Brit pensioner associations fight to unfreeze British pensions

Expat pensioners living in countries where their UK pensions are frozen are fighting for their rights through British State pensioner associations.

Grouped under the umbrella of the International Consortium of British Pensioners,(ICBP) associations in Australia, Canada and South Africa are now being joined by smaller groups. The Australia-based British Pensions in Australia Inc (BPiA) established some 10 years ago, aims to encourage UK expats in the country to help fund a legislative and political battle against the discriminatory ruling.

SAAP in South Africa and CABP in Canada are also funding the succession of legal cases against the rule in the UK and European courts. The groups are staffed by volunteers with managerial and professional qualifications, with BPiA alone having over 10,000 members to date.

British retirees living in 120 countries across the world have their pensions frozen from the moment they leave the UK, with many now surviving on £30 a week or even less. In 2013, the UK’s pension fund surplus is at three times the government-recommended level, and is sitting in an account earning a low rate of interest.

At the same time, older Brits worldwide are costing the UK nothing in heathcare, benefits given on an age-related basis, reduced council taxes, bus passes and other pittances for the elderly. The British government’s excuse for not updating all UK overseas state pensions is that they can’t afford it – yet the money is sitting there, doing almost nothing, as by law it can only be used for pensions.

According to the ICBP, the unfreezing of British pensions would encourage even more retired citizens to emigrate, thus saving UK taxpayers over £7 billion between now and 2023. The association is encouraging UK retirees in all countries where pensions are frozen to join in and fight to change this cruel anomaly.