Its that time of year again

[benjaminbutton]

The International Pensions Centre have sent their usual 7 (?) yearly questionnaire to check if I've fallen off my perch yet, I can't remember if we live in a "country that has a special security agreement with the UK that allows for uprating" Any assistance would be helpful as they posted the questionnaire back in mid February.

[gates]

Best call them or stop your payments they seem for some to come more often than others. See if you can post in the south it then takes 5 days

[benjaminbutton]

Sorry, Gates, but you seem to have totally misunderstood my query. I am referring to a questionnaire requiring to know as to where you reside i.e. I have to fill it in with loads of proof that I still exist, but then I get to the following:-

a European Economic Area Country
Switzerland
Gibraltar, or
a country that has a social security agreement with the UK that allows for uprating ++++++.

You will not get pension increases in Canada or New Zealand.

It is +++++++ that I am enquiry about.

I was under the impression that everyone of pensionable age received this every 6 or 7 years!!

[Mowgli597]

BB
I’d tick the last one otherwise you won’t receive U.K. pension increases.
I’m presuming you’ve received these increases in the past?
AFAIK it’s residents in former colonial territories (eg Australia and Canada as noted) which don’t receive the increases.
I haven’t yet received such a notice, even though I do receive a U.K. old age pension.
But then I’m only a young thing compared to some

[Geoff1131]

The TRNC are in the same group as mainland Turkey, which has the agreement with the UK government to pay any pension increases.

[benjaminbutton]

Geoff1131, thats the bit of information I need. Perhaps I didn't set it our correctly. Obviously some people don't receive this flaming form, this is my third, last one 2018. I'm not sure whether International Pensions Bods are trying to tell me something? I was a little confused as to whether there was a change i.e. last time we were in Europe, and now "supposedly" we are not.

[gates]

Sorry I thought you ment proof of life

[benjaminbutton]

Yup, still alive and kicking and yes, it is to prove that I'm still here and not fallen off my perch, thats why they ask for copy of passport, my signature, witness also has to prove who he/she is and has to be Dr. Bank Manager, Solicitor, Priest etc., Clearly they arbitrarily select someone and then check up again every 5 years. There used to be a few of us on the forum who went through all this palaver. but not any more.

[sausage and pash]

Since i moved here about 8 years ago i have to send a certificate of live to prove i an alive. Nearly every year. My online banking had been cancelled as i live in "an embogoed counrty". 3 hours on phone to uk from cypris. My banks reply come ibto branxh and sort it out. 2500 miles???? Dont the it department listen. They know i live in north cyprus. So ok i pop into my branch!!!!!! Anyway cant check bank balance. So hopefully when my sister in law goes back to uk i will get a.bank statement. I am not a tecccvy!! But as i cant do online hopefully i will get a paper statement. But in 21st century i would have thought technology would surpsss differrent it problems.

[benjaminbutton]

S and P. You have my sympathy. 12 years ago, when one of my UK banks totally refused to renew a Credit Card, it was because I lived in TURKEY and they had stopped renewal of CC's in Turkey as it was the third most corrupt country in the world when it came to Fraud, Money Laundering and Cloning. It was only yesterday that I happened to dig out all the paper work and correspondence which went back and forth for nearly 4 months, right up to the Group Chief Executive who told me in no uncertain terms that it was Group Policy and there were no exceptions whatsoever. If I wanted to contact my MP etc., then I had the right to do so, but nothing would change. BTW, I posted a map of the whole island, together with a map showing the "water" between Turkey and here, and pictures of the two flags. I didn't receive a reply, obviously.