Our objective is to achieve benefit parity for all individuals entitled to a British State Pension, regardless of their country of residence

About the CABP

Our objective is to achieve benefit parity for all individuals entitled to a
British State Pension,
regardless of their country of residence

The growing membership of the CABP is made up of those increasingly angry expatriates worldwide, who lived and worked for a period of time in the United Kingdom. These individuals expected to receive the same level of pension entitlement as their fellow pensioners, for the contributions they were all equally required to make during that period.

There are some 11 million UK state pensioners living in the UK and some 35 other countries. All these pensioners have historically received annual uprating of their pensions. Of those, 390,000 expatriate pensioners receive uprating because they happen to live in some 35 countries where pensions are not "frozen" by the UK. "Unfrozen" countries include the European Union, USA, Israel, Philippines, Slovenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, etc..

The practice of paying equal benefits to members of the state contributory pension fund, regardless of their country of residence is normal and common to all countries within the member states of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. (OECD) The only exception is the United Kingdom which fails to treat all its expatriate pensioners equally.

550,000 expatriate pensioners, (98% of whom live in the Commonwealth) have never received any uprating of their pensions since they received their first pension cheque as a resident of a "frozen" country.

All individuals who lived and worked in the United Kingdom were required to pay into the mandatory state contributory plan on an equal basis. Many of the "frozen" pensioners unstintingly served their country, both during and between times of war. Many of these received decorations for bravery (many others failed to return to live to see their pensions). They did not expect their government to treat them in this abominable way.

The Alliance has members in all provinces of Canada and in more than twenty five countries around the world. Included in our membership are residents of the United Kingdom who, after they retire, would like to join their families living in a non-uprated country. They are prevented from doing so, fearful of becoming a financial burden to their families as the value of their "frozen" UK pension income dwindles.

98% of the 550,000 pensioners who have their pensions "frozen" reside in 48 of 53 Commonwealth countries. The remaining 2% live in some 100 other countries throughout the world. As all of these members grow older, the financial impact of pension "freezing" becomes increasingly difficult for them to cope with.

The Canadian Alliance of British Pensioners (CABP) is the voice representing British State pensioners in Canada, established to challenge the UK Government's shameful and discriminatory 'Frozen' pension legislation. Do you know? The British Government's wilful, inequitable and unwarranted pension rules freeze our UK old age pension at the same rate as the first time we receive it in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa? Why?

Page last updated: 05/03/08 9:55