# UK State pension payment in SA



## Gnomo (Jul 14, 2014)

I am having my UK State pension paid into my UK bank account, and then transferring it to SA.
It would be easier to have it paid directly into a SA bank account - but are the bank fees charged by the DWP and the SA bank exorbitant?


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## Jem62 (Jul 25, 2012)

By having your pension paid into your UK bank account, you have a way of continue getting the pension increases, otherwise you won't. Unless of course you told the authorities that you are domiciled in SA. These days transferring money from a UK account to an SA one can be done for as little as £10 or less if you take the money in cash from a SA cash machine with your UK bankcard.


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## Gnomo (Jul 14, 2014)

Thanks, I have already informed the DWP I am living in RSA - my claim was handled by the International Division, so am not expecting an annual increase until I return to the UK
I don't want to use a card, I prefer to transfer the money - but it looks like each transfer will cost around £40 from both my UK Bank and the SA bank - I just wondered if there any special arrangements the DWP have for paying money into my SA Bank


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## BritinSA (Aug 24, 2015)

I only just joined this website so looking at old posts.

The advice to pretend you are still in the UK is foolish and carries risk, so telling DWP you live here is the most sensible, if not most agreeable choice open to you.

You can chose to have your pension paid into a SA bank account by DWP, in Rand. They claim that they obtain a more favourable xrate by bulk buying, which sounds realistic.

The advantage to you is that incoming transfer is in Rand, and therefore can't attract bank charges from your SA bank, because it's a deposit in Rand.


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