The UK has a welfare state built around the assumption that its citizens are resident. For the majority of the UK-based population, this creates no tension. For the significant and growing number of UK nationals who have retired abroad, however, understanding which benefits can travel with you and which are locked to UK residency is essential — both for financial planning and to avoid incorrect assumptions that can lead to unexpected shortfalls.
This guide sets out the position as of June 2026 on the key pensioner benefits, explains the changes to the Winter Fuel Payment that have caught many expats off guard, and provides guidance on the administrative steps required when you move abroad.
The UK State Pension: The One Benefit That Follows You
The UK State Pension is the main exception to the general principle that UK benefits require UK residence. You are entitled to claim the State Pension from the moment you reach State Pension age (currently 66 for both men and women), regardless of where you live.
To receive the full new State Pension, you need 35 qualifying years of National Insurance contributions. The current full rate is reviewed annually under the triple lock mechanism (rising by the highest of inflation, earnings growth, or 2.5%). As of April 2026 (the 2026/27 tax year), the full new State Pension is £241.30 per week — verify the current rate at gov.uk.
Drawing the State Pension from abroad: When you reach State Pension age, you must make a claim. You can claim online, by phone, or by post. The Pension Service has an international helpline for those living abroad. Once in payment, the pension is paid monthly in arrears (or four-weekly in some older payment arrangements) in pounds sterling, to a bank account of your choice in the UK or overseas.
Frozen pensions: In some countries, the UK State Pension is "frozen" — it is paid at the rate applicable when you first claim it (or when you moved to that country) and does not increase with subsequent triple lock awards. This is covered in more detail in our frozen pensions guide. Countries subject to frozen pension include Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, among others. By contrast, the United States is not a frozen-pension country — the UK State Pension is uprated each year for pensioners living in the USA, as it is in EU/EEA member states (where living as an expat is common) and Switzerland.
The Winter Fuel Payment: Significant Recent Changes
The Winter Fuel Payment was previously one of the few pensioner benefits available to UK nationals living abroad — specifically in EU/EEA countries and Switzerland where the "habitual residence" condition was treated as met under EU social security coordination rules.
This changed following two developments:
Government policy change (2024): For winter 2024/25 the government restricted the Winter Fuel Payment to pensioners in receipt of Pension Credit or other means-tested benefits. This means-test was then reversed: for winter 2025/26 the payment is again made automatically to all UK pensioners, but it is clawed back through the tax system from anyone with taxable income above £35,000.
Loss of the EEA/Switzerland route: Separately, the provisions that allowed the Winter Fuel Payment to be paid to eligible UK pensioners living in the EEA and Switzerland (under retained EU social security coordination rules) expired on 1 April 2025. From winter 2025/26 the payment is no longer payable in the EEA or Switzerland at all.
The consequence is straightforward: while UK-resident pensioners again receive the payment automatically (subject to the £35,000 income clawback), UK nationals living abroad — in the EU, the EEA, Switzerland, Cyprus, or anywhere else — no longer have a route to the Winter Fuel Payment.
The practical financial impact for expats who had been receiving the Winter Fuel Payment (£200–£300 annually depending on age) is modest, but the principle is important: benefits that were once payable abroad are being progressively restricted to UK residents.
Attendance Allowance: Ceases on Moving Abroad
Attendance Allowance is a non-means-tested benefit for people over State Pension age (currently 66) who need help with personal care due to a physical or mental disability. It is paid at two rates depending on the level of care needed — as of the 2026/27 tax year, the lower rate is £76.70 per week and the higher rate £114.60 per week (verify current rates at gov.uk).
Attendance Allowance is a valuable benefit for those who qualify, but it is firmly tied to UK residence.
If you are already receiving Attendance Allowance and move abroad: The benefit will cease. For most destinations, it stops being paid after 26 weeks of absence from Great Britain. For moves to some EEA countries, different transitional periods may apply in specific circumstances — but the general principle is that Attendance Allowance is a UK-resident benefit.
If you develop a care need while living abroad: There is no mechanism to claim Attendance Allowance if you are already non-resident. You would need to return to and re-establish habitual residence in the UK to make a fresh claim.
For those moving abroad who are in poor health or who have care needs, the loss of Attendance Allowance (or the impossibility of claiming it abroad) is a financial planning gap that must be addressed through private care insurance or personal financial planning.
Pension Credit: UK Residence Required
Pension Credit is a means-tested benefit for those at or above State Pension age whose income (and for some purposes, capital) is below a threshold set by the government. It has two components: Guarantee Credit (which tops up income to a minimum level) and Savings Credit (which rewards those who have some savings above the State Pension level).
Pension Credit requires habitual residence in the UK. It cannot be claimed by those living abroad. Expats who retire abroad with low incomes — perhaps having spent years in countries where pension provision is limited — cannot access Pension Credit as a safety net regardless of their NI record.
Beyond Pension Credit itself, entitlement to Pension Credit is increasingly significant as a gateway benefit. In recent years, Pension Credit recipients have been entitled to free NHS dental treatment, free glasses vouchers, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction, and (now most significantly) the Winter Fuel Payment. The progressive linking of other benefits to Pension Credit entitlement means the inability to claim Pension Credit has a compounding effect for lower-income expats.
Other Benefits: The General Picture
Personal Independence Payment (PIP): Similar to Attendance Allowance but for working-age people (under 65). Not payable abroad.
Carer's Allowance: Payable to UK-resident carers of severely disabled people. Not payable if carer and/or cared-for person are abroad.
Housing Benefit: Requires UK residence; ceases immediately on moving abroad.
Council Tax Reduction: UK only; no equivalent for overseas residency.
Free TV Licence (for over-75s): Available in the UK to those who receive Pension Credit. Not relevant abroad.
NHS care: UK nationals who are non-resident are not automatically entitled to free NHS treatment in the UK. If you visit the UK, urgent care is generally provided, but ongoing treatment for a resident expat is not available on the NHS. This is an important health planning consideration for long-term expats.
Notifying the DWP of Your Move Abroad
When you move abroad — whether you are already drawing the State Pension or approaching pension age — you should notify the relevant DWP offices promptly.
The Pension Service international team: The Pension Service has a dedicated international team that handles State Pension payments for those living abroad. Their contact details (including an international helpline number) are published at gov.uk and should be checked for current numbers, as these change periodically.
What to notify them of:
- Your change of address (new overseas address)
- Your UK forwarding address if you maintain one
- Your new bank account details if you wish payment to an overseas account
- Any changes in circumstances (marriage, civil partnership, death of spouse)
Bank account for pension payment: The State Pension can be paid to:
- A UK bank or building society account in your name
- An overseas bank account in your name (the DWP pays in GBP; your bank converts to local currency with any applicable conversion charges)
- A joint account in some circumstances
HMRC notification: Separately from the DWP, you should also notify HMRC of your change of address and (if applicable) your change of residence status. This is relevant for tax on State Pension income and any other UK income you receive.
Common Misconceptions
"I paid NI for 40 years — I should be entitled to all UK benefits." National Insurance contributions fund your State Pension, the NHS, and some in-work benefits. They do not create an entitlement to all UK welfare benefits regardless of residence.
"The UK will pay my care costs abroad." The UK government does not fund social care for non-residents. Care provision abroad is entirely your private responsibility unless local social care funding applies.
"I can claim Pension Credit when I visit the UK." Pension Credit requires habitual residence — a legal test based on your actual centre of life. Occasional visits to the UK do not establish habitual residence.
"Winter Fuel Payments continue if I stay in the EU." This was once true but is no longer the case following the 2024 policy changes and subsequent case law development.
How Global Investments can help
Understanding which UK benefits are available — and planning around those that are not — is part of comprehensive retirement planning for UK expats. Global Investments works with internationally mobile clients worldwide to ensure that their retirement income planning accounts for the full picture of available UK state entitlements and the gaps that private planning must fill.
We can help you check and optimise your State Pension entitlement, understand the income planning implications of lost benefits, and identify the private insurance or savings arrangements that substitute for state provision that is not available to you as a non-resident.
Contact our pensions advisory team for a retirement income review.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I receive the UK State Pension while living abroad?
Yes. The UK State Pension can be paid to you wherever you live in the world. To receive it, you need 35 qualifying years of National Insurance contributions (for the full new State Pension) or at least 10 qualifying years (for any State Pension at all). The pension is paid in pounds sterling, though the DWP can pay it to a UK or overseas bank account. The key issue for expats is whether the State Pension increases each year — in some countries it is frozen at the rate when you first claim it (the frozen pension countries issue), while in others the triple lock increases apply each year.
Do I still get the Winter Fuel Payment if I live in the EU or EEA?
Generally no, from winter 2025/26 onwards. The Winter Fuel Payment was previously available to some UK pensioners living in EEA countries and Switzerland under EU social security coordination rules. However, those provisions expired on 1 April 2025, and from winter 2025/26 the Winter Fuel Payment is no longer payable in the EEA or Switzerland. (Within the UK itself, the position is different: after the means-test introduced for winter 2024/25 was reversed, all UK pensioners again receive the payment automatically for 2025/26, but it is clawed back through the tax system from anyone with taxable income above £35,000.) For UK nationals living abroad, the practical outcome is that the Winter Fuel Payment is generally no longer available.
What is Attendance Allowance and can I claim it from abroad?
Attendance Allowance is a non-means-tested benefit for people over State Pension age (currently 66) who need help with personal care due to a disability or health condition. It is payable at lower and higher rates depending on care needs. Attendance Allowance is not payable to people living outside the UK as a general rule. If you are already receiving it and you move abroad, it ceases after 26 weeks (or immediately in some cases, depending on the destination country and the purpose of the absence). There is no mechanism to claim Attendance Allowance from abroad if you are already living overseas when the care need arises.
What is Pension Credit and can I get it as an expat?
Pension Credit is a means-tested benefit for people of State Pension age in the UK whose income is below a defined threshold. It tops up income to a minimum guaranteed level. Pension Credit requires habitual residence in the UK — it cannot be claimed or paid to someone living abroad. This is relevant partly because Pension Credit entitlement is now a gateway to other benefits including the Winter Fuel Payment and free TV licences. UK nationals who have emigrated and have low incomes cannot access Pension Credit regardless of how long they paid National Insurance.
How do I notify the DWP that I have moved abroad?
You should inform the DWP of your change of address as soon as you move abroad. This can be done by contacting The Pension Service, which has an international helpline for people living outside the UK. The international helpline number for UK State Pension queries is available at gov.uk/pension-service — it changes periodically so check the current number online. Notify the DWP by letter or phone, providing your NI number, new address, and the date of your move. Your pension payments may need to be redirected to an overseas bank account, which is straightforward to arrange. Failing to notify the DWP can lead to complications with payments and benefit assessments.
This guide is for general information only and does not constitute financial, legal or tax advice. Pension rules, tax rates and programme details change; verify current requirements with a qualified and FCA-regulated pensions adviser before acting. Pension transfers involving defined benefits over £30,000 require regulated advice.