Paying UK N.I while living in the Philippines

[Rory]

I did a quick search on this and could not see if this has been asked before so just looking for some advice on this.
The wife and i are planning to leave the UK for the Philippines when i am 60 which will be in 2 years time. As i have a decent private pension i will be living off this until i am 67 when my state pension welcome in to force as well, alongside my private pension. The question i am asking it is a good idea to keep paying national Insurance in the UK while living in the Philippines for the 7 year from 60 - 67 in case i need to return due to ill health and get national health in the UK?. I know most will say the national health service in the UK is a shell of what it used to be but i thinking worse scenario if i needed a hip or knee replacement or heart bypass or anything major like that i am sure the UK would be a better place to have these major ops and keep up with my N.I contributions would be beneficial.

I am a little negative thinking there as i am in good health and fitness.

Any of you guys living out there would return due to health reasons or just go with the flow out there and look for the best medics.

What is the weekly/monthly minimum N.I. contributions?

[stevewool]

Well Rory , a few questions there mate, main answer to one is if you have moved to the Philippines you may not be able to come back to the uk for health reasons , about paying in for those 7 years have you checked how many years you have paid in already , you may have paid enough to claim a full state pension so you will be wasting your money paying in for nothing .
I took early retirement 5 years ago but I had paid in the system for over 40 years so I get the full state pension next month , but then I am reducing my private pension that I have be using for those years because of paying to much tax .
A big thing you have to think about the state pension and paying in that extra money , there is no guarantee you will be alive to receive it and you cannot give it to your partner or family
About living out there and going with the flow about health , if you have enough cash and credit then use that , I was looking at health insurance and it was a crazy price which to me was just something I could not afford paying for just incase , but if you are thinking off say a year out there and back here for a holiday then look at back packers insurance each year ,that worked out just over £1200 a year when I was looking

[fred]

Rory.. We have a really good agent for Pacific cross health insurance here in Phil's.. His name is Michael Onstad so look him up on FB and send him a message about your concerns..He is really good. After a year with them,there are no issues with pre existing conditions I believe.. In regards your state pension,you need to check exactly what your situation is in regards N.I payments and fill in any gaps in order to get full state pension..You can go on the Gov website and fill in the form there to get your pension forecast to know where you stand. They gave an extension till early 2025 to fill in gaps from 2007 so well worth getting on that immediately if required.After the dead line in 2025 you can only pay 6 years back. If I were you I would pay for Pacific cross health insurance up front till at least your pension age..Well worth saving up for IMO.. If you need stuff like hip or knee replacement you can do that here or in the UK if you prefer. Trouble is that as we all know,the NHS is not what it once was and could take a year plus on the waiting list..Nightmare!

New plan for all ages! Heart attacks, strokes and cancer are now covered after 30 days!

Preexisting conditions are subject to a 12 month waiting period. Permanent exclusion is possible.

These are the annual/yearly rates for the Pacific Cross peso plan. The ward level has a 1,000,000 annual benefit limit, the semi-private 1,500,000, and the private is 2,000,000, 3,000,000 or 5,000,000.

The plan includes an access card for hassle free check in. Pacific Cross settles your bill directly with the hospital. My team includes a registered nurse. We will ensure your admission to the hospital in an emergency. There are several testimonials posted in this group.

*Tourist visa is accepted.

*Locals qualify

Please direct message or email me at michael.onstad@loc-consultants.com for plan details.

[imagine]

i remember before i came here and well before my pension age , i applied for a pension forcast , easy and simple, i still have it among my papers, though i dont realy need it now, anyway its well worth doing, also when i applied for 13 a at my interview they asked what will be my income , i was able to show them the forcast

i have my pension a little savings here,a little income from renting pads , i still have a little savings left in UK for emergencies, i wouldnt go back to UK for any operations, iv recently had here , Phil health took the edge off my bill, Lita my mrs went to the mayer and baragay captain ect there are funds that she was able to claim for me , plus help with ambulance costs, it still left me a big bill but with all this help i was able to handle it, from savings here and just a small amount from UK bank, in my case its too much hastle to go back to UK for these purposes wouldnt be so bad if i was in easy reach of airport, the theres this thing about having to be back in UK for 6 months and have a ligit UK address , besides that , with my recent hospialisation, i wouldnt have survived long enough to get to UK,

[Rory]

Steve, i have planned everyone in my head the exact way you are saying. i use to rent out property in the UK so i was doing my own tax returns, this gave me access to all my tax information over the years. I had a look last year and i have enough credits to qualify for the full state pension now even though i am only 58. So leaving the UK at 60 for the Philippines with plans to come back once a year to visit family and friends. Will be living off my private pension until i am 67 and then will reduce what i receive from my private pension for tax reasons like yourself. Just what you have planned as well.
Going off that you have said i would be wasting my money paying more N.I. contributions once i have left the UK.

I am in very good health at the moment but i know things can change quite quickly so on that front i could not be taking out a crazy medical cover in the foreseeable future. Might think more about it once i get in to my early 60's.

[Rory]

Thanks for that Fred, i will look him up but i would not be taking out any cover until i am permanently living there which will be in 2 years time, i an just getting ahead and planning in advance.
With the amount of physical exercise i do i was think more like knee or hip replacement in years to come. Looking back both my parents were in to health and fitness and both have had knee or hips replaced solely due to this. Both are in there late 80's and are in amazing condition for their age so the benefits out way the negatives in my opinion.
Saying that you never know what you are going to get ill or die.

[Rory]

Like yourself i have a couple of daughters in the UK that i can always use as a UK address if needed. Any banking or finance letters would be going to one of their homes if needed.
Reading from the replies i would say it is better to just get any medical help in the Philippines and just pay the bill.