Reflections on Britain, Aging, and Exile
I was born and raised under the constant drone of British Army helicopters in Belfast, seeing young British men and women give their lives to protect a UK city divided against itself. Despite being coined ‘the Dirty War‘, most of those serving did so for their country, for the safety of their countrymen, and simply because it was their job. It’s from then I first learned what ‘British values’ meant: resilience, duty and service.
So it’s painful—shameful, even—to see how some UK politicians, pursuing their own their self-interest, have abandoned the same people I saw saving lives – on one occasion, the Army and it’s bomb disposal unit had to evacuate our street at 3am under threat of an IRA car bomb in Castlereagh.
I’m 35, not retired. But I’ve lived and worked with Brits abroad long enough—almost 13 years—to understand the quiet frustration simmering among British expats. To be abandoned by the country you loved and contributed to. I understand where it comes from.
I set up British Abroad to offer support, guidance, and a sense of connection for Brits overseas. What I wasn’t fully prepared for was how often I’d hear stories of disillusionment, especially from those over 50 who feel increasingly forgotten by the country they spent decades supporting.
The Pension That Froze
If you’re a British pensioner living in Australia, Thailand, or over 100 other countries—many of them Commonwealth nations—your UK state pension is frozen. That means no annual increase. No triple lock. No adjustment for inflation. You could live to 100 and still be getting the same weekly amount you were entitled to the day you left.
This isn’t a clerical error. It’s policy. And it affects over half a million people.
The stories I’ve read—and the people I’ve met—make it personal. Men and women who fought for Britain, who built post-war industry, who paid tax and National Insurance for decades, now left to scrape by in retirement, simply because they chose to grow old in the wrong country. It’s bureaucratic cruelty disguised as budget management.
Voting, But Only Just
Until recently, British citizens who lived overseas for more than 15 years weren’t allowed to vote in UK elections. That’s been corrected now—but many expats I’ve spoken to still feel alienated. Reinstating a right is not the same as rebuilding trust.
There’s a deep sense among older expats that their concerns don’t count. That despite lifetimes of contribution, the government’s default attitude is: out of sight, out of mind.
Generations That Remember More
This isn’t just a moan about pensions. It’s about identity.
Older Brits abroad are often the most ‘British’ people I know. They fly the flag. They keep up with the news. They watch the BBC and keep the kettle on standby. And yet, they’re increasingly treated like outsiders.
Many feel sidelined by modern Britain’s direction—its political chaos, its fraying public services, its amnesia about the generations who came before. It’s not about nostalgia; it’s about a sense of betrayal. These are people who did their bit. And they believed, rightly or wrongly, that the country would do its bit in return.
Why Expats Leave—and Why They Still Care
Not everyone left the UK for palm trees and cheap rent. Some left for love. Some for family. Some just to find a bit of peace. But none of them stopped caring about Britain.
If anything, living abroad can sharpen your sense of Britishness. You realise what you miss. What you value. And, too often, what you’ve lost.
What Needs to Change
The fight for pension justice has been going on for decades, yet governments continue to dodge it. The excuse? Cost. But what’s the cost of fairness? What’s the cost of honouring a commitment?
At British Abroad, we’re not asking for favours. We’re asking for consistency. For equal treatment under the law. For recognition.
We’re asking that the people who helped build modern Britain aren’t discarded because they’re no longer conveniently located within its borders.
The Bigger Picture
This isn’t just an expat issue. It’s a warning sign. Governments that neglect their older citizens, that renege on basic promises like pensions and healthcare access, aren’t just failing policy—they’re failing values.
At 35, I care because one day, this could be me. I care because this already is my family. And I care because, as a community, British expats are still part of the national fabric, even if we’re often treated like an afterthought.
We deserve better. And we’re not going quiet.