How the UK is short‑changing its own pensioners abroad
Imagine working your whole life in the UK, paying your National Insurance, and retiring with the promise of a state pension that’s meant to support you in your later years. Now imagine that pension slowly shrinking year by year—not because you did anything wrong, but because you chose to live somewhere sunny, peaceful, or affordable. Frozen pensions mean you’re lost earnings.
That’s exactly what’s happening to around 450,000 British retirees living overseas, most of them in Commonwealth countries like Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and yes—Thailand.
Their crime? Choosing to retire in the “wrong” country.
These so-called “frozen pensioners” receive no annual increases to their UK state pension. Unlike pensioners in Britain, the EU, or the US—where annual rises are guaranteed by “reciprocal agreements”—those living in Thailand or other Commonwealth nations are stuck with the same amount they were first paid, even 20 years later.
The Cost of Loyalty
Let’s put a figure on it.
- If you moved abroad in 2010, you’ve likely lost £25,832 over the past 15 years compared to someone who stayed in the UK.
- If you left in 2015, you’re down £13,162.
- If you’re thinking of retiring abroad today, you could miss out on nearly £70,000 over the next 20 years.
Let that sink in: seventy thousand pounds. Not taken away. Just never given to you in the first place.
This isn’t some abstract math. This is food, medicine, dignity.
And all because our government refuses to update its outdated policy—while continuing to do exactly that for pensioners in the United States, Germany, and even the Philippines.
No Excuse Left
Governments of all stripes—Labour and Tory—have dodged responsibility for years. They say uprating overseas pensions is too expensive. But cost is never the real issue, is it?
When 99‑year‑old war veteran Anne Puckridge flew 4,400 miles from Canada to ask Keir Starmer why he wouldn’t meet with her to discuss her frozen pension—she got silence. She estimates she’s lost over £60,000 since moving abroad. Her reward for serving her country? Disrespect and neglect.
A Department for Work and Pensions spokesperson replied with a shrug: “People move abroad for many reasons and we provide clear information…”
But telling people they’ll be ripped off doesn’t make it right.
Standing Up for Ourselves
If you’re a British expat—especially here in Thailand—you are not alone. You’ve earned your pension. You’re not asking for special treatment. You’re asking to be treated like every other British citizen who paid in.
At British Abroad, we stand with you. We’re building a voice for the forgotten generation—people who built Britain and are now left behind by it.
We believe in service, not slogans.
We believe that Britain’s strength lies not in borders, but in the values we grew up with: fairness, duty, and looking after our own.
If you’d like to learn more about how to fight back, protect your pension rights, or join us in building something better—reach out. We’re not waiting for permission anymore.
You’ve done your part. Now it’s time someone did theirs.