The 666,000 retired expats who live in Europe and a handful of countries further afield, such as the US, Jamaica and the Philippines see their payments regularly uprated. But 528,000 have their pensions frozen, the vast majority of them living in Commonwealth countries including Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa.

The state pension only increases annually if a person lives in the European Economic Area (EEA), Gibraltar, Switzerland, and countries that have a social security agreement with the UK – however the uprated state pension cannot be received in Canada or New Zealand. A person will not get the yearly increases if they live outside of these countries.

“The same must be said about the half million UK pensioners living outside the UK and EU whose pensions are frozen, who include military veterans, former nurses and teachers”

Assuming that the flat-rate state pension is frozen at the 2019/20 level of £8,767 per year and compared to a state pension updated by 2.5% annually, the total income over 20 years would be £175,344, compare to £223,955. A fall of £48,611. The state pension is expected to rise by 3.9% from April – more than double the rate of inflation.

Such an increase means pensioners can expect an rise of just over £6 per week on the New State Pension from the current rate of £168.80. Second World War veteran Anne Puckridge, 94, is an example of the iniquity of the system. The former intelligence officer in the Women’s Royal Naval Service moved to Canada in 2001 to be closer to her daughter and so receives £72.50 a week, the going rate at that time.

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