§ 69. Mr. Jayasked the Secretary of State for Social Services why a retirement pensioner who has paid full contribution, but lives overseas, is refused increases in pension made after his departure from the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. DeanPension increases are related to social policies and economic conditions in this country and are financed from the contributions and taxes of persons living here. It has been the policy of successive Governments that increases should not be paid to pensioners living in other countries, unless those countries have agreed under reciprocal arrangements to pay their pension increases here. We already have arrangements of this kind with 18 countries and about one-third of all retirement pensioners living abroad benefit from them.