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@ Diane Abbott MP
Labour Leadership Candidate

I would like to know what you think the Labour party should do about the plight of half our British state pensioners who have retired overseas, only to find their pensions frozen at the very first amount.... Show more » I would like to know what you think the Labour party should do about the plight of half our British state pensioners who have retired overseas, only to find their pensions frozen at the very first amount. Each year the value of their income drops, until it is worth practically nothing at all in very old age. The other half who live abroad receive their expected annually indexed pension because they happen to live in a different collection of countries. Do you agree that all pensioners should receive their fully indexed pensions, after paying into the National Insurance Fund while working in the UK, no matter where they live in retirement? Show less »

Submitted by: dianelvin | 41 votes for this..

10 comments | Topic: Politics | Bookmark and Share

Answered by Diane Abbott MP

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Comments

John Feltham at Aug 05 2010 12:00:00 AM : 

This problem has been out there for a very long time. I don't know how many years Labour was in power but during that time they propagated enough lies about "our stolen pensions" to last us a life-time.

Instead of asking us, let us ask you.

What are you going to do about it? We have tried everything possible.

Whatever your answer might be, the Labour Government did NOTHING - except fight us through every Court in the Land and in the European Courts.

John Feltham.

Townsville

North Queensland

Australia

 
Len Watson at Aug 05 2010 12:00:00 AM : 

 Why does where I live have any bearing as to my entitlement when I have paid in all my life exactly the same as my piers around the world.
bwelford at Aug 05 2010 12:00:00 AM : 

 Although it might appear superficially that correcting this unfairness might be a cost to the National treasury, if you do the total accounting around the issue, it is likely that the national 'bottom line' would be improved.  Many pensioners living in Commonwealth countries who are penalized may well consider returning to the UK to pass their remaining years with a full pension.  They then become a drain on all the other services that pensioners are entitled to.  It's much better to do all to encourage them to stay where they are and have other countries fund these services.

It is hard to imagine how any such illogical and unfair policy can continue year after year.  Slowly the number of MPs who understand this is growing.  What is wrong with those who cannot see the rightness of this cause.
frank Ashcroft at Aug 05 2010 12:00:00 AM : 

The amount of my pension was based on my contributions. Why has this criterion now changed to where I live and I now do not receive the yearly increases given to most pensioners. Where is the logic and fairness in this situation.  In addition to your saving on my pension Govt. has saved about  4000 pounds in medical and fuel expenses in recent years.  While in office you made a great show of fairness but did not live up to it.  Frank Ashcroft
Derek Hoare at Aug 05 2010 12:00:00 AM : 

Derek Hoare

There can be no moral reason to have indexation in one country and not another.  What would be the outcome if every country outside UK were not given indexation?  There would be huge amounts of press, arguing that it was unfair.
John K Corner at Aug 06 2010 12:00:00 AM : 

It is time politicians showed some common-sense and leadership.

I have paid my contributions all my life and draw a full UK government pension...yet...because I chose to live in Australia the UK government decided my pension was NOT going to be index-linked.

WHY?

If I lived in many other countries it would be so linked - where is the reason in this. Why the discrimination?

John K Corner, Vermont South, Victoria, Australia.
Bold at Aug 06 2010 12:00:00 AM : 

 

Bold at Aug 06 2010 12:00:00 AM : 

My wife and I lived and worked in England all our lives. My health failed in 1988 and I claimed incapacity benefit. In 1994 we decided to move to Australia for the climate and informed the DHSS. My incapacity benefit was withdrawn 2 days before we left but we were not told that, when we became due for our age pension, it would be frozen.

Whatever gains the Treasury has made by freezing our pensions will be inadequate compensation for the medical, pension and other costs we will claim when we are forced to return to UK because we cannot afford to live in Australia any longer.

Who is the winner? 
jonny dingo at Aug 06 2010 12:00:00 AM : 

 Like many others who have commented here, I paid tax and NI contributions all my working life - I was never unemployed.

Now I am retired in Australia, supporting my son and his family.

I am not asking for special treatment - I am asking for the SAME treatment as everyone else who paid into the NI fund.

Every year a vote is passed to increase ALL pensions.  Then a second vote is passed to nullify that for certain countries.  It is a bloody disgrace.
Geoff Brown at Aug 07 2010 12:00:00 AM : 

I paid the CONTRIBUTIONS for my pension all my working life and delayed taking my pension for 2 years.   I also paid CONTRIBUTIONS for a supplementary earnings related pension.   For the government to now claim that the pensions are NON-CONTRIBUTORY as they did in Court is downright fraud.   I have lived in Australia for the past 8 years and both my standard pension and my SERPS have been frozen since I left the UK.   I was informed by the DHSS that if I lived abroad my pension would be frozen.   I was NOT told that if I went to the USA or a number of other countries my pension would not be frozen.   I think ALL pensioners should receive equal treatment regardless of where they decide to live. 
coliren at Aug 08 2010 12:00:00 AM : 

It  is doubtful if the majority of the MPs of either party  understand ,or do not want to,understand the economics of the frozen pension debate nor the fact that the cost of unfreezing would be dwarfed by the huge surpluses already built up in N I fund and which are being added to yearly. I think that they should also take some cognisince of how their actions compare with other european countries who do uprate their overseas pensioners I know from personal experience ,I am ashamed trying to explain our governments callous decision that has no moral justification in any language.

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