How It Works
Our Step By Step Process
UK State Pensions Abroad is an Official Overseas Agent of Her Majesties Revenue and Customs
We provide information and execution not pension advice
Here is How it Works:
Phase 1
This will determine your current entitlement to a UK State Pension. Also it will indicate how you may be able to enhance it by contributing in future years until your retirement age, which in turn will be precisely defined.
Step 1: You complete one secure form on our platform. You fill in your UK work and living information into a single online secure form on our portal. Please see our Privacy Policy
Step 2: We fill in all the required forms for you, get your signature and get them to the UK Government Departments on your behalf. There are 2 UK Government Departments involved, the UK Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) and His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC). Once you complete the form on our platform, this will work to populate all 3 (sometimes 4) forms which then are emailed to you with very brief explanation notes for your e-signature. For example, the 2 page HMRC form is published by them has 33 pages of official notes! We have been through these many times and only provide you with ½ page of explanation relating to the specific questions you will have on the completed form we send you to sign. We then mail (yes they must be posted!) the completed and signed forms to DWP and HMRC on your behalf.
Step 3: We review with you the Pension Forecast report from UK DWP once received after 3-5 weeks. The pension Forecast from DWP is normally “quickest” to be returned after 3-5 weeks. Once received we will interpret this for you in a personalised report, with information on the options available to you.
Step 4: You decide if you wish to move to Phase 2? When you have reviewed this, you can decide to accept the pension that is shown to be possible, and we can help show how to progress to access your pension. Or, at this point, you can decide to progress to Phase 2, to see how you can add further value to your UK State Pension.
Phase 2
This will determine the cost of buying back (and contributing forward) UK State Pension years. This will also provide confirmation on the number of years possible to “buy back”.
Pursue the HMRC State Pension statement which will assess whether you are in Class 2 or Class 3, determining the cost and ability of claiming annual AVCs. Once we receive this, we provide a personalised report for you along with the HMRC Statement to you, with information on the cost and the benefits of “reaching back”. Should you wish to pay the AVCs, we will also email you a letter formatted to your particular circumstances that you can sign and send to HMRC and we can provide information on the correct format of transfers to HMRC. We will show you how to ensure you get proper receipts and the most effective means to continue to contribute until your retirement age. The pension payments go directly to HMRC and not to UK State Pensions Abroad.
FEES
Phase 1 Fee to UK State Pension Abroad is €275 inc vat payable on registration
Phase 2 Fee to UK State Pension Abroad is €280 inc vat, payable should you wish to progress to Phase 2.
What is the UK State Pension?
The UK State Pension is a contributory pension which is funded by the UK government and provides a pension amount in 2024 of up to £221.20 per week on reaching pension age. This amount usually rises year on year (+10.1% in 2023), and is subject to a unique Triple Lock, guaranteeing a worthwhile boost annually towards your final amount when retirement beckons.
When will the UK State Pension commence? For people currently above 60 years in 2021, the retirement age is between 66-67 years old. Generally, for those who reach 60 after 2021, the pension payments begin on their 67th birthday. (It should be noted that UK government has a plan to extend the retirement age, but this would be very gradual should it happen).
It is worth noting that the State Pension scheme was revised in 2016 with a new State Pension being introduced. the new State Pension applies to those claiming benefits in the years before then.