The state pension is due to rise by 4.1% next April under the triple lock promise – but 453,000 state pensioners who live overseas won’t see the increase
A warning has been issued on behalf of almost half a million older Brits whose state pension is “frozen” after they retired abroad.
The state pension is due to rise by 4.1% next April under the triple lock promise – but 453,000 state pensioners who live in some of the most popular overseas retirement destinations won’t see the increase. This is because there is no reciprocal agreement in place to boost state pensions yearly in certain countries, including Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
The full new state pension is currently worth £221.20 a week, while the full basic state pension is set at £169.50 a week. These rates will rise to £230.30 a week and £176.45 a week, respectively.
Speaking after the Budget, John Duguid, chair of the End Frozen Pensions campaign, said denying yearly increases to state pensioners abroad exposes them to cost of living increases. He said: “This Budget does nothing to help the nearly half a million overseas UK state pensioners consistently denied all of the annual increases in the state pension despite paying all their National Insurance dues.
Has your state pension been frozen? Get in touch to share your story: levi.winchester@reachplc.com
“One such pensioner is soon to be 100 year old WW2 veteran Anne Puckridge who is making the 4,400 mile journey from her home in Canada in December to lobby MPs and challenge the Prime Minister to a meeting. Anne receives only half of the current value of the UK state pension. Many more of the half a million are much worse off. Given the lack of help on this issue… we are hopeful that the Prime Minister will be even more inclined to do the right thing and agree to meet Anne.”
If your state pension is frozen, it will remain at the rate from when you first emigrated. Your pension will go up to the current rate if you return to live in the UK. You will only see your state pension increased every year when abroad if you live in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, or in country that has a social security agreement with the UK, apart from Canada and New Zealand.
A DWP spokesperson said: “Our priority is ensuring every pensioner receives the financial support to which they are entitled. We understand that people move abroad for many reasons and we provide clear information on GOV.UK about how this can impact 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.”
Full list of countries where your state pension WILL increase
EEA countries and Switzerland
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
Countries the UK has a social security agreement with
- Barbados
- Bermuda
- Bosnia-Herzegovina
- Gibraltar
- Guernsey
- the Isle of Man
- Israel
- Jamaica
- Jersey
- Kosovo
- Mauritius
- Montenegro
- North Macedonia
- the Philippines
- Serbia
- Turkey
- USA
