costs 52 quid and takes about 10 days. The immigation man then looks at the monthly GBP total, multiplies that by that day's exchange rate. If it is over Bht 65,000 you do not need any savings. If not, you do to make it up to 800K per year.. Simple

Yes but I have the documentation stating when my State Pension starts, it will not stop till I die. Surely if the UK Embassy confirms this that’s enough ?

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2 minutes ago, jamie2009 said:

Yes but I have the documentation stating when my State Pension starts, it will not stop till I die. Surely if the UK Embassy confirms this that’s enough ?

Then you do what you want. The steps I told you are what is needed, I've done it too many times. I totally agree that ONE letter from UK Embassy SHOULD be sufficient, but T I T.

 

Edited by wgdanson
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7 minutes ago, jamie2009 said:

I don’t live permanently in Thailand, I still have a property in the UK and return every 3 months spending 3/4 weeks there. I am also liable for UK Income Tax, I have already confirmed my position with the DWP, I am classed as UK Resident.

My understanding is that you must inform DWP if you are out of the UK longer than 8 weeks. That being the case you could see your pension withheld if they find out, which they will, you are out of the UK for periods up to 3 months at a time. It has happened to others already.

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7 minutes ago, Esso49 said:

My understanding is that you must inform DWP if you are out of the UK longer than 8 weeks. That being the case you could see your pension withheld if they find out, which they will, you are out of the UK for periods up to 3 months at a time. It has happened to others already.

No, they will not with-hold your pension, some guys have theirs paid into a foreign (Thai) bank account. However you will not get the annual increase of about 3 quid a week if you tell them you live here. 

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8 minutes ago, Esso49 said:

My understanding is that you must inform DWP if you are out of the UK longer than 8 weeks. That being the case you could see your pension withheld if they find out, which they will, you are out of the UK for periods up to 3 months at a time. It has happened to others already.

I have already explained my circumstances fully, no lies, too the DWP, as far as they are concerned I am entitled too any annual increase.

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Just now, wgdanson said:

No, they will not with-hold your pension, some guys have theirs paid into a foreign (Thai) bank account. However you will not get the annual increase of about 3 quid a week if you tell them you live here. 

They will most certainly withhold a pension if they find out you are out of the UK for longer than 8 weeks continually and could quite possibly take further action against you.  They will not withhold a pension if you advise them of your Thai retirement address. They will withhold your pension, irrespective of where you are living if you fail to return a Certificate of Life within 16 weeks.  All pensions withheld will be remitted to the beneficiary once their conditions are satisfactorily met.

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50 minutes ago, jamie2009 said:

i have the original letter from the DWP informing of when I would start too receive it.

I think this is the info you are seeking...……...you do not need the DWP to issue you a new letter every year confirming that you receive the pension, incl the amount you receive, as the British Embassy will issue you a letter for immigration every year based on the original one.

 

 

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16 minutes ago, Esso49 said:

They will most certainly withhold a pension if they find out you are out of the UK for longer than 8 weeks continually and could quite possibly take further action against you.  They will not withhold a pension if you advise them of your Thai retirement address. They will withhold your pension, irrespective of where you are living if you fail to return a Certificate of Life within 16 weeks.  All pensions withheld will be remitted to the beneficiary once their conditions are satisfactorily met.

Could you forward a link about the 8 week rule, I explained to the DWP Advisor all my circumstances, he couldn’t understand why I called the DWP in the first place.

It can be very confusing/grey area,  I am liable for UK Tax as I have a property in the UK, I am entitled to the Annual Pension Increments but possibly not free NHS healthcare ?

i am also entitled too the Winter Fuel Allowance as I am resident in the UK for the qualifying period which is in September.

Believe me I have gone too great lengths to check everything out as the last thing I want at my age is ending up in court.

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58 minutes ago, jamie2009 said:

Could you forward a link about the 8 week rule, I explained to the DWP Advisor all my circumstances, he couldn’t understand why I called the DWP in the first place.

It can be very confusing/grey area,  I am liable for UK Tax as I have a property in the UK, I am entitled to the Annual Pension Increments but possibly not free NHS healthcare ?

i am also entitled too the Winter Fuel Allowance as I am resident in the UK for the qualifying period which is in September.

Believe me I have gone too great lengths to check everything out as the last thing I want at my age is ending up in court.

I am not going to spend my weekend searching through the UK gov website, you can do that.  If you spoke to the International Pension Centre ( did you ? ),  just ask them the question "what is the time limit to stop me qualifying for annual pension increases).  Note you need to speak to the International Pension centre. +44 (0) 191 218 7777 .  Years ago I was advised by them that the limit is 8 weeks.  Doesn't matter for me anyway as I spend 52 weeks in thailand

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1 hour ago, jamie2009 said:

Yes but I have the documentation stating when my State Pension starts, it will not stop till I die. Surely if the UK Embassy confirms this that’s enough ?

 

No,  you not have listened. Read WGDanson’s post......it is quite clear. New letter every year.

Edited by Jip99
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Just now, Esso49 said:

I am not going to spend my weekend searching through the UK gov website, you can do that.  If you spoke to the International Pension Centre ( did you ? ),  just ask them the question "what is the time limit to stop me qualifying for annual pension increases).  Note you need to speak to the International Pension centre. +44 (0) 191 218 7777 .  Years ago I was advised by them that the limit is 8 weeks.  Doesn't matter for me anyway as I spend 52 weeks in thailand

Believe me I trawled the UK Gov websites looking for info so there is no need for you to spend the W.E. doing so.

Obviously you haven’t bothered too read my posts, yes I did call the International Pension Centre so there was no need to put the phone number and put in brackets ‘did you’ making out I am a liar ?

I fully explained my circumstances to the representative at the IPC and he said I was entitled too the annual increments.

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1 hour ago, jamie2009 said:

Could you forward a link about the 8 week rule, I explained to the DWP Advisor all my circumstances, he couldn’t understand why I called the DWP in the first place.

It can be very confusing/grey area,  I am liable for UK Tax as I have a property in the UK, I am entitled to the Annual Pension Increments but possibly not free NHS healthcare ?

i am also entitled too the Winter Fuel Allowance as I am resident in the UK for the qualifying period which is in September.

Believe me I have gone too great lengths to check everything out as the last thing I want at my age is ending up in court.

 

 

So, with all your homework you can explain the difference between domicile and residency.

 

Everyone pays tax on income generated in the UK whether it be rent, dividend or pension.

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1 minute ago, Jip99 said:

 

 

So, with all your homework you can explain the difference between domicile and residency.

 

Everyone pays tax on income generated in the UK whether it be rent, dividend or pension.

Like you I not going to spend the W.E. trawling the internet as there is no need too explain to you the difference between domicile and residency as you live permanently in Thailand I don’t.

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18 minutes ago, jamie2009 said:

Believe me I trawled the UK Gov websites looking for info so there is no need for you to spend the W.E. doing so.

Obviously you haven’t bothered too read my posts, yes I did call the International Pension Centre so there was no need to put the phone number and put in brackets ‘did you’ making out I am a liar ?

I fully explained my circumstances to the representative at the IPC and he said I was entitled too the annual increments.

That's good news and many thanks because I shall now be ringing them myself on Monday to ask why I have not got them all these years.

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25 minutes ago, jamie2009 said:

Like you I not going to spend the W.E. trawling the internet as there is no need too explain to you the difference between domicile and residency as you live permanently in Thailand I don’t.

 

 

You have no idea where I am domiciled.

 

Which is something of a coincidence because you don’t seem to know where you are domiciled.

 

Had you spent a bit more time on the GOV.UK website you would know that what you think you have been told by the IPC is rubbish...... assuming that the question you asked was correct....

 

 

You live in Thailand, that is where you spend most of your time .. returning to the UK one month in four does not entitle you to the annual increase in state pension.

 

https://www.gov.uk/state-pension-if-you-retire-abroad

 

Edited by Jip99
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2 hours ago, xylophone said:

I think this is the info you are seeking...……...you do not need the DWP to issue you a new letter every year confirming that you receive the pension, incl the amount you receive, as the British Embassy will issue you a letter for immigration every year based on the original one.

 

 

Nothing to do with your pension income, it is you TOTAL income the Immigration want to see, via the letter from the Consulate.

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25 minutes ago, jamie2009 said:

Like you I not going to spend the W.E. trawling the internet as there is no need too explain to you the difference between domicile and residency as you live permanently in Thailand I don’t.

And as you seemed not able to do a thorough search I have done a quick one for you at the pensions advisory website which I am sure you are aware of

 

Read this link and it is now worse than I said, especially for you, because you have to live in the UK for a minimum of 6 months per year to qualify for your increases.   Fiddling the system is now getting harder by the number of prosecutions also.

 

https://www.pensionsadvisoryservice.org.uk/about-pensions/when-things-change/moving-abroad

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7 minutes ago, Esso49 said:

And as you seemed not able to do a thorough search I have done a quick one for you at the pensions advisory website which I am sure you are aware of

 

Read this link and it is now worse than I said, especially for you, because you have to live in the UK for a minimum of 6 months per year to qualify for your increases.   Fiddling the system is now getting harder by the number of prosecutions also.

 

https://www.pensionsadvisoryservice.org.uk/about-pensions/when-things-change/moving-abroad

 

 

+ 1

 

https://www.gov.uk/state-pension-if-you-retire-abroad

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7 minutes ago, Esso49 said:

And as you seemed not able to do a thorough search I have done a quick one for you at the pensions advisory website which I am sure you are aware of

 

Read this link and it is now worse than I said, especially for you, because you have to live in the UK for a minimum of 6 months per year to qualify for your increases.   Fiddling the system is now getting harder by the number of prosecutions also.

 

https://www.pensionsadvisoryservice.org.uk/about-pensions/when-things-change/moving-abroad

As you said you live permanently in Thailand so never return to the UK therefore not entitled to the annual increases so no need to phone.

If I get pulled I will refer them back to the phone call I made too the IPC, calls are recorded on the advise the DWP Rep gave to me.

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Just now, jamie2009 said:

As you said you live permanently in Thailand so never return to the UK therefore not entitled to the annual increases so no need to phone.

If I get pulled I will refer them back to the phone call I made too the IPC, calls are recorded on the advise the DWP Rep gave to me.

So you are admitting you are going to fiddle the system irrespective of the UK guideline link I attached stating that you will not qualify as you intend to not be in the UK for at least 6 months per year ?   amassing.  Another quality retiree coming to Thailand whilst abusing the UK system

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5 minutes ago, jamie2009 said:

As you said you live permanently in Thailand so never return to the UK therefore not entitled to the annual increases so no need to phone.

If I get pulled I will refer them back to the phone call I made too the IPC, calls are recorded on the advise the DWP Rep gave to me.

 

Given the grammatical shortcomings in your posts, I seriously doubt your ability to ask the right question - or understand the answer.

 

Your ignorance of the rules is no defence.

 

To clarify...

 

You need a new embassy income letter each year. That is based on the request form that you submit showing your various pension incomes, evidenced by bank statements/pension letters (the embassy are not too fussed and will not require new pension letters each year).

 

You appear to be receiving state pension increases that you are not entitled to. YOU ARE NOT ENTITLED. You are deemed to be a UK resident by virtue of your property ownership - that does not entitle you to state pension increases when you live, for most of the year, in Thailand.

 

You have failed to correctly advise your change of circumstances (I.e. living in Thailand) to the DWP. You think that your conversation with IPC covers you - it doesn’t.

 

Based on what you have been told (on here), by people who know, means that you are now knowingly receiving an incorrect state pension. Not a hanging offence but your are the one who said that, at your age, you didn’t want to operate on the wrong side of the law.

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