HC Deb 15 February 2001 vol 363 cc290-1W
Mr. Willetts

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Cheltenham (Mr. Jones), of 15 January 2001,Official Report, column 79W, if he will break down by each country of residence the number of pensioners living abroad who receive (a) a frozen pension, and (b) an annually up-rated pension. [148504]

Mr. Rooker

Retirement pension can normally be paid anywhere. However, annual upratings have never been generally paid abroad. The exception is those countries with which we have reciprocal arrangements, that is EEA countries and countries covered by the appropriate legislation.

Retirement pensioners by overseas country with annually uprated pension at 31 March 2000
Thousand
All cases
All 377.7
Austria 4.3
Barbados 3.6
Belgium 4.1
Bermuda 0.7
Channel Islands 13.3
Cyprus 6.1
Denmark 0.9
France 16.2
Germany 25.0
Gibraltar 0.7
Greece 1.7
Ireland, Republic of 84.1
Israel 3.0
Italy 25.7
Jamaica 22.0
Malta 2.6
Netherlands 5.7
Norway 0.8
Portugal 3.9
Spain 39.4
Sweden 1.2
Retirement pensioners by overseas country with annually uprated pension at 31 March 2000
Thousand
All cases
Switzerland 3.1
USA 107.0
Rest of the world 2.8
Retirement pensioners by overseas country with frozen rate pension at 31 March 2000
Thousand
All cases
All 460.9
Australia 213.9
Bangladesh 3.0
Canada 137.9
Dominica Commonwealth 1.2
Ghana 0.5
Grenada 1.3
Hong Kong 1.0
India 4.2
New Zealand 33.7
Nigeria 1.1
Pakistan 6.1
Poland 2.0
South Africa 34.1
St. Kitts-Nevis 0.6
St. Lucia 1.2
St. Vincent and Grenadines 0.7
Trinidad and Tobago 0.9
Yemen, Republic of 2.8
Zimbabwe 5.0
Rest of the world 9.8

Notes:

1. The figures quoted are rounded to the nearest hundred.

2. Information is taken from a 5 per cent. sample of the Pension Strategy Computer System arid therefore may not include all countries.

3. Countries with fewer than 500 rated cases have been added together and shown under? Rest of the world'.

Source:

5 per cent. sample from the Pension Strategy Computer System at 31 March 2000.