I’m Andrew Stephen, a Scot who has lived in Canada with his wife and daughter since 2017. I’m 59 and still work full time, but I’m increasingly thinking about retirement which I hope will be sometime in my 60s.

Some of you will be aware of the UK’s “frozen” pension policy, and the resulting #EndFrozenPensions campaign. The British government never increases the state pensions of recipients in Canada (and other countries such as Australia and South Africa), while it simultaneously gives annual increases to recipients in many other countries, including our neighbour the USA. Many older frozen pensioners try to get by on a UK state pension which is less than half what it would be if pension freezing didn’t exist. Even if you have other pension savings, the UK state pension is usually a significant part of your retirement income … provided it isn’t frozen.

I found out about frozen pensions in 2018, and was immediately annoyed about the UK government arbitrarily doing this to a significant group of Brits (114,000 in Canada, 450,000 worldwide) who are easy targets, but who all fulfilled their UK National Insurance obligations. Many are armed forces veterans, some of whom served in WW2. So I joined Canadian Alliance of British Pensioners (CABP) where I’m now a board member. CABP is the Canadian arm of the #EndFrozenPensions campaign, and exists to publicize the frozen pension issue and to advocate that the UK government change its policy. We’re a Canadian not-for-profit, volunteer-based organization.

For Brits in Canada, it seems to me there is a dividing line somewhere around age 60 …. above that age, people are knowledgeable about the frozen pension issue because they’re about to be, or are already, impacted. But this group has less social media knowledge and tech “savvy,” so if they’re motivated to act it’s usually via e-mails, letters, conversations, phone calls. Below this age, people have more social media skills, and frankly more energy, but much less knowledge of, or interest in, the issue.

Early in my time in Canada, and especially when I found out about frozen pensions, I thought we might only be here for 10 years, then would return to the UK. But the longer I live here the more I realize it’s likely I’ll retire and end my days here. Family takes root here, this is the country my daughter is growing up in, the only one she really knows. You grow into Canada, and gradually start thinking of it as it home. It is a great country.

Maybe many of you are still in the “I’ll return to the UK at some point” phase. Some of you will, but I believe many of you won’t. The longer you live here there’s an ever-increasing chance you’ll not leave. This isn’t a bad thing! But it would be a way better thing if we could persuade the UK to abandon its arbitrary and discriminatory frozen pension policy.

The fact that my UK state pension will be frozen in eight years’ time if nothing changes annoys and motivates me now; I’m not going to suddenly become motivated on my 67th birthday and only then start trying to do something about it. And that’s why I’m reaching out… we need more people to get motivated about this issue now, and to act.

There are many ways you can do this:

• CABP has a growing presence on X (https://x.com/CABP_News/). We post multiple times a day and reply to pertinent posts from UK politicians and media. Our campaign on X needs more support, so I encourage you to repost, like, reply to, etc. our material there. We’re also on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/frozenbritishpensions/) and LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/canadian-alliance-of-british-pensioners/).
• Membership of CABP costs $25 a year. Joining will give you access to lots of information on the UK state pension, and crucially how you can buy National Insurance years of contribution despite not living in the UK, thereby increasing the UK state pension you’ll get at retirement. Our membership fees and action fund support our campaign to #EndFrozenPensions, including lobbying of UK politicians and media on the issue. We’re here (https://britishpensions.com/ and info@britishpensions.com). Website is being redeveloped but it does the job!
• You can contact your UK MP. British citizens abroad can now vote in UK parliamentary elections no matter how long they’ve been away. CABP can tell you how to register to vote in the UK, and can give advice on messaging to your MP.
• Get involved with the #EndFrozenPensions campaign. We are always looking for volunteers who can help ignite our campaign in the UK and Canada. Contact us to find out how at info@britishpensions.com.

If frozen UK state pensions weren’t on your radar before reading this, I hope they are now. There is a new government in Westminster, and we’re hopeful that they’ll treat this issue differently to their predecessors. But be in no doubt, if they hear no complaints they will change nothing, and British pensioners who paid what was required of them will continue to be discriminated against. Don’t wait until you’re in your 60s to become motivated, because that will be too late; the earlier you act the better.

Thanks.

Andrew Stephen