State pensioner caught on £72.50 per week hit by hovering prices

Aug 30, 2023 at 8:34 AM
State pensioner caught on £72.50 per week hit by hovering prices

A in her 90s has seen a few of her greater than double whereas her state pension stays frozen at £72.50 per week.

Anne Puckridge, 98, is a World War Two veteran who lives in Canada. She moved to the nation in 2001 and since then her state pension has been caught at its present degree.

Figures from Statistics Canada present the price of a 675g loaf of bread has gone up 147 p.c since then whereas the value of a dozen eggs has gone up 130 p.c.

She stated: “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 certainly one of round 500,000 state pensioners who stay in international locations which imply they don’t get the yearly enhance to the state pension.

Only sure international locations have an settlement with the UK which means Britons residing there get the yearly uprating.

The state pension is barely assured to extend annually for individuals who stay in these areas:

  • The UK
  • European Economic Area (EEA)
  • Gibraltar
  • Switzerland
  • Countries with a social safety settlement with the UK (however not Canada or New Zealand).

Ms Puckridge’s present state pension is lower than half the total primary state pension she may obtain, which is at present £156.20 per week. The full new state pension is at present £203.85 per week.

Many folks in her state of affairs have needed to proceed working into their outdated age to get by whereas others wrestle to pay for his or her well being remedy.

Sheila Telford, chair of the International Consortium of British Pensioners, stated: “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.”

An individual whose pension is frozen can get their funds uprated to the present quantity in the event that they return to stay within the UK.

Express.co.uk has requested for remark.