War veteran, 99, challenges Keir Starmer to end ‘frozen pensions’ probe | Policy | news

Anne Puckridge is no stranger to tough challenges, having helped defeat the Nazis by breaking codes during WWII.

Now, nearing his 100th birthday, he is targeting Sir Keir Starmer to end the ‘Pensions Freeze’ scandal.

Mrs Puckridge is among almost half a million retired Britons living abroad whose state pensions do not rise with inflation.

Their weekly payments were frozen on the day they left the country, meaning many are losing out on thousands of pounds a year compared to their domestic counterparts.

The decades-old policy means they receive less than half of those living in this country.

Some of these pensioners live in poverty, while many others struggle to get by.

“This policy is unbelievable for a country called Britain, it’s draconian,” he told the Express from his home in Calgary, Canada.

“We have all paid our dues and this makes us very, very angry. People are suffering.”

Their rallying cry comes as campaigners launch a new petition on Change.org – Freeze Pensions Petition – calling on the government to end the injustice.

She is urging Sir Keir, who is already facing the wrath of pensioners for cruelly stealing his winter fuel payment, to meet the war veteran when she travels to the UK in December, just days before her 100th anniversary

And Ms Puckridge, who served in all three branches of the Armed Forces, has the Prime Minister firmly in the crosshairs.

“If I get to meet him I will ask him; How can Britain treat its pensioners so badly? “It is discrimination and it leaves many people in a desperate situation. It’s a crime.”

Labor promised to increase pensions for British expats living abroad in its 2019 general election manifesto, but this time it did not include the promise.

The policy has been left unchanged by successive governments for about 70 years.

In 1955, British state pensions were paid anywhere in the world but were not linked to inflation.

In subsequent decades, reciprocal agreements have been made with only a few countries to increase pension payments.

But there are still around 150 countries where there is no agreement, including many Commonwealth nations such as Canada, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.

Campaigners argue that the cost of changing the policy would be around £300m over five years and just £50m in the first year, as it would start from the day any deal is signed, rather than being backdated.

The basic state pension is now £169.50 per week.

End Frozen Pensions campaigners say this means 40% of all British pensioners living outside the UK affected by the policy are losing £3,085.16 a year if they retired in 2013 and up to £7,042.36 a year if they retired in 1983.

Ms Puckridge, who lived and worked in the UK until she was 76, believes she has lost around £60,000 since moving to Canada in 2001.

Tory MP Sir Roger Gale, the former chairman of the all-party parliamentary group on Britain’s pension freeze, said: “This iniquitous policy has been a sore point for successive governments, whether Tory, Labor or the Coalition.

“It’s totally unfair to almost half a million people.”

Conservative MP Andrew Rosindell, a former member of the APPG, said: “This is a matter of basic fairness.

“British citizens who have worked hard, paid their taxes and contributed to our country should receive the same benefits as any other Briton, regardless of where they choose to live in retirement. The current policy, which leaves pensioners from certain countries without the annual increase in their pensions, is unfair and must be stopped.

“We cannot allow this unfair treatment to continue.

“They are not asking for anything far-fetched, just that their pensions be increased in line with other pensioners.

“This is not about retrospective payments or compensation for the years they have lost, but about ensuring they are treated fairly going forward.

“It is time for the Government to tackle this problem and ensure that all British pensioners, wherever they live, receive the full and fair pension they deserve.”

Campaigners estimate that a permanent solution to the problem would cost less than 1% of the state’s total pension budget, around £50m in the first year.

A government spokesman said: “We understand that people move abroad for many reasons, and we provide clear information on gov.uk about how this can affect their finances in retirement.

“The International Pensions Center is a source of advice for people who are already retired.

“The Government’s policy on increasing the UK State Pension for recipients living abroad is a policy of more than 70 years and we continue to increase State Pensions abroad where there is a legal requirement to do it.”

To sign the petition, visit Change.org or click Freeze Pensions Petition