Pay up!' Man, 85, furious as his state pension is 'frozen' at £70 per week

‘Pay up!’ Man, 85, furious as his state
pension is ‘frozen’ at £70 per week
A STATE PENSIONER has hit out at the
Government, telling them to "pay up" as his sum
has been frozen for 18 years.
By Rebekah Evans 06:01, Mon, Feb 7, 2022 | UPDATED: 07:31, Mon, Feb 7,
2022

Pension has been frozen for Brian and wife for 18 years

State pension payments usually increase each year by the highest of 2.5
percent, average earnings or inflation under the triple lock. Even though this
policy has been temporarily suspended, most Britons will be expecting a rise
this year.

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However, for an estimated 500,000 people this will not be the case, simply
due to living in certain countries.

The Government says state pension increases are only guaranteed for those
living in:

    The UK
    The European Economic Area (EEA)
    Gibraltar
    Switzerland
    Countries with a social security agreement with the UK (but not
    Canada or New Zealand)

This is the bind facing Brian Green and his wife, who are both 85 years old.

Mr Green was born in Billinge, near Wigan in Lancashire, and grew up in the
UK.

READ MORE: ‘How do I carry on?’ Woman, 77, fears rising cost of living

State pension: Man, 85, furious as his DWP sum is frozen at £70 per week (Image: Getty•Brian
Green•End Frozen Pensions)

His wife was born in West Hartlepool, County Durham, and also spent most
of her life in the UK.

However, in 2003, the couple made the major decision to leave their life in the
UK behind to move across the world to Australia.

Their choice was motivated by the fact their daughters already lived in this
country, and they were keen to be closer by.

They now reside in Queensland, Australia on the Sunshine Coast.

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But their move would prove costly in terms of their   READ MORE
pension, which has been frozen since leaving 18 years
ago.

Mr Green told the End Frozen Pensions campaign:
“Our pensions have been frozen for some 18 years. I          TV licence: Millions
receive £70.02, and my wife receives £48.04.                don’t need to pay
                                                            for a TV licence
“This, I believe, is immoral.

“If we had chosen to live in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo or Turkey, or
indeed 14 other countries with which the UK has a bilateral or reciprocal
arrangement, our pensions would not have been frozen.”

Mr Green appeared to accept the idea the UK Government will not pay
backdated pensions to impacted expats across the globe.

READ MORE                 However, he added: “But they could start paying the
                          full and entitled pensions from now. Today.”

                          Since first arriving in Australia back in 2003, Mr and
                          Mrs Green have not remained there all the time.
     Martin Lewis urges
    people working
                          Instead, they have managed to go back to the UK each
    from home to claim    year for a two month period.
    HMRC bill
                   But Mr Green highlighted their pensions undergo a
temporary change when they reach Britain.

He continued: “During that stay, we received an increased entitlement to our
pensions.

“So on Monday, when I set off, my pension is frozen in Australia. On
Tuesday, when I arrive, my pension is thawed.

“What does it matter where I am?”

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Mr Green is keen to highlight the issue which is thought to affect thousands
of people across the world.

He concluded by urging the Government to take action, and said: “I
paraphrase the words from Sir Henry Newbolt’s splendid poem: Vitai
Lampada.

“Government - pay up! Pay up! And play the game.”

A DWP spokesperson previously told Express.co.uk: “We understand that
people move abroad for many reasons and that this can impact on
their finances.

“There is information on GOV.UK about what the effect of going abroad will

be on entitlement to the UK state pension.

“The Government’s policy on the up-rating 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.”