APPG Members table Early Day Motion 363
July 21, 2015 Frozen Pensions 3 Comments
A cross party group of MPs has tabled Early Day Motion 363 “British Pensioners Overseas” calling upon the Government to consider ways to resolve the frozen pension issue.
The EDM was tabled by APPG Vice Chair, Yasmin Qureshi (Labour), with co-sponsorship from Sir Peter Bottomley (Conservative), Ian Blackford (SNP) and Greg Mulholland (Lib Dem).
Other MPs will be able to signal their support for the motion when parliament returns in September.
The full text of the motion is:
EDM 363 – BRITISH PENSIONERS OVERSEAS
That this House believes that all pensioners have the right to dignity in retirement; notes that 550,000 British pensioners living in 122 countries overseas do not get their pension automatically uprated, but pensioners living in other countries do; regrets that, while those pensioners adversely affected have made the necessary National Insurance contributions they are denied an equal pension; further notes that these pensioners are living on effectively declining incomes, sometimes on as little as £30 per week; recognises that pensioners retiring abroad deliver considerable savings to the UK economy; further believes that this policy has a negative impact on the ability of many British citizens who might wish to retire abroad to do so; and urges the Government to consider ways to allow pensioners to receive the full pensions that they are entitled to, and to retire in dignity wherever they choose to live.
Andy Robertson-Fox
October 21, 2015 - 10:36 am
I sent an email recently askıng if there was any reason why some (at the time) twenty-two members of the House of Commons who had joined the APPG had not signed this EDM. While it is appreciated that EDMs rarely get debated one would have thought that there must be some recognition if a sizeable number are seen to support it.
David Girkin
January 16, 2016 - 9:26 pm
The comment, frozen pensioners don’t vote in elections is true, but, many of us have friends and family in the U.K. who do vote!!
Andy Robertson-Fox
January 17, 2016 - 11:17 am
Some frozen pensioners will have retained the right to vote in their last constituency if they have been absent for less than fifteen years but, of course, need to be registered which can be done on-line.
Those that have been absent for more than fifteen years are currently disenfranchised but the Conservative Manifesto promised to restore lifetime entitlement. Get on with it and include the right to vote in any EU referendum – it is our country,too, remember!