British ex-pats push for pension thaw as 'unfair' freeze hurts Canadian pocketbooks
British expats are once again calling on the United Kingdom government to end a long-standing state pension freeze.
It's estimated that 126,000 Canadians are being hit by the freeze, which has locked payouts at the rate they were when the pensioner left the U.K., or when they retired if they emigrated before their pensionable age.
That means their British state pension doesn't increase annually like those back home.
Anne Puckridge, a 98-year-old Second World War veteran, has lived in Calgary since 2001 and says the problem has become especially noticeable as inflation increases.
"I came to join my daughter who is over here with her family," she told CTV News. "And I put into the (fund) up until I stopped working (at the age of 76).
"You expect to get the pension that other pensioners get who paid for it on the same terms."
Anne Puckridge, a 98-year-old WWII veteran, has lived in Calgary since 2001 and says the problem has become especially noticeable as inflation increases. Puckridge says her payments have been frozen at £72.50 pounds a week since she arrived. That's far below the current basic state pension, which is scheduled to increase to £156.20 in April.
That's a weekly difference of £83.70, or about $141 CAD.
She estimates, all told, she's been denied more than $100,000 during her time in Calgary.
"I think it's quite a slap in the face," Puckridge said. "I'm not starving, but I'm not enjoying any real quality of life."
GLOBAL CONCERN
Expats living in places like the United States or the European Union receive a full pension that's annually indexed, thanks to reciprocal social security agreements.
But despite pressure throughout the years from Ottawa, Canada has not been successful in striking a deal. It's still one of 106 countries impacted by the freeze, which is likely saving the British government hundreds of millions of dollars.
That is an outrage to Calgarian Sheila Telford, who is the director of the Canadian Alliance of British Pensioners (CABP).
The group has been pushing for change for years.
"It seems absolutely ludicrous to us that pensioners living in the United States can get their pensions uprated every year, and if they're in Canada, they're frozen forever," she said. "Over 90 per cent of frozen pensioners live in Commonwealth countries."
Australian, New Zealander and South African pensioners are also frozen.
"We were given no warning at all," Puckridge said. "If I'd had known, I would have definitely never come to Canada."
LOCAL SUBSIDIES
Luckily for Canadian pensioners, there is some help from Ottawa.
The government does offer subsidies that can increase if the pensioner falls below a certain income level.
But that doesn't sit right with Puckridge for a few different reasons.
"Every time I go to Canada for a little bit of help or anytime they give it to me, I feel like I've gone with a begging bowl," she said. "They shouldn't have to take pity."
She's also worried about the impact on taxpayers.
Telford estimates the non-indexation of the state pension is costing the Canadian economy $450 million a year.
PETITIONING FOR CHANGE
Despite years of trying, Telford and Puckridge -- and thousands of other expats -- have been unsuccessful in lobbying for change.
But they still have hope.
They believe upcoming trade meetings between the British and Canadian governments would be a great time to reopen the discussion.
They've recently launched an online petition to reiterate how widely panned the freeze is across the country.
In less than a month, it's garnered upward of 141,000 signatures.
"It will help us in the United Kingdom to show politicians the support we have," Telford said. "We want to put more and more pressure on the major parties before the next election."
Puckridge agrees.
"It's a bad policy, and that's why we're determined to fight it until the bitter end."
BRITISH RESPONSE
CTV News reached out to the Department for Work and Pensions for more information about the freeze.
A government spokesperson sent a statement saying, in part, that it understands that people move abroad for many reasons and that it "provides clear information about how this can impact their finances."
It added the policy is a longstanding one of more than 70 years and that it continues to uprate state pensions overseas "where there is a legal requirement to do so.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
China's latest EV is a 'connected' car from smart phone and electronics maker Xiaomi
Xiaomi, a well-known maker of smart consumer electronics in China, is joining the country's booming but crowded market for electric cars.