Expat spouse pension payments axed

The latest announcement is a cutting back on the estimated 220,000 overseas residents who receive a British state pension based on their spouse’s work history. The Pensions Ministry calculates the stoppages will recoup around £410m to The Treasury. This latest detail to affect the expatriate community, included in this week’s Queen’s Speech, is part of the state pension overhaul. Existing pensioners are reassured they won’t be affected by the new rule in the Pensions Bill. Up until now, spouses can legitimately make a claim as a married person’s allowance which is calculated on the partn...