James Purnell, I have been told that your party has no intention of indexing the state pensions of half the British pensioners who live abroad. Is this correct? The fund into which they paid is growing and there IS enough money to give parity to this small minority of British senior citizens, who retired abroad. Why are they not given parity with the other half of British pensioners who also live abroad and who do receive their indexing?
Asked by dianelvin on Aug 11 2008 10:12:39 AM and supported by 19 members
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We do indeed increase the level of State Pension paid to UK citizens in the European Economic Area and Switzerland; or countries where we have reciprocal social security agreements which allow for increases to be paid there. Everywhere else the pension is frozen. The reason for this is simple. The costs of uprating everywhere would be £470m each and every year – a figure that would rise annually. The Government’s priority is to help the least well off pensioners living in this country and it will continue to help them so that the pensioners of Halifax are able to have a decent income in retirement.