NI benefits payable to Brit expats overseas

British expats living overseas can now check their benefits and entitlements at a new UK government website.

The British government’s benefits checklist now covers the 12 main benefits able to be claimed by Britons living and working overseas, although each depends on which world location is now home to expat claimants. It’s due to be a useful tool for British citizens planning to emigrate as well as for those already living and working overseas as it also gives detials of how to make or amend a claim. Benefits covered include the state pension, maternity and child benefits, benefits for carers for elderly and disabled Britons, statutory sick pay, bereavement benefits, disablement and industrial accident benefits, income support and tax credits.

Not all UK expats overseas may be aware that the UK has agreements with certain countries allowing claims to be made for contribution-based benefits. In brief, your National Insurance contributions over your working life can count towards eligibility for benefits provided by your new country of residence. Unsurprisingly, the government website doesn’t give details about claiming benefits in EU member states once Brexit is a reality, but does give useful information about a number of other countries and their agreements with the UK.

At present, EU countries are listed, along with Canada, Jamaica, Japan, the Philippines, the USA, Bermuda, Barbados, the Channel Islands, Korea, Turkey, Bermuda, Serbia, Macedonia ad several others unlikely to attract a serious number of British expat workers or retirees. For expats moving to the listed countries, the triple-lock annual increase to the British state pension will be paid, but expat retirees in all other countries will have their pension frozen from their departure date. In the main, British pensions and benefits are paid into expatriates’ local bank accounts, with using the local currency possible in the majority of cases, meaning savings on transfer fees and currency fluctuation.