‘We feel frustrated and robbed’: Expats to protest to end frozen pension ‘discrimination’ (Image: David Currie)
British expats will be taking to Westminster in September to protest the end of frozen state pension “discrimination”, as half a million miss out on up-rates due to current legislation.
David and Elizabeth Currie, 70 and 69, are leading the protest next month out of mounting frustrations that they’re losing thousands of pounds a year in state pension payments, despite making back-dated voluntary National Insurance (NI) contributions.
Mr Currie, who moved to Vancouver, Canada, in 1988 from Glasgow with his wife when unemployment rates were spiralling, told Express.co.uk: “We are truly disgusted and angry.
“Prior to leaving Glasgow, we were never informed by any Government body that our pensions would be frozen.
“Even when we started back paying missed NI annual payments in 2008, the [Department of Work and Pensions] never made any mention that our pension would be frozen. That was frustrating.”
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The DWP said the frozen pension policy is a “longstanding” one of more than 70 years (Image: PA)
British state pensioners receive their pension based on the level of their compulsory and voluntary NI contributions and at present, people should typically contribute around 35 years worth to receive the full state pension.
Every year, pensioners residing in Britain receive an annual uprating, known as the “triple lock”, which increases the pension based on the higher figure out of inflation, wage growth, or 2.5 percent. However, if a pensioner moves abroad and based on where they move to, their pension does not receive an uprating.
Most countries that are part of the commonwealth are included in the frozen pension list, while those residing in countries that are part of the European Union, or others, such as the US, will see their pensions rise as normal.
Mr Currie said: “The fact that pensioners in some countries have their pension uprated and some in others don’t is clear discrimination. The UK Government hide behind excuses all the time. One of them being that the policy has been in place for 70 years.
David and Elizabeth say they are currently losing around £3,500 a year worrth of state pension (Image: David Currie)
“A wrong is a wrong, and it’s as simple as that. It’s extremely frustrating. We were made aware of our frozen pensions at least 10 to 15 years after we left Scotland and we did not learn this from the Government, we learnt about this through UK pensioners at the time living close by.”
Mr Currie added that the couple lives just 10 kilometres from the US border, but their friend from Glasgow living just south of the border will see an increase.
Mr Currie said: “Also at the border is a gentleman I know who is now 97 years of age, fought in World War II as a 17-year-old, was the second pilot to fly Concord is now retired over 30 years. He collects £47 a week when it should be two hundred plus pounds. That awfully frustrating. And there are lots like him, being ignored and forgotten.”
Mr and Mrs Currie said they have paid “close to £5,000 each” to backdate NI contribution years and have accumulated around 33 and 32 years, respectively.
Work and Pensions Minister Mel Stride also froze plans to accelerate the state pension age rise (Image: Getty)
Mr Currie said: “After taking into account that Elizabeth has accumulated 33 years of NI payments, and the fact that she collected her first payment on May 6, 2020, she is losing about £1,500 per year. I had worked 15 years in the UK and after I made back payments accumulating to 32 years of NI payments, and started collecting on March 6, 2019, I am losing £2,000 a year.
Mr Currie continued: “We are basically discriminated against, we are ignored, and we are being robbed of what is rightfully ours.”
Mr Currie said that contacting MPs and the ministers for pensions about the issue has been “very difficult”. He said the couple have written to at least 250 British MPs and have been “effectively ignored”.
He added: “Many pensioners worldwide have paid all NI contributions and not received in kind what they expected at pensionable age. There is a feeling of anger about how Governments can act today, it’s more like they dictate to us, as we cannot even discuss this unjust policy with them.”
Mr and Mrs Currie will be protesting on behalf of British expats with frozen state pensions at Cromwell Green on Monday, September 4, from 9am until 3pm.
A Government spokesperson has said: “Our priority is ensuring every pensioner receives the financial support to which they are entitled.
“We understand that people move abroad for many reasons and we provide clear information about how this can impact on their finances.
“The Government’s policy on the uprating of the UK state pension for recipients living overseas is a longstanding one of more than 70 years and we continue to uprate state pensions overseas where there is a legal requirement to do so.”
