HC Deb 10 November 1999 vol 337 cc557-8W
Mr. Nigel Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many British citizens living overseas who retired before 1979 were in receipt of frozen pensions in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available. [97745]

Mr. Rooker

The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is on overseas pensioners who retired prior to 1979 for individual years from 1994. This information is in the table.

Overseas retirement pension recipients living in frozen rate countries reaching state pension age before 1979
Total
1994 81,600
1995 76,800
1996 71,500
1997 65,300
1998 59,100
1999 51,100

Notes:

  1. 1. Numbers are rounded to the nearest hundred.
  2. 2. Information has been supplied using a 5 per cent. sample from the Pensions Strategy Computer System (PSCS).
  3. 3. The figures supplied are for the number of people reaching state pension age before 1979. They do not indicate whether the people received Retirement Pension in the year of reaching that age.

Mr. Nigel Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many British citizens living overseas and in receipt of frozen pensions retired(a) before 1979, (b) between 1979 and 1992 and (c) since 1992. [97744]

Mr. Rooker

The information is in the table.

Overseas retirement pension recipients living in frozen rate countries reaching state pension age
Total
Before 1979 51,100
1979–92 260,500
Since 1992 140,200

Notes:

  1. 1. Numbers are rounded to the nearest hundred.
  2. 2. Information is based on a 5 per cent. sample of the Pensions Strategy Computer System (PSCS).
  3. 3. The table shows the number of people who reached state pension age in a given year. It does not indicate whether the people actually received their retirement pension in the year of reaching state pension age.

Mr. Viggers

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what criteria are used to determine the countries in which United Kingdom state pensions are uprated in line with inflation; and what proposals he has to amend those criteria. [97897]

Mr. Rooker

UK State Pensions have been payable in certain countries outside the UK since 1929—initially in HM Dominions and then, between 1948–1955, in a small number of European countries. In 1955 Retirement Pensions and widows benefits became payable worldwide. However, upratings were not normally payable.

Over time, the UK has concluded reciprocal social security agreements with some 30 countries. Although most provide for payment of upratings, that is not the primary purpose of such agreements. They are intended mainly to provide a measure of co-ordination between social security schemes for people moving between the UK and the other country during their working lives.

A major consideration in deciding whether to enter into an agreement is the extent to which the advantages to be gained outweigh the cost of negotiating and administering the agreement. Most of the UK's reciprocal social security agreements are over 25 years old. The last to come into force which provides for upratings was in 1992 (with Barbados) and fulfilled a commitment given in the 1970s.

We have no plans to change the current arrangements for uprating UK pensions abroad.