FROZEN PENSIONS

Early day motion 259, tabled 17 June 2013 by Peter Bottomley (Conservative). Signed by 26 members.

That this House believes that the past and present government policy of freezing the state pensions for people retiring to one of 123 countries abroad is immoral and discriminatory; notes that this policy is a product of history and not rationality; regrets that pensioners who have paid their national insurance contributions are denied an equal pension and that in some cases the pensioners are struggling on as little as six pounds a week; further notes that people retiring abroad to one of the countries in question deliver considerable savings to the UK economy in terms of unclaimed health and social care costs; is concerned about the effect of this policy on people of working age and the impact this could have on their retirement; and calls on the Government to remove Clause 20 from its Pensions Bill which makes provision to continue this bad policy.

Signatures by party: Labour 10, Liberal Democrat 8, Conservative 4, Alliance 1, DUP 1, Green 1, Plaid Cymru 1.