A 99-year-old World War Two veteran is one step closer to challenging the UK Government over its policy on ‘frozen’ State Pensions after Liberal Democrat MP, Christine Jardine, brought her plight to the attention of Parliament on Thursday.
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. 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.
The Edinburgh West MP told the Commons that “nearly half a million British pensioners across the globe had the level of their pensions frozen when they left the country”.
Ms Jardine continued: “That includes 99-year-old Anne Puckeridge, a decorated world war two veteran who did not leave this country for Canada until she was 76. Despite having paid a lifetime of national insurance contributions, she has seen her pension diminish every year.
“Ironically, this mostly affects pensioners who have gone to Commonwealth countries, because people who go to the European Union or the United States, for example, get the uplift each year.
“Can we have a statement from the Pensions Minister on what the Government intends to do about this? Will the Leader of the House arrange a meeting with the Government for me and others who will be meeting Anne when she comes to this country in December to celebrate her 100th birthday?”
The Leader of the House of Commons, Lucy Powell confirmed that she would “try to facilitate a meeting for her (Anne Puckridge) with the relevant Minister” while also congratulating Anne on her upcoming 100th birthday.
She added: “She (Christine Jardine) will know that the policy on the uprating of UK State Pensions paid overseas is of long standing. A key plank of it is that uprating is a reciprocal arrangement. However, I will definitely arrange a meeting for her, if that is helpful.”
Nearly 30,000 people have signed an online petition supporting Anne’s campaign to meet Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and end ‘frozen’ State Pensions. You can view the petition online here.
Millions of people over State Pension age will see their weekly payments rise by 4.1 per cent next April under the Triple Lock policy. Under the measure 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.
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.