'Cheaper' to uprate frozen pensions

[Dave The Dude]

'Cheaper' to uprate frozen pensions

A new report commissioned by campaign group the International Consortium of British Pensioners (ICBP) suggests that the Government would save money by uprating the frozen pensions of British retirees overseas.


By Leah Hyslop
Published: 11:06AM BST 30 Sep 2010
9 Comments

A life in the sun: some pensioners living abroad have a pension as low as £6 per week.Photo: Flo Smith / Alamy


There are approximately 543,000 British pensioners living overseas who do not receive index-linked pensions.

Whereas some Britons receive annual increases in line with the cost of living, those who emigrated to countries which do not have reciprocal arrangements with the UK had their pensions frozen when they first settled in their new country.



For the oldest overseas pensioners, this can mean that their pension is as low as £6 per week.
The new report, entitled Pension parity: can the UK Goverment afford it? surveyed a representative sample of British pensioners, and showed that nearly half (46 per cent) would like to retire abroad.
Out of these, one in three (34 per cent) want to retire to countries affected by the pension freeze.
Because of the freeze, however, two fifths of these pensioners (39 per cent) are deterred from moving.
The report concluded that although uprating all British pensions would cost the government around £478 million per year, it would also encourage more people to retire overseas - in the long-term saving money in unused health and social benefits.
John Markham, director of UK Parliamentary affairs for the ICBP, said: “The Government has said that it cannot afford to uprate all pensions, but our report shows that by doing so it would still pocket a massive saving.
"Every person who retires abroad saves the Government around £4,000 per year, and we estimate that around 7,000 people retire to countries where pensions are frozen every year. This number would clearly increase if the freeze was lifted. The report suggests that if all pensions were uprated, the Government could save £31 billion over the next 15 years, compared with only £33 billion if they weren't uprated.
“Essentially, these are vast numbers, which I don’t think the Government understands or recognises. It’s not simply the case that these people, many of whom made national insurance contributions their whole working life, deserve to have their pensions unfrozen: it makes economic sense too.”
In March, the European Court of Human Rights dealt a huge blow to expatriate pensioners by ruling that denying them index-linked pension rises did not breach their human rights. The ICBP has responded by beginning what they call a "real hearts and minds campaign". They are presenting petitions to leaders at each party conference, and have not ruled out the possibility of taking legal action again.
“We are hopeful that the Coalition will listen to our demands,” said Mr Markham.
Pension parity: can the UK Government afford It? was commissioned from Matrix Evidence by the ICBP.
For more information visit the ICPB’s website here.

 

[Baz]

Good bit of information but will it ever happen??? I think the answer is a big fat NO. :NoNo3:

 

[billp]

The Government could make massive savings if they were to rationalize the Pensions Dept . During the past year I have been in correspondence with them over my pension . I have written over 12 letters/emails and each one was replied to by a different person . Now things may have changed since I was last in employment but then it was considered good business practice to have customers dealt with by the same member of staff . I get the impression of a large group sitting around waiting for something to do .(although they take a couple of weeks to actually answer). But they won't do anything about us expats because we no longer have a vote . puke2

 

[Prakhonchai Nick]

The Pension Service are quite useless. Currently assisting someone who's claim was made too late for an additional allowance (not his fault). Pension Sevice eventually caved in and agreed that a late claim with relevant documents should be submitted. A month later a reply from an different individual bluntly rejecting the claim because it arrived too late. Now in APPEAL!

A case of "too many cooks!"

 

[Prakhonchai Nick]

But they won't do anything about us expats because we no longer have a vote . puke2

Actually Bill, expats have the right to vote for 15 years after leaving the UK. That is of course if you consider anyone worth voting for!

 

[billp]

Sod 'em

 

[Dave The Dude]

Probably yet another office full of contract workers who care F.A. about customer service

 

[Moderator3]

Expat British veterans say they will hand back medals if pensions remain frozen

A petition from over 100 expat veterans protesting against the frozen pensions policy is to be presented to pensions minister Steve Webb today - with some veterans claiming they will hand back their medals if the policy is not reversed.

10 Downing Street, where the International Consortium of British Pensioners will be presenting a petition signed by over 100 veterans in protest at their frozen pensions today Photo: Tony Watson / Alamy






By Leah Hyslop11:25AM GMT 16 Dec 20107 Comments


There are currently around 500,000 British pensioners living overseas whose pensions were frozen at the rate they were at when they left the UK.

While Britons who emigrated to countries in the European Union, the US and many other countries receive the same annual cost-of-living increases that they would receive if they lived in the UK, there are 150 countries - including Canada, Australia, and South Africa - where these upgrades do not apply.

Consequently there are thousands of pensioners abroad, many of whom fought in World War II, who are struggling to survive on as little as £10 a week.

Today, campaign group the International Consortium of British Pensioners, which has been fighting for an end to the frozen pensions policy for over 20 years, is presenting a book filled with statements from over 100 veterans on why they think the policy should be ended to pensions minister Steve Webb.

Many of the veterans, who have over 600 years of military service between them, say that they feel so betrayed by the government that they are prepared to hand back their medals if pensions are not unfrozen.




John Markham, a spokesman for the International Consortium of British Pensioners, said:
"David Cameron has pledged to make pensions fair for all. Only when all British pensioners no matter where they live, including these brave veterans, have their pensions raised equally each year, will we believe he means it.
"After 50 years of injustice it has come to the stage where men and women who fought for this country feel so abandoned that they would renounce their hard won war medals. These brave veterans deserve better than to be robbed of their glory as well as the pensions they paid for all their working lives. We trust the government will not let it come to that and will see justice is done before it is too late.
"We are grateful that Steve Webb, who has been a long supporter of our cause, as has Nick Clegg, is formally accepting this important testimony on behalf of the Prime Minister. But we cannot afford to wait another 50 years for justice. If we are not heard today these veterans may well feel compelled to personally hand their medals back in disgust.”
One veteran, Bernard Jackson, who served in Normandy on D-Day, has flown from his home in Canada especially to deliver the book with Mr Markham to 10 Downing Street.
“How disgraceful that at the age of 87 I am still fighting a battle; this one is to get my UK pension unfrozen. I worked for 50 years in the UK, and landed in Normandy on D-Day.
“The politicians have no more excuses. If they care about fairness the government will listen to us today and end this injustice once and for all," he said.
Earlier this month, finance specialist Alison Steed wrote an open letterto Steve Webb on behalf of Telegraph Expat, asking him to support expat pensioners.
Read more about the plight of pensioners abroad here.

 

[Dave The Dude]

Frozen pensions are a wrong that must be righted'
This week, a British expat pensioner who served in the Second World War flew to London to present pensions minister Steve Webb with a novel type of petition protesting 'frozen' expat pensions.

Image 1 of 2
Pensions minister Steve Webb accepts the "book of heroes" from the International Consortium of British Pensioners representatives John Markham and Bernard Jackson outside 10 Downing Street

Image 1 of 2
A typical page in the book which the International Consortium of British Pensioners presented to pensions minister Steve Webb to draw attention to the plight of expat pensioners

























By Leah Hyslop5:10PM GMT 17 Dec 20104 Comments


Bernard Jackson, who served as an RAF wireless operator during the Second World War, lives in Canada, one of 150 countries that do not have a reciprocal social security arrangement with the UK.

Along with around 500,000 other pensioners, the 88-year-old expat is therefore denied the cost-of-living increases given to British retirees residing in many other parts of the world, and has had his pension effectively frozen at the rate it stood at when he left the UK in 1998.

On Thursday, Mr Jackson went to 10 Downing Street on behalf of frozen pensions campaign group the International Consortium of British Pensioners(ICBP) to present Steve Webb with a book filled with pleas to reverse the frozen pensions policy from over 100 veterans.

"The book of heroes", as Mr Jackson calls it, dedicates each page to a different expat veteran, describing their military service and giving them space to explain in their own words why they want their pensions uprated.

The ICBP hopes the book will encourage the government to look beyond the cost of unfreezing expats' pensions, and realise how many individuals have had their quality of life severely affected by the policy.

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"Frozen pensions are simply a wrong that must be righted,” Mr Jackson told Telegraph Expat. “I spent my whole working life in the UK, working from the age of 14 right up to 64. When I went to Canada in 1998, nobody told me that my pension would be frozen.
“I now receive only £48 a week, and I know people who are living on as little as £10. Many of us fought in the war; fighting for democracy and fairness, which includes fair pensions. We are now dying off - how much longer do we need to fight?"
Mr Jackson, who was in Normandy for D-Day, said that many of his fellow veterans were so angered by the government's refusal to uprate pensions that they were considering sending back their medals.
“Our medals mean a lot to us, but it's also important that we are allowed something we consider our right,” he said.
The ICBP has now been fighting for the uprating of Britons' pensions in countries including Canada, South Africa and Australia for over 20 years.
It has been estimated that uprating frozen pensions would cost the government £478 million a year; around one per cent of the overall pensions budget. The ICBP argues however that if the freeze is reversed, more people will be encouraged to emigrate - saving the government a significant amount of money in health and social benefits such as access to the NHS, or the free bus passes issued to senior citizens.
John Markham, a leading figure in the ICBP who went with Mr Jackson to present the book, said that he was optimistic that the frozen pensions policy would be reversed in the near future. “The new government has stressed all along its commitment to fairness, and that is what we are really talking about here - fairness," he said.
“It is a government which seems to be forward-looking, and with pensions such a hot topic at the moment, we really hope that we can move this issue from push to shove.”
Lord Shipley, a Liberal Democrat peer, has said that he is tabling a parliamentary question in the House of Lords for early next week about the issue.
Agreeing with Mr Markham, he said: "This is all about fairness.The decision not to uprate pensions overseas was a temporary economy measure taken many years ago. Those days are long gone. The sums involved are not great."
Telegraph Expat is supporting the campaign to uprate British expat pensions. Find out more about the plight of British pensioners abroad here.

 

[Baz]

They're right Dave it would be a lot cheaper to upgrade every expats pension, but no government in the UK will do it, they have other issues to think about, like where shall we house the illegal immigrants and how much money, clothing and goods shall we give them to make sure they feel they are being treated ok while we spend 5 years looking into their reason for sneaking into the UK.!!!!!!!

 

[Dave The Dude]

Will Australian businesswoman support frozen pensions campaign?

Thérèse Rein, one of Australia's most successful businesswomen, is likely to be the next prominent figure to be asked by frozen pensioner lobbyists to champion their cause.

Thérèse Rein, pictured with her husband, foreign minister Kevin Rudd Photo: Newspix/Rex Features






By Ava Hubble4:05PM BST 05 May 20114 Comments


Australian entrepreneur Ms Rein is the wife of the Australian foreign minister and former prime minister, Kevin Rudd, and has long had a reputation for defending those whose human rights have been infringed.

In association with Deloitte, her company, Igneus UK, recently won seven contracts from the UK's Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) to find work for about a quarter of Britain's two-and-a-half million unemployed. The value of these contracts is estimated at around £1 billion over five years.

A member of the British Australian Pensioner Association (BAPA) suggests Rein now has unrivalled influence at the DWP and that she could be the very person to persuade the department's top brass to advocate the abolition of the frozen pensions policy in the interest of British/Australian détente.

About half of Britain's 500,000 frozen pensioners are currently living in retirement in Australia. Many of these expats have long been dependent on a supplementary Australian pension because their British pensions have been frozen for years.

Last month, Jim Tilley, the chairman of the Sydney-based British Pensions in Australia (BPiA) organisation, spoke to the Australian prime minister, Julia Gillard, to ask her to raise the frozen pensions issue during her trip to London for the royal wedding. Mr Tilley has revealed that Ms Gillard's parents, John and Moira Gillard, are victims of the policy and members of his lobby group.

It's not known if the Australian prime minister did raise the matter in the UK, but her press office forwarded enquiries to Australia's minister in charge of pensions, Jenny Macklin. Her office issued this statement:



"The UK government’s policy disadvantages UK pensioners in Australia and imposes an increasing burden on all Australian taxpayers. The Australian government remains of the view that the UK government should index pensions for UK pensioners living in Australia, as it does for UK pensioners in the EU, the US and other countries. The Australian government considers this situation unfair and discriminatory.
"Minister Macklin has written to her UK counterpart (secretary of state for work and pensions) on several occasions urging the UK government to reconsider their position.
"Minister Macklin has also just raised this issue during a meeting with the UK minister for employment at the OECD in Paris. The minister for employment agreed to relay Minister Macklin’s comments and concerns to the secretary of state for work and pensions."
The cost of supplementing the frozen pensions of UK expats to the Australian taxpayer is believed to be about $A110 million (£72 million) a year.
Telegraph Expat is supporting the campaign to uprate British expat pensions. Find out more about the plight of British pensioners abroad here.