Share pension boost with expats, say MPS

THE biggest state pension pay rise on record should be shared with thousands of retired Britons living overseas, a cross-party group has urged.

More than 60 MPS and Lords have written to the Government to solve the “gross injustice” of its frozen pensions policy for expats.

The letter said: “The unfair postcode lottery has to stop – all UK pensioners deserve their full state pension no matter where they happen to live.”

While British pensioners in the United States and the European Union receive the fully uprated pension each year, around 48 Commonwealth countries are not included.

This includes retirement destinations like Canada and New Zealand.

Anne Puckridge, 97, who lives in Canada, said: “Over the years, I have lost many thousands of pounds because I moved at 76 years old to be closer to my family. I hope the UK Government will finally make the fair and moral decision to end this policy – which makes me feel left behind by the very country I served for during the Second World War.

“I implore the UK to sit down with the Canadian government and discuss this issue, rather than refuse outright as they have done to date.”

Around half of retired expats with a frozen state pension receive just £65 a week or less, according to the End Frozen Pensions campaign.

Sir Peter Bottomley, Conservative MP for Worthing West, said: “It is only right that all UK pensioners are treated equally no matter where they live.

“Denying UK pensioners their full, uprated, state pension, after they have paid National Insurance like counterparts elsewhere, is a gross injustice.”

State pensioners in Britain had a record 10.1pc increase confirmed last week. The basic state pension, paid to those who reached the state pension age before 2016, will increase to £156 per week or £8,122 annually from April.