Help Please! - Drawing on your pension from Spain for the first time

 Hi All 

I hope someone can help me with this problem. My daughter's godfather has been living in Spain for the past 8 years or so and turned 68 this year. He has had untold problems to get his pension from the UK. He has a solicitor in the UK who has been looking after his case and doesn't seem to be able to solve the problem. I assume he reached his pension ellegibility age when he was 65, so I imagine he would be due arrears (I don't know, my pension age is quite a way off so I don't have a clue about UK pensions). He tells me he can't draw his pension from Spain as he is not a resident in the UK. According to his solicitor he would have to go back to the UK get an address and apply for his pension then and then eventually move abroad again. I have the feeling he is being greatly mislead as I thought it was possible to draw on your pension for the first time from abroad if you had worked in the UK for at least 30 years. Can someone please shed some light on this as he is desperate and really needs to get his pension sorted out. He gave up his property in the UK over 5 years ago so has no address and can't afford to move back and get a residence just to sort all this out.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated, thanks in advance..

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

It's quite straighforward and shouldn't need a solicitor. If he has any queries he should the International Pensions Centre in Newcastle. He wont get arrears as such for past years but his pension should be slighter higher for deferring it.

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Sorry but i can't see where the problem is. You can apply for a pension online easily enough. The 30 years is simply to get the full amount and he would get a reduced amount even if the 30 years wasn't completed. As long as he knows his NI number it should automically be done. No need for a UK address nor even a UK bank as they will pay it to a Spanish account.
Go to the dwp website and apply online. It would take a little longer if no NI number but only a few days more. Not sure whether payments would be backdated or if it would be increased as a deferred pension but certainly don't need a solicitor for this as the pensions people will sort it out.

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It should be noted  that if he has worked in Spain he should claim it through the Spanish system.

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http://ukinspain.fco.gov.uk/en/help-for-british-nationals/living-in-spain/pensions-benefits/pensions/#general info 

This message was last edited by Poppyseed on 13/01/2013.

This message was last edited by Poppyseed on 13/01/2013.

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 I didn' think it was much of a problem either until he was insiting that it couldn't be done and I wasn't going to doubt his solicitor, but to be honest I love him to bits but he doesn't have a clue about admin. Poppyseed, No he hasn't worked in Spain, always in the UK.

I'll start to have a look into it and speak to the International Pensions Centre. Thanks for your help all. I'll come back for more advice if I knock up against a brick wall!! Not sure where the problems has arisen from in the first place.

thanks

 

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Categorically, there is absolutely no need for a lawyer and anyone who tells you otherwise is talking total rubbish.

Furthermore UK residence is definitely not a pre-requisite.

Talk directly to the IPC in Newcastle. Tel No 0044 191 218 7777.

Your daughters godfather will need to be able to give your Nat. Ins. Number, Date of Birth, and maybe a few security questions,

UK State Pension is indeed payable after 30 years of employment in the UK and is payable evry four weeks into a nominated Spanish Bank account in Euros at the going business exchange rate on the date of payment. IPC will need the full IBAN / SWIFT bank account number, the name of the account and the branch address.

Both my state pension and my wife's became eligible for payment after we moved here and we encountered no problems at all.

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