January 3, 2008: This update is for those of you who are eligible for, or receiving, a UK State Pension. Because we live in Canada (and not the USA, Germany, Iceland or Turkey – to name just a few) our pensions are frozen. Our pensions never increase despite there being a huge SURPLUS of over 30 billion pounds sterling in the National Insurance Fund from which the pensions are paid. Last year, at the urging of the Canadian Alliance of British Pensioners, I and many of you signed a petition to Prime Minister Tony Blair. Here is the response which arrived today from the office of his successor Gordon Brown – a masterpiece of obfuscation!

You signed a petition asking the Prime Minister to "remove the discrimination against British State pensioners who retire in certain overseas countries." The Prime Minister's Office has responded to that petition and you can view it here:

If you don’t like to be discriminated against, believe in justice (and in getting what you paid for), please give your support to the CABP www.britishpensions.com - only $20 per year). On our behalf, they are challenging the British government at the European Court of Human Rights this year. To ask for an indexed pension is NOT unreasonable. Remember that you also paid into the National Insurance Fund for the National Health Service - yet you do not even use this medical service! Join CABP and FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHTS!

January 8, 2008: Last week, I sent you an update on the ex-pat British Pensioners fight for pension indexing. I included this link which contains the Prime Minister’s Office response to a petition sent by no less than 7125 residents of Commonwealth countries who are eligible for, or receiving, a UK State Pension. Click here to read the list of people who have signed the petition. If you read the response you will see that it is classical political obfuscation and that the REASON that some countries are treated differently than others is glaringly absent. Basically, it says that Commonwealth ex-pats pensions are frozen and that the money H.M. Government saves (by cheating us) is invested to earn interest so that U.K. resident pensioners (PLUS those living in USA, Germany, Iceland or Turkey, etc. – which for some reason they don’t mention!) "continue to see an increase in their living standards…"

In other words, we ex-pat pensioners living in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Zimbabwe and most other Commonwealth countries are subsidising those living in the U.K., Austria, Barbados, Belgium, Bermuda, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Jersey, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Mauritius, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Sark, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Turkey, USA and Yugoslavia.

A long-time UKC member and friend called me a few days ago - having read the PMO’s response to the petition. It was a doom and gloom call. Incredibly, he thought we had no chance of winning now. Well, I think it is fair to say that nobody expected the petition alone to win the battle. The petition’s purpose was to bring awareness in the Houses of Parliament to their policy of blatant immoral discrimination. The fight goes on. We have a great team working on our behalf at the Canadian Alliance of British Pensioners and other dedicated Commonwealth organisations. Stay tuned for news from the European Court of Human Rights later this year when our International Consortium presents its case at Strasbourg.

As I said to my gloom and doom friend, “How will you feel when we win pension indexing and you never supported the cause?” To him and other naysayers who stand to benefit, I say, “Please think seriously about joining CABP www.britishpensions.com. Membership costs $20 per year – that is only $1.67 per month. Remember, a win at the European Court of Human Rights will mean thousands of extra dollars in your pocket during your golden years!

Several hundred British ex-pats attended the meeting on June 9th. It appears that the International Consortium - which includes CABP - fully expect to win the court case at the European Court of Human Rights in the fall. What is important for us to do now, is to keep up the pressure on the British government so that they don't decide to delay things another six months by appealing the verdict: keep on signing the petitions, urging your MP to sign Early Day Motions, etc.

If you don't like to be discriminated against, believe in justice (and in getting what you paid for), please give your support to the CABP www.britishpensions.com - only $20 per year. To ask for an indexed pension is NOT unreasonable. Remember that you also paid into the National Insurance Fund for the National Health Service - yet you do not even use this medical service!

Join CABP and FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHTS!

EX-PAT PENSIONS: For an interesting snippet from Britain's THE TELEGRAPH about maladministration of the UK State Pension - how a Canadian ex-pat was helped to obtain pension uprating (indexing) by an Australian, click here.