HC Deb 15 January 2001 vol 361 c79W
Mr. Nigel Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many British citizens who have retired and taken up residence overseas are in receipt of pensions which are(a) frozen and (b) uprated annually. [145179]

Mr. Rooker

State Retirement Pensions are paid to those who have satisfied the contribution conditions, not just UK nationals. There are 460,100 pensioners living abroad in receipt of a UK State Retirement Pension at a frozen rate and 378,900 who receive a State Retirement Pension which is uprated annually.

Note:

The figures quoted are rounded to the nearest hundred.

Source:

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

Mr. Nigel Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what his estimate is of the cost of abolishing the regulations governing the freezing of state pensions for British citizens who have retired and taken up residence overseas. [145178]

Mr. Rooker

The estimated cost is £300 million per annum.