441-01629 Foreign affairs
PETITION TO THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA
WHEREAS:
Worldwide there are nearly half a million recipients of a United Kingdom (UK) state pension that is “frozen” at the same amount as when it is first received – i.e. a pension lacking an annual cost of living increase;
The UK is the only OECD country in the world to discriminate based on country of residence for providing annual inflationary increases to pension payments;
This policy is discriminatory and unevenly applied: recipients residing in the United States of America (numbering approximately 127,000) receive “unfrozen” pensions, while the pensions of recipients in Canada (approx. 128,000) are “frozen.”;
The Canadian Alliance of British Pensioners have long advocated for unfreezing UK state pension payments;
The Government of Canada is not proactively addressing this matter, with the former Minister for Seniors stating, “Canada remains prepared to engage with UK officials should they choose to reconsider their non-indexation policy,” April 2021. The Canada-United Kingdom Trade Continuity Agreement (Canada-UK TCA) came into force on April 1, 2021 - required following Brexit, the Canada-UK TCA primarily rolls-over of the Canada-Europe Trade Agreement, and a new agreement is expected; and
Any future Canada-UK trade agreement must include a reciprocal social service section with an “unfrozen” pension policy ensuring ex-patriot British pensioners have 'equal rights' and are not discriminated against.
THEREFORE:
We, the undersigned citizens and permanent residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to ensure any future Canada-UK trade agreement unfreeze UK state pensions paid to Canadian recipients, and that the relevant Ministers provide regular updates on these efforts to the Canadian Alliance of British Pensioners.
WHEREAS:
Worldwide there are nearly half a million recipients of a United Kingdom (UK) state pension that is “frozen” at the same amount as when it is first received – i.e. a pension lacking an annual cost of living increase;
The UK is the only OECD country in the world to discriminate based on country of residence for providing annual inflationary increases to pension payments;
This policy is discriminatory and unevenly applied: recipients residing in the United States of America (numbering approximately 127,000) receive “unfrozen” pensions, while the pensions of recipients in Canada (approx. 128,000) are “frozen.”;
The Canadian Alliance of British Pensioners have long advocated for unfreezing UK state pension payments;
The Government of Canada is not proactively addressing this matter, with the former Minister for Seniors stating, “Canada remains prepared to engage with UK officials should they choose to reconsider their non-indexation policy,” April 2021. The Canada-United Kingdom Trade Continuity Agreement (Canada-UK TCA) came into force on April 1, 2021 - required following Brexit, the Canada-UK TCA primarily rolls-over of the Canada-Europe Trade Agreement, and a new agreement is expected; and
Any future Canada-UK trade agreement must include a reciprocal social service section with an “unfrozen” pension policy ensuring ex-patriot British pensioners have 'equal rights' and are not discriminated against.
THEREFORE:
We, the undersigned citizens and permanent residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to ensure any future Canada-UK trade agreement unfreeze UK state pensions paid to Canadian recipients, and that the relevant Ministers provide regular updates on these efforts to the Canadian Alliance of British Pensioners.