Christopher Lee, a 70-year-old British expat living in Thailand since 2010, faces financial difficulties due to his frozen UK state pension. His pension, frozen for 15 years, remains significantly lower than pensions received by those in the UK, resulting in a substantial loss of value.
Lee receives £137 per week, including additional state pension payments. Without these top-ups, his income would be only £97.65, compared to £176.45 for basic state pensioners in the UK. The full new state pension in the UK is £230.25 per week.
Over 450,000 pensioners living in countries like Thailand, Australia, and Canada, face this frozen pension issue. The policy means their pensions don't increase with inflation, resulting in decreasing real value over time.
Lee describes the situation as “unjust” and “immoral,” highlighting the inability to afford holidays or travel to the UK. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) stated that they provide clear information on how living abroad can impact finances and that the policy is longstanding. The cost of uprating these frozen pensions was estimated at £940m in 2024-25.