Well! after 2 years and 4 months, I have Finally got my UK Accepted MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE. This will be very important in 2 years time, when I retire. As we go through life, I think we all say " OH! I can worry about that at when the time comes. The time came, I had to get sorted, I am NOT going to live for ever, Azon is 18 years Younger than me, Quite old, with respect to a lot of other married foreigners. To ensure that a Widows pension can follow, it is a must to have the marriage registered at the GRO (General Registrar's Office) in the UK. The UK have a reciprocal Social Insurance agreement with the PI. When! (and I will pass on) Pass on, at least I am now fairly assured, that Azon and Trisha will have a Small but much needed help in day to day costs. Anyone from the UK marrying a Pinay, Should have the marriage registered for pension purposes. It is not that Costly, a trip to manila, £36 and then a £9.25 on line charge, 10 days later, Bob's your Uncle, Arrives the Duly Registered certificate. Worth thinking about my Friends. Jack P.
Jack, I assume that you did not have banns posted in UK prior to your marriage in Phil ? Would you say that it would be right to assume that those of us that did, their wives automatically are entitled to widow's pension rights. Maybe Broadside will answer this one also. Not something we like to talk about, but as you said we won't be around forever regards JB
AH! This is it! Unfortunately John, we can no longer take anything for granted. My Banns were read in Spain through the Malaga Consulate. The CNI was prepared in Manila. If the marriage is NOT registered at the GRO then it is as if you were never married. When I applied for Married allowance (TAX) in GIB, they would NOT accept the PI, NSO notarized copy of the Certificate. It took me as I said, 2 years and 4 months for this to come to fruition. Pensions are at a BIG issue at the moment, can you imagine a Pinay trying to claim a right, by marriage, if the UK have No prior Knowledge of the Marriage. Red Tape is something we all have to get used to, I am now covering all angles, the last thing I want is a hiccup, when I stop my Globe Trotting. Forewarned is Forearmed so to speak. Maybe, Roger has some knowledge other than this but I can only speak of own circumstances and how it was explained to me. I have not lived in the UK for over 22 years, although I have always paid tax and Stamp to the UK through employment. Just hope I have got it right. it is the Marriage Certificate that was the issue, Marriage Outside the UK, has to comply with some peculiar Rules. Residence being one of them. Jack P.
