A state pensioner in her 90s has seen some of her living costs more than double while her state pension remains frozen at £72.50 a week.
Anne Puckridge, 98, is a World War Two veteran who lives in Canada. She moved to the country in 2001 and since then her state pension has been stuck at its current level.
Figures from Statistics Canada show the cost of a 675g loaf of bread has gone up 147 percent since then while the price of a dozen eggs has gone up 130 percent.
She said: “The UK Government continues to refuse to bring an end to this injustice despite repeated attempts by the Canadian Government.
“It is clear to me, that politicians in Westminster are happy to see many of their own citizens live a retirement of poverty and challenge rather than the comfort that we were promised, paid for, and deserve.”
Anne is one of around 500,000 state pensioners who live in countries which mean they do not get the yearly increase to the state pension.
Only certain countries have an agreement with the UK meaning Britons living there get the yearly uprating.
The state pension is only guaranteed to increase each year for people who live in these areas:
- The UK
- European Economic Area (EEA)
- Gibraltar
- Switzerland
- Countries with a social security agreement with the UK (but not Canada or New Zealand).
Ms Puckridge’s current state pension is less than half the full basic state pension she could receive, which is currently £156.20 a week. The full new state pension is currently £203.85 a week.
Many people in her situation have had to continue working into their old age to get by while others struggle to pay for their health treatment.
Sheila Telford, chair of the International Consortium of British Pensioners, said: “This morally bankrupt policy is leading to many British pensioners having to make impossible choices or rely on the goodwill of others at a time when they should be enjoying their retirement.
“These figures must serve as a wakeup call to those in power in the UK, that their immoral policy has real life consequences and that keeping people like Anne on pensions from over twenty years ago is indefensible and must end.
“It is imperative that the UK Government live up to the promise made to all UK pensioners, end this injustice and ensure that all UK pensioners receive a full state pension.”
A person whose pension is frozen can get their payments uprated to the current amount if they return to live in the UK.
Express.co.uk has asked the DWP for comment.
