State pensioners warned 453,000 people will be 'denied' Triple Lock rise

A Department for Work and Pensions warning has been issued - as half a million older people look set to be denied- a state pension increase despite the Triple Lock hike from April. DWP rules could backfire on a swathe of state pensioners it is feared.

453,000 state pensioners who live in some of the most popular overseas retirement destinations won’t see the increase. This is because there is no reciprocal agreement in place to boost state pensions yearly in certain countries, including Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

John Duguid, chair of the End Frozen Pensions campaign, said denying yearly increases to state pensioners abroad exposes them to cost of living increases. He said: “This Budget does nothing to help the nearly half a million overseas UK state pensioners consistently denied all of the annual increases in the state pension despite paying all their National Insurance dues.

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“One such pensioner is soon to be 100 year old WW2 veteran Anne Puckridge who is making the 4,400 mile journey from her home in Canada in December to lobby MPs and challenge the Prime Minister to a meeting. Anne receives only half of the current value of the UK state pension. Many more of the half a million are much worse off.

"Given the lack of help on this issue… we are hopeful that the Prime Minister will be even more inclined to do the right thing and agree to meet Anne.” A DWP spokesperson said: “Our priority is ensuring every pensioner receives the financial support to which they are entitled.

"We understand that people move abroad for many reasons and we provide clear information on GOV.UK about how this can impact their finances. The Government’s policy on the uprating 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.”