Labour is urged to tackle an ‘immoral’ policy which denies people their full state pension
Will Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall deliver justice for pensioners? (Image: Getty)
Labour will be challenged this week to end a pensions “injustice” which means hundreds of thousands of Britons who retired abroad are denied annual increases to their state pension. MPs from across the party divide will come together in a special debate to highlight the hardships faced by hundreds of thousands of British people in old age.
Rosemary Godfrey, a 90-year-old former schoolteacher from Farnham who lives in Canberra, Australia, fears she will pass away before the rules are changed.
She said: “My state pension hasn’t increased one penny from the mere £17.22 I receive each week… I simply hope these growing calls for justice will at last lead to some change that I fear I may not see in my lifetime.”
Gregory Stafford, the Conservative MP for Farnham and Bordon who is championing her case, said: “When I speak to affected people, I’m reminded that this policy is not just outdated – it’s morally wrong… The Government must do the right thing and end the avoidable hardship that is depriving nearly half a million, often vulnerable, pensioners of the full state pension they worked hard for and fairly contributed towards.
“I’m calling for a full Government review and a clear commitment to address the barriers to change – including the need to revisit reciprocal agreements with other countries.”
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The End Frozen Pensions campaign understands there are 442,000 people affected – including 110,860 in Canada and 203,699 in Australia.
Anne Puckridge, a 100-year-old World War II veteran – who moved to Canada to be closer to her daughter and receives just £72.50 per week – has been at the forefront of the push for change.
She said: “The clamour of MPs calling for an end to this cruelty is growing. All of those who have taken the time to meet and speak with us are usually quick to understand just how painful and harsh this policy is on its victims.
“It is a great shame the Government is seemingly not prepared to do the same and truly see the harm it is causing.”
Neil Duncan Jordan, the Labour MP for Poole, said: “For decades this group of UK pensioners have been ignored by successive governments and MPs need reminding that taking away vital income from some of the most vulnerable in our society is unacceptable.”
He said that increasing that giving their existing pensions annual increases would cost around £55million a year – a “drop in the ocean of its total pensions budget”.
Noting that overseas Britons can vote in general elections, he said: “The Government would do well to remember the hundreds of thousands of British pensioners impacted by this outdated policy are also UK voters in their own right.”
International pressure is growing amid concern for the welfare of UK citizens. In October, 103 Canadian parliamentarians wrote to the Prime Minister on this issue.
A DWP spokesperson for the Department for Work and Pensions said: “We understand people move abroad for many reasons, and we provide clear information on how this can impact their finances in retirement. The policy on the uprating of the UK State Pension for recipients living overseas is a longstanding one of more than 70 years.”
