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.

Then a passport, which he has would be ok if it was ‘just’ a U.K. he needed.
Instead it sounds like he wants to use your address as his address in the U.K.
Very unsure why as he can claim his pension whilst abroad….

If he puts your address down after you have clearly emailed him to say that would be fraud, you can return any letters etc as “not known” and leave it to the authorities

Just return to sender saying ‘not living at this address’.

If he uses your address then contact DWP to inform them he doesn't live there.
Come on Op
Hes a selfish, entitled user who thinks nothing of committing fraud and getting you into serious trouble.
Put yourself first
Tell him no
Tell him he cannot use your address
Full stop, no further discussion
Think about NC

He needs to contact the International Pension Centre at the DWP. There's a link on the gov.uk website. There is a specific international claim form.

No! Under no circumstances.

Dad, I can’t do this for you as I would need to say you live in the UK, which you don’t. It would be fraud. You can’t use my address for anything.

He can be as angry as he wants-what’s he going to do to you from China!?

This is probably the most useful post on the thread.

If he needs to access UK government services but is blocked by local firewalls then he needs to seek consular services from the embassy to help him.

Assuming that what he is doing isn't fraudulent.

But I'd bet it is. If you facilitate it you would be aiding and abetting so legally liable.

Are you willing to risk a criminal record for your father? Otherwise tell him to seek help from the embassy.

Because it is the set up that you can claim a UK pension whilst abroad if you spent time living and working in the Uk and paying National Insurance.

I feel you @chocolateandsprinkles , my father is exactly the same - I've been my parents' administrator since my childhood and the expectations are difficult to bear, to say the least.

My current way of dealing with my father is to lie - agree and say yes, I will do xxxx as you dictate. Then go back later to say, it didn't work for me, I tried and failed, you will have to find another way.

Yes, it makes me "a failure" of a daughter, but my father's regard for me isn't great anyway so no real loss. But it gives me a way out from having to put myself in uncomfortable (possibly unlawful) positions so I personally consider that a win. Good luck with handling your father.

This... he is pressuring you and irs unfair. Don't get implicated in his wrong doings.

This is a good idea, say they wanted proof of address like council tax bill in his name or something? Won't it need his signature?

My best friend lives in the USA and claimed her UK state pension when she reached qualifying age, and used her US address.

My sympathies I had a dad like that. He would only think of himself. I think unless you want to go ahead with pretending your dad lives with you, which is fraud, you have two options:

Say no and mean it. Every time he asks you repeat that you’re unwilling to commit fraud on his behalf.

Pretend to be incompetent and ‘fail’ to sort the documents.

Both options leave you open to him using your address anyway and then you have to decide how you want to act. You could just bin the documents that arrive for him I guess if you don’t want to report him.

This was the experience of family friends who moved to NZ. No increases. That has been more publicised since they went ( and came back).

He can access the website himself if he uses nordVPN or surf shark (or one of the other vpns).

He likely trying to get around the freeze, and since he’s out of the jurisdiction and not coming back, it’ll be you that takes the heat (and criminal record for aiding and abetting fraud).

I think you said he left UK when in his forties, so I was wondering if he would have made full NI contributions to get his pension? Maybe it would be reduced or something, and I'm not sure if pension credits/increases would apply to Chinese residents.

I'm just thinking out loud here, and someone might know as I'm curious!

Also no doubt wanting a "UK" address so that he can return to the UK when he needs the NHS!

As pp have said, it would be fraud. He can claim his state pension abroad but it will be at a different rate from those living in the UK - it doesn't increase in line with inflation.

There's no reason for you to allow your address to be used if you are uncomfortable with it.

But I was overseas for over a decade, registered as an overseas voter etc and continued to use my Mum's address for a UK address.

I wasn't entitled to use the NHS, and didn't (I had full medical cover where I was living) but the day I moved back permanently I was fully entitled to NHS care.

From what I understand it is only fraud if it is done with the intention to deceive, and if he is claiming to be living there.

Oh. So he's already been claiming to have a UK address? Is this why his sister fell out with him?

@chocolateandsprinkles If he's entitled to a UK state pension then as PP said it will never uprate in China. So if he is trying to use your address to claim then it is Fraud and my advice would be do not do this for him. It could have all sorts of implications down the line for you - none of them good

If he does it for himself and lies on the application you may end up getting mail for him. You would need to send any such mail back to the sender or you could be implicated if/when the powers that be catch up with him as being complicit

and @OCaledonia is wrong. You can apply for a renewal online. You don't HAVE to get it done at the Post Office. You can do your own photo - or use a passport one

My parents lived in Spain for many years with no UK address. They had British passports obviously but Spanish driving licences, full residency, and healthcare. They got their British pensions and their winter fuel allowance (which really annoyed me!)

He wants you to renew his driving license because he says he needs this for a UK pension. My feeling is that he wants to get a new licence using your address and then will claim his UK pension and perhaps the winter fuel payment saying he lives with you.
Yes he worked in the UK but he left the UK many years ago. He might be entitled to a UK pension but not the full amount because he only paid x number of NI stamps.
Along with this his pension amount may be set at x amount a year from when he claims and may not rise each year.

Tell him to him he needs to apply on-line for his pension using the website address for pensions you were given here and to use a VPN. Tell him he can use his Chinese address for this. Tell him to go to the British embassy if he has problems with this.
Tell him as well that all the government agencies want national insurance numbers on online forms and can request face to face appointments when making application's.
Tell him unfortunately he needs to apply in-person for a UK driving licence as they take a photo their and then and ask to see proof of a UK address as well.

I would not apply for his pension or driving licence using your address as it would be fraud and could lead to several issues for you. Along with this he was not nice to you in the past so he should not be expecting your help now.

@Ihadenough22
I sent him what you said. Thank you. I recon his drivers license will drop through my letterbox and I'll need to decide what to do with it. He's back tracking now saying he doesn't actually need his drivers license and can use his Chinese one here. So why dues he want it then? I don't trust him. Quite sad because I don't have any other family and no one for help and no one to talk to about these things. X