Millions of people over State Pension age will see their weekly payments rise by 4.1 per cent next April under the Triple Lock. Under the Triple Lock the New and Basic State Pensions increase each year in-line with whichever is the highest between the average annual earnings growth from May to July (4.1%), Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation rate in the year to September (1.7%), or 2.5 per cent.
Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures published on Wednesday, completed the Triple Lock for the 2025/26 uprating revealing that CPI for September fell from 2.2 per cent to 1.7 per cent, while average earnings growth for the 12 months to July was 4.1 per cent – making it the multiplying measure. The new State Pension rates won’t officially be confirmed until the Autumn Budget on October 30, but the Labour Government has pledged to honour the Triple Lock for the next five years.
However, not all State Pensioners are set to receive the annual uplift next year. Nearly half a million pensioners will miss out on increased payments because they have chosen to spend retirement abroad.
Under the earnings growth element of the Triple Lock (4.1%), people on the full New State Pension will see payments rise by £9.10 per week from £221.20 to £230.30 and as the payment is typically made every four weeks this amounts to £921.20.
This will see annual payments rise by £473.60 from £11,502 to £11,975.60 over the 2025/26 financial year.
Similarly, someone on the full Basic State Pension will see weekly payments rise by £6.95 per week from £169.50 to £176.45, or £705.80 every four-week payment period.
Annual payments will rise by £361.40 from £8,814 to £9,175.40 over the 2025/26 financial year.
The International Consortium of British Pensioners (ICBP) advocates on behalf of around 453,000 expats affected by ‘frozen pensions’ and is behind the ‘End Frozen Pensions’ campaign, which aims to “end the injustice” for Brits who have moved abroad whose State Pension does not rise in-line with the Triple Lock every April.
In fact, many retirees now living in countries which do no have a reciprocal agreement with the UK such as Canada, Australia and New Zealand, have seen their State Pension frozen at the point of emigration. This is despite having worked and lived in the UK for most of their lives and paid their quota of National Insurance Contributions, which would entitle them to State Pension payments – if they had not relocated.
You need at least 10 years’ worth of National Insurance Contributions to be eligible to claim the State Pensions and around 35 years for the full amount, although this may be more if you have been ‘contracted out’.
However, analysis by the Canadian Alliance of British Pensioners indicates that all these frozen State Pensions could be brought in-line with the current State Pension pay rates by the new Labour Government for £50 million. Its analysis shows that State Pension payments to frozen countries only amounts to 1.3 per cent of the UK Government’s total annual expenditure.
And now a soon to be 100-year-old veteran of World War Two is urging the public to back her call for a meeting with the Prime Minister to discuss ‘frozen pensions’.
Anne Puckridge has committed to making the 435 mile journey from Canada, where she retired in later life, just before her 100th birthday in December, to challenge Sir Keir Starmer to a meeting to discuss the scandal that sees half of the affected pensioners receive a UK State Pension of just £65 per week or less.
Anne is urging people to sign a new online petition launched by her daughter.
As a WW2 veteran, Anne has served in all three branches of the armed services. Now in her 100th year, she is leading the fight for justice for the nearly half a million British pensioners living overseas who are denied the yearly increases to the UK State Pension.
Despite having spent her working life in the UK and made all her National Insurance Contributions, Anne receives just £72.50 per week, less than half the £169.50 she would receive if she lived in the UK.
This is the same amount she was entitled to in 2001, when she moved to Canada aged 76 to be closer to her daughter. Like many in her situation, she was not told that her State Pension would be ‘frozen’ in this way when she moved abroad.
John Duguid, Chair of the End Frozen Pensions campaign, said: “Every single one of us forgotten British overseas pensioners impacted by this cruel, outdated policy are immensely indebted to Anne for shedding light on this poorly understood scandal.
“That she is prepared to travel halfway across the world, aged nearly 100, to fight for others is testament to her relentless drive and profound sense that it should not be this way. While she should not have to make this journey, it is my sincere hope that the Prime Minister will grant her this one small wish. Out of courtesy for her wartime service, her lifelong dedication to Britain, and the suffering she has unnecessarily endured.”
More than 100,000 British pensioners live in Canada alone.
This week, Anne is submitting her formal request to speak with the Prime Minister directly when she comes to London in December.
The petition, hosted on Change.org can be viewed here.