State pension: Canadian MP’s fury as 125,000 expats have frozen payments | Personal Finance | Finance
State pension rises are only guaranteed in the following places: the UK, European Economic Area (EEA), Gibraltar, Switzerland, and countries with a reciprocal social security agreement with the UK – not including Canada or New Zealand. It means expats who do not live in these countries will see their state pension frozen at the level it was when they left the UK.
It is estimated some 520,000 people are affected by this, with a substantial number residing in Canada.
Matt Jeneroux, Canadian member of parliament for Edmonton Riverbend, recently addressed the matter in the House of Commons of Canada.
He said: “Mr Speaker, the pensions of approximately 125,000 UK expats currently living in Canada are still frozen.
“These pensions are frozen because the UK Government and Canada do not have a reciprocal social security agreement.
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The Canadian MP also made reference to Anne Puckridge, 98, who moved to Calgary to be nearer to her daughters.
The decision, however, has meant her state pension is frozen at £72 per week, and her life has been affected as a result.
Mrs Puckridge, who served in all three branches of the Armed Forces, previously told Express.co.uk: “I can’t actually think of the last time I bought a brand new garment.
“I have to buy all my clothes from thrift stores, charity stores. I can only attend any sort of outside entertainment if somebody will take me.
“Although we are fully paid up, we are discriminated against.”
The sentiment appeared to be shared by the Canadian MP who has urged fresh action to tackle the ongoing issue.
He added: “Simply put, people who have worked all their lives in the United Kingdom and paid into the UK system deserve to be treated fairly.
“The UK Government needs to get around the table, agree to the new reciprocal agreement and end this injustice.”
A Government spokesperson previously said the UK was “forever indebted” to personnel and older Britons.
They added: “This year we will spend over £110billion on the state pension and our priority is ensuring every pensioner, including veterans, receives all the financial support to which they are entitled.
“We understand that people move abroad for many reasons and we provide clear information about how this can impact on their finances.
“The Government’s policy on the uprating of the UK state pension for recipients living overseas is a longstanding one of more than 70 years and we continue to uprate state pensions overseas where there is a legal requirement to do so.”
