Expat Community > Colombia

fecherklyn
Joined 2015
Posts: 1459

BRITISH Widows PENSIONS

1 year ago

This post is intended simply for British expats living in Colombia and it will be of zero interest to the majority USA members of the forum. If the Private Message system was up and running I would have sent it to British members via that application!!!!!!

It is important for British expats residing in Colombia to know if the “old” British Widows Pension still functions, or not. To the best of my knowledge, the answer is NO, the British Government put a stop to it a couple of years ago and any local wives of British retirees will now have to look elsewhere for income if they survive their deceased husband – His pension stops on death and the widow gets nothing from the pension contributions he made during his lifetime. I know Felipe58 is potentially concerned by this situation, as may be other British forum members.

Below are the relevant articles that state the current situation.

STATE PENSION ENTITLEMENTS DERIVED FROM A CURRENT OR FORMER SPOUSE’S OR CIVIL PARTNER’S NATIONAL INSURANCE CONTRIBUTIONS

Foreword 1. The White Paper The single-tier pension: a simple foundation for saving, 1 published on 14 January 2013, sets out the Government’s proposals for radical reform of the State Pension scheme to provide a simple flat-rate amount that provides clarity and confidence to better support saving for retirement.

2. A key aspect of the proposals is that the single-tier pension should be based on individual qualification, without the facility to inherit or derive entitlement to the State Pension from a spouse or civil partner. Section D of Annex 3 to the White Paper outlines the Government’s proposals in this regard.

Summary of key terms:

15. The current system of derived and inherited entitlement to basic State Pension was designed for a world in which the likelihood of a married woman having a full basic State Pension entitlement in her own right was extremely remote; it was therefore essential that women had access to a pension based on their husband’s, or former husband’s, contributions.

16. Looking at both men and women reaching pension age in Great Britain today and in the future, the likelihood is that they will have entitlement to the equivalent of a full basic State Pension under the current scheme (£107.45 per week in 2012/13) in their own right.

17. The Government estimates that around 90% of individuals reaching State Pension age between now and the introduction of single tier will be entitled to a full basic State Pension in their own right (based on attaining the 30 qualifying years required for a full basic State Pension). The proportion of individuals with at least 30 qualifying years when they reach State Pension age is expected to remain broadly consistent into the long term.

18. This means that the vast majority of individuals, who will have at least 30 qualifying years, would not stand to benefit from deriving entitlement to a state pension based on their spouse’s or civil partner’s NICs record (although they may have benefited from inheriting additional State Pension). When a single-tier valuation is considered, the amount of qualifying years necessary to receive the equivalent of a full basic State Pension will be 27 (without factoring in any rebate derived amount).3

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