Frozen British Pensioners

[Old Dissenter]

Once again, the Department of Work and Pensions has rebuffed an attempt to unfreeze British state pensions. Show your displeasure by writing to Boris Johnson at 10 Downing Street, London, SW1A 2AA, UK.

Do not let this matter rest. By writing letters, it will keep up the pressures to eventually end this unjust situation.

[Old Dissenter]

The UK Government has refused to negotiate a social security agreement with Canada. This news was released on Maundy Thursday ahead of a long weekend and at the start of a parliamentary recess. We can only assume the timing was to ensure this arrogant refusal to even talk about an agreement was to ensure it did not receive public scrutiny.

[KarenBravo]

This rule has been around for decades and each government has not changed this policy and neither will the present one. They cite expense and that retiring overseas is a personal decision.

 

I've seen many campaigns over the years on Thaivisa to write letters and petitions to MPs.

That you are doing this in the year 2021 just shows that this issue belongs to St. Jude.

[petermik]

Give it a rest,we all knew the situation when we moved here....if my frozen pension in any way helps those poor unfortunate asylum seekers in the UK I,m all for it.....????

[Old Dissenter]

2 hours ago, KarenBravo said:

This rule has been around for decades and each government has not changed this policy and neither will the present one. They cite expense and that retiring overseas is a personal decision.

 

I've seen many campaigns over the years on Thaivisa to write letters and petitions to MPs.

That you are doing this in the year 2021 just shows that this issue belongs to St. Jude.

Don't ask, don't get.

[Old Dissenter]

2 hours ago, petermik said:

Give it a rest,we all knew the situation when we moved here....if my frozen pension in any way helps those poor unfortunate asylum seekers in the UK I,m all for it.....????

No fear. I won't rest until it is corrected.

[KarenBravo]

26 minutes ago, Old Dissenter said:

Don't ask, don't get.

 

Ask.......still don't get.

[petermik]

7 hours ago, Old Dissenter said:

No fear. I won't rest until it is corrected.

You`ll have many sleepless nights over it then..........????

[Old Dissenter]

4 hours ago, KarenBravo said:

 

Ask.......still don't get.

Keep on asking

[Old Dissenter]

4 hours ago, petermik said:

You`ll have many sleepless nights over it then..........????

Aslyum seekers in the UK receive little support from the UK government. Organisations that help refugees in Thailand include Life Raft

https://www.liferaftinternational.org/

[polpott]

2 hours ago, KarenBravo said:

 

Ask.......still don't get.

I get it. Always have done, and the winter fuel allowance and my Christmas bonus. And before you ask, I haven't set foot in the UK for 2 years. If someone tries to rob me, I rob them.

[KannikaP]

Does anyone know how many 'frozen pensioners' there are Worldwide?

[KannikaP]

1 minute ago, polpott said:

I get it. Always have done, and the winter fuel allowance and my Christmas bonus. And before you ask, I haven't set foot in the UK for 2 years. If someone tries to rob me, I rob them.

Meaning the DWP think you still live in UK. Naughty boy.   LOL

[dabhand]

14 hours ago, KannikaP said:

Does anyone know how many 'frozen pensioners' there are Worldwide?

 

In May 2020 it was reported as 492k. With 84% living in Australia, Canada and NZ.

 

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn01457/#:~:text=In May 2020%2C there were,Benefit Expenditure and Caseload Tables).

[Oxx]

What is hypocritical is that the government will increase the pensions of expats living in Europe, even in the absence of an agreement.  I guess they're more concerned about the votes of European expats than Thai ones.

[Asquith Production]

On 4/12/2021 at 7:14 AM, Oxx said:

What is hypocritical is that the government will increase the pensions of expats living in Europe, even in the absence of an agreement.  I guess they're more concerned about the votes of European expats than Thai ones.

And the Philippines

[PGSan]

On 4/10/2021 at 8:39 PM, polpott said:

and my Christmas bonus.

What is this?  Which pension does it come with?

[nerjaron]

On 4/10/2021 at 2:39 PM, polpott said:

I get it. Always have done, and the winter fuel allowance and my Christmas bonus. And before you ask, I haven't set foot in the UK for 2 years. If someone tries to rob me, I rob them.

Winter Fuel Allowance AND Christmas Bonus? I am still in the UK, receive the WFA but never heard of a Christmas Bonus - surely they are one and the same?

[adammike]

On 4/12/2021 at 2:14 AM, Oxx said:

What is hypocritical is that the government will increase the pensions of expats living in Europe, even in the absence of an agreement.  I guess they're more concerned about the votes of European expats than Thai ones.

There is an agreement over the status of Brits living in the EU and EU citizens living in the UK.Pensions are covered in that agreement.How long that will last is another story.

[Guderian]

There was an APPG on Frozen British Pensions published last year. Their recommendations are simple and clear:

 

_______________________________________________________________________

 

...the main recommendation of this report is that the UK Government end the
‘frozen’ pension policy. We urge the Government to seek to provide UK pensioners living in
‘frozen’ countries with their full uprated UK state pension as soon as possible, particularly given
the recent impacts of COVID-19 on this group.

 

The APPG believe that this is such an injustice that the relatively modest cost should not be
allowed to be a barrier to ending the policy. Partial uprating of UK pensions could, however, be
considered as an interim solution to prevent the ‘freezing’ of UK pensions moving forward, with a
view to then addressing the historic injustice built into the present policy.

It is clear from the evidence that the UK does not need to pursue reciprocal agreements to
uprate the pensions of UK pensioners overseas in line with the triple lock each year. However,
submissions from Canada and Australia have shown a clear willingness to work towards an end
to frozen pensions. The UK Government should conduct talks with these governments on this
issue immediately.

 

_______________________________________________________________________

 

If you care to write to your MP or any other politican on this matter, you should ask them why they are ignoring the findings and recommendations of this APPG.

 

One possible ray of light is that expats may become entitled to vote in UK elections for life if the proposal in Sunak's budget is approved. Politicians live and breathe for one thing only - to get re-elected, which means votes. If you have no vote, then don't expect them to take any notice of you. If this change goes through and enough people register to vote again, and then start writing regularly to their MP's about how hard their lives are on a frozen pension and how they can't bring themselves to vote for that party again until the current pension rules are changed, then there may be enough pressure to start some of the politicians thinking seriously about it again.

 

Here are links to the APPG report and its appendices, Read them and weep, because we have the moral high ground and it's successive miserly British governments that are screwing us, because they can do it and it doesn't cost them any votes:

 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwj1_cKC0vrvAhWowjgGHfcADjUQFjABegQIAhAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrozenbritishpensions.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F12%2F2020-APPG-report.pdf&usg=AOvVaw3DB1aaZvifJBrP-t34TP2F

 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwj1_cKC0vrvAhWowjgGHfcADjUQFjAAegQIAxAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffrozenbritishpensions.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F12%2F2020-APPG-report-Appendices.pdf&usg=AOvVaw20YChfARbnxq0Bx5d-4u93

 

 

 

[billzant]

On 4/10/2021 at 8:40 PM, KannikaP said:

Does anyone know how many 'frozen pensioners' there are Worldwide?

550,000 worldwide according to http://frozenbritishpensions.org/

 

[KannikaP]

1 hour ago, PGSan said:

What is this?  Which pension does it come with?

I think you get a tenner more the week before Xmas.

[KannikaP]

1 hour ago, nerjaron said:

Winter Fuel Allowance AND Christmas Bonus? I am still in the UK, receive the WFA but never heard of a Christmas Bonus - surely they are one and the same?

A tenner more the week before Xmas. 555

[scubascuba3]

On 4/10/2021 at 8:28 PM, Old Dissenter said:

Keep on asking

Nigel Farage could be helpful here, if he thinks it's a winner he'll go for it. Conservatives often nick his policies, he's all over facebook and youtube these days

[maxcorrigan]

Does anyone by chance know how many of the modern parties stand on frozen pensions, UKIP or the one Farrage just ducked out of (can't remember the name) do any support this blatant thievery that has been going on for more than 70yrs?

[sirwilly]

On 4/10/2021 at 8:39 PM, polpott said:

I get it. Always have done, and the winter fuel allowance and my Christmas bonus. And before you ask, I haven't set foot in the UK for 2 years. If someone tries to rob me, I rob them.

They will catch you eventually and make you pay it back by reducing your  pension  for as many years as it takes  they caught me after 8 years ,they wanted to see me in person and take proof of bills ect of   my address in the uk  . this of course i could not do / so be warned

[Kwasaki]

53 minutes ago, maxcorrigan said:

Does anyone by chance know how many of the modern parties stand on frozen pensions, UKIP or the one Farrage just ducked out of (can't remember the name) do any support this blatant thievery that has been going on for more than 70yrs?

It will go on for many more years to come until govt UK pensions are no more, being realistic. 

[Gillyflower]

On 4/10/2021 at 3:39 PM, polpott said:

I get it. Always have done, and the winter fuel allowance and my Christmas bonus. And before you ask, I haven't set foot in the UK for 2 years. If someone tries to rob me, I rob them.

I haven't lived in the UK for decades.  Just got a letter yesterday telling me it had gone up (61p!!)  I also get the Christmas bonus.  I live in France so perhaps it's that.

[Bangkok Barry]

There is nothing in it for the government, including votes, so forget it. The Daily Telegraph has been campaigning on and off for years to no avail. It is never, ever going to happen. If anything, those countries where increases are now available might find that in the future they are not.

[billzant]

1 hour ago, maxcorrigan said:

Does anyone by chance know how many of the modern parties stand on frozen pensions, UKIP or the one Farrage just ducked out of (can't remember the name) do any support this blatant thievery that has been going on for more than 70yrs?

In the last election the Labour party manifesto included uprating without "back-pay" for the first time. The Tories did not include it, I am not sure about the other parties.