HEARTS AND MINDS CAMPAIGN

ICBP wish to run a "Hearts and Minds Campaign", and you are invited to take part in it. The long run objective is to persuade the British public that our cause is a good one. The short term objective will be to get some publicity for the situation of frozen pensioners.

Part 1 - already running under the direction of Jim Tilley relates to "heroes", or medal holders, living in frozen countries. for information on this click on Medal Campaign

Part 2- under the direction of James Nelson invites you to make a short video to be compiled into a tape to be shown at the party conferences later in the year. No expertise is required; this is a DIY effort. See Videos of pensioners

Don't be afraid to participate on the ground that you are not an expert. All processing will be handled by people who are experts to make a good presentation.

TAX ON UK PENSIONS

Following pensioners' recent experience of problems with UK tax authorities, we have uploaded a copy of the form you should use to advise HMRC that you are taxed in Australia and should be exempt from UK tax on your UK pensions.

This does not apply to people who have a visa, such as 410, which treats them as temporary residents.

Click on Tax on UK Pensions to find out a little more, and then click on the link to the pdf form.

WE LOST 11 TO 6

But that is not the end. The fight will go on.

All the latest news and opinions can be seen at

Pension Parity  <<Click here

The government tried to spring a dirty trick by presenting more written argument after the "deadline". Typical of their cynical attitude.

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Public Sector Pensions

If you have a pension from the public sector derived from employment between 1978 and 1997, you may  be getting less pension than you should - and you will not be aware of it.

Public sector covers civil service, local government service, armed forces, police and other emergency services, National Health Service, teaching service, and of course, MPs and judges.

To enquire about your own public sector pension, email to Public sector pension enquiry

Note: Pensions paid by the National Insurance Scheme are not Public Sector Pensions.

To enquire about the state national insurance pension, email to Pension Enquiry

Another Victory.

A retired teacher has finally got the indexation of the GMP. Back pay with interest!

See Public Sector Pensions

More and more people are writing to us regarding their own public sector pension, not only from Australia but also pensioners in Canada and Argentina. In one case the DWP agreed that the mistake - a recent one - was due to an "oversight". One wonders who is "overseeing" the system. DWP claim that the system is working; we know that it is not. Pensioners learn about their rights only when they read about them from British pensioner associations.

Discuss this with your pensioner friends; there may be a lot more people whom we can help.

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The National Insurance Fund

Is there a National Insurance Fund, or is it just "paper money"? See National Insurance Fund

We are supported in what we say by an item in the House of Commons Library.

snsg-0797.pdf

APPLYING FOR A PENSION

After much frustration with the DWP web site we finally located the form on which you apply for a pension. This form should be used for any kind of pension, including the wife category B pension.

It can be found at http://www.thepensionservice.gov.uk/pdf/br1/br1apr09.pdf  Download, print, complete, and send to them.

For details of the category B pension, see pension_guidelines_7.htm

VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTIONS

DWP have produced a pamphlet setting out how you can pay voluntary contributions and increase the amount of your basic pension. You can find a copy at Voluntary Contributions

BAPA advises that if you were not told about VCs at the time your pension started you may be allowed to pay VCs on the basis that they will take the money out of any back pay you are due. They seem to be less insistent that you must demonstrate that it was not your fault that you did not know.

THE BAPA FEDERAL ALP CAMPAIGN

 

Subsequent to our previous pre-election Senator campaign, we have now canvassed all of the current ALP members seeking their support for a new reciprocal agreement which would include indexation. I have received a very positive commitment from Jenny Macklin MP, Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs who recognises the injustice and unfairness of the current situation and has stated that seeking a new reciprocal agreement would be given priority, and that the government is considering the most appropriate action to address this issue. BAPA has currently been invited to attend a meeting with the Minister to discuss all of the aspects which can be developed to overcome the intransigence of the UK government to end this immoral and discriminatory anomaly.
 

Furthermore, due to our campaign, Amanda Rishworth, the Member for Kingston intends to introduce into the House of Representatives a Private Members Bill seeking the support from the HoR members for a new reciprocal agreement  to be placed before the UK  government  The National Insurance money is there, all that is needed is the will to end this long suffering saga of denial imposed upon expatriate pensioners.