I am living in the US I am currently receiving a Teachers Pension from UK. Can I receive a State Pension too?

Question

I just want to know if these are separate pensions and one can qualify for both. Obviously there are other questions that I would have to answer to know the amount etc. but as a general rule can one collect both? I worked as a teacher for ten years before relocating to the US and becoming a citizen here.

Answer 1

You only worked here in the UK for 10 years? I think you have to look at your contribution position. You won't be entitled to a full pension, as that is based on working or getting credits for about 40 years. Contact the NI Office at Newcastle, quoting  your UK National Insurance Number. I don't know how old you were when your teacher's pension started, but a woman has currently to be 60 to get a State Pension. If you are more than three months late in making a claim, you forfeit everything but the last three months. If you are/have been married to a British man, his contributions may count, too.

Answer 2

I would hope you could not

That would seem so wrong in many ways if you could.

Contact the gov't agency in your area

Answer 3

I think that if you paid in to a local government based teacher's pension scheme here, you also 'contracted-out' of the state pension scheme. The money that you would have paid for the national (state) scheme (and a bit more) went into the teacher's scheme. If you were resident here and your pension were insufficient, you might qualify for some sort of top-up benefit but not whilst living in the U.S.

Answer 4

Yes you can. The State Pension can be paid to you even though you are living abroad temporarily or permanently.

Some benefits are allowed to be 'exported' abroad and State Pension is such a benefit. We have what is called a reciprocal arrangement with the USA, which means our citizens retain entitlement including rises when in their country and vice verse

in google type in GL29  Oct03 the first(ish) return you get should be GL29 Oct03 pdf file which is the DWP's leaflet on how to claim while abroad.

it can be paid abroad, however, the amount you get will depend on your NI conts, some of which you are likely to have opted out of for the LGPS payments

Answer 5

Yes don't worry, you can claim both the state and private pension.