Dad moved abroad 10+ years ago wants my address for pension

[chocolateandsprinkles]

My dad lives abroad and is pestering me to renew his Uk drivers licence so he can claim his UK pension. I guess he needs UK ID and he will use my address for this. He's not lived here for about 12/13 years and he's visited twice (due to my personal circumstances). It expired so long ago I'm not sure if I can even renew it I'll need to go and look. But does all this sound dodgy?
Thanks.

@chocolateandsprinkles you cannot physically renew his UK driving licence. I've just done mine, they are all photo id ones now and you have to go in person to a UK post office to renew as they take the photo there and then.

“Hi Dad, I’ve looked into this and I can’t use my address to apply for a license for you as you aren’t a resident and there will be implications for council tax and possible accusations of fraud for me if I do this.”

Put that in any email as a reply to anything he says. Grey rock, on repeat.

Also, how old is he? Above a certain age (70?) I think you are supposed to take another driving test or assessment to check you are still safe to drive.

www.gov.uk/guidance/general-information-assessing-fitness-to-drive#:~:text=There%20is%20no%20upper%20age,PIP%20until%20their%2016th%20birthday.)

He'll be coming up for 67 I think

@OCaledonia oh I thought you can use the passport photo? He's sent me a picture of his valid passport.

This is a good point no everyone drives. I've asked if he needs it for proof of address. He hasn't responded. I suspect this is what it's for.

I wouldn’t do it. If you are receiving single persons discount on your council tax it will eventually come to light that you are receiving another person’s post at your address. You will then be questioned about it. Not worth the hassle this is going to bring to you. He lives abroad and has done for years. Him claiming to have a UK address is false. Don’t get involved.

Whoops sorry you're right..my passport has expired so I didn't realise. But you absolutely do need to be a UK resident to renew so you must not lie for him or commit fraud.

Whatever he needs it for, this all sounds like you are at risk of going down a slippery slope towards being charged as an accomplice to fraud or some such. I would just say no and let him shout at the clouds. It doesn't sound like you owe him anything, and certainly not risking a criminal record for his sake.

He's asking you to help him to commit fraud. Don't do it.

Of course he doesn't need a UK driving licence to get a pension. Millions of pensioners have never held a driving licence at all.

He is lying to you.

Either he wants the UK licence renewed because he's using it in order to avoid regulations in China regarding licencing - this is a breach of UK law, you must be actually resident at the address on your licence.

Or he is doing it in order to get entitlement to a higher UK pension than he otherwise would be. This is defrauding UK taxpayers and being a benefit cheat.

You cannot stop your father from commiting these crimes but you can choose not to assist him.

He needs to come over to the UK and do it himself. Your life is busy and you don't have time, also don't let him use your address because if he puts your address it will be fraudulent and you'll be implicated too. Tell him to put his own address in China.

This also add he can use his NI number he had in UK and his passport to claim his UK pension.

I know he's your Dad but you can't get involved in a fraud Op, he wants your address so he'll get more money. Tell him to go the UK embassy and let them sort it for him. It's very wrong for him to ask you to break the law for him, a good parent doesn't put money over getting their DC in trouble

It's illegal in the UK to have the wrong address on your driving license. Whatever he's trying to do, it's illegal here.

Edit OK it really applies because of insurance and accidents etc but it's still illegal.

Thank you. This is helpful. Although I'm An adult I have no one to bounce this off. It's hard having no family.

What if he does it himself without my help? I can't report my dad. I'm already very alone even though he's over in China. I suppose I'll have to lump it.

I know my dad. I know he won't think for a second the implications on me and my children. He is the type to think "ah that'll never happen don't be silly!" He's very selfish and only thinks of himself.

What your dad is asking you to do is fraud. Please don't let him manipulate and bully you into doing something illegal, you could get into a lot of trouble and potentially be arrested.

Just say, I'm sorry dad but I can't help you with this. What you're asking is fraudulent and illegal. I'm not doing it.

For what it's worth, he doesn't need both forms of I'd so it looks like he's planning to say he lives with you.

💛

It’s fraud - he will likely be doing this so his UK pension carries on increasing. If you claim a pension from abroad you don’t get the same annual increases as we do here.

My sister’s partner did this (unknown to me) when they were on a trip here many years ago - it took ages of sending back letters addressed to him that came to my house before the DWP got the message. In the meantime he got the pension increases and winter fuel allowance every year!

Edited to add - there was no comeback on me at all.

You'd have to be bonkers to do it.
He doesn't need what he's asking for for the reason he's given you.

You don't want to get caught up in fraud because you do live here and it's you that will pay the price.

This would be fraud @chocolateandsprinkles

By giving him a UK address he becomes eligible for pension increases. Not all countries have the reciprocal agreement in place to do that.

So if you retire to a country without a reciprocal agreement you get your pension, but you forever get it at the rate it is when you retire. i.e. this year's rates. If you retire to a country WITH a reciprocal agreement then you get annual increases like UK residents do.

He wants the UK address so that he can cheat this system.

Here is the country list FYI
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/state-pensions-annual-increases-if-you-live-abroad/countries-where-we-pay-an-annual-increase-in-the-state-pension

Just to add Op, I've recently applied for my pension and there's a tick box where you promise all the things you've told them are true, also a strict warning about penalties if you've lied. Don't lie for your Dad, don't compromise yourself

@olderbutwiser
Did you just return the letters to DWP?

God this is a nightmare. He was using my aunts address (who I've lost touch with) but she's fallen out with him and as such she doesn't speak to me either. She lives 2 hours away and doesn't drive or use internet. So she wouldn't be able to Help anyway x

Could you print out the form he needs and send it to him in the post c/w an envelope for returning it back to the International Pension Centre?

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-claiming-a-state-pension-if-you-retire-abroad

Thank you. I'm going to tell him he needs to do it himself. I think he will do it anyway I'm
Not sure what I'll do when letters start to arrive for him.

Well thats a great excuse for him isnt it! ..... most people who love in china have a rock solid VPN so they can watch iplayer etc. .... ill admit it was a few years ago now but i updated my uk licence from China (we'll skip over the legalities of that for the time being) but he could do it if he wanted to.
... the issue here is how he's asking you. I totally get wanting a uk licence while living in china - chinese licences are a nightmare to use elsewhere when hiring cars etc - i use to have to carry a full 10 page notarised translation! But he needs to either do it himself or ask you much bloody nicer than he has been! Its his issue - if you cant sort it in a time frame acceptable to him, he can ask someone else.

Thank you. Life is already a struggle so you're right I can't take the risk. I have small children to think about.