HC Deb 13 February 2004 vol 418 cc322-3W
Mr. Nigel Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many people are in receipt of the UK state pension in each of the British Overseas Territories; [153495]

(2)if he will list those British Overseas Territories where citizens receiving the UK state pension have their pensions frozen; [153496]

(3)if he will estimate the cost of waiving the frozen pension rule in each British Overseas Territory in which citizens receiving the UK state pension have their pensions frozen; [153497]

(4)how many citizens living abroad and receiving frozen UK state pensions reside in (a) Canada and (b) the United States of America. [153498]

Malcolm Wicks

Information on the number of people in receipt of the UK state pension in the British Overseas Territories other than those living in the Sovereign Base Areas on Cyprus as at January 2004 is set out in the table.

Territory Number
Anguilla 148
Bermuda 560
British Antarctic Territory 0
British Indian Ocean Territory 0
British Virgin Islands 42
Cayman Islands 95
Falkland Islands (including South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands) 37
Gibraltar 894
Montserrat 154
Pitcairn Islands 0
St. Helena and Dependencies 71
Turks and Caicos Islands 15

Pensioners living in the Sovereign Base Areas on Cyprus cannot be separately identified from others living in the Republic of Cyprus.

Pensioners living in the countries set out in the table other than those living in Bermuda, Gibraltar and the Sovereign Base Areas on Cyprus have their UK state pension frozen. The estimated cost to unfreeze these pensions, without paying arrears, would be less than £500,000 for 2003–04 based on a 5 per cent, sample. We are unable to estimate the cost for each territory because of the numbers affected.

There are currently around 150,000 UK citizens now residing in Canada in receipt of a frozen UK state pension. UK citizens now residing in the United States of America do not have their UK state pension frozen.

Notes:

1.Caseloads are taken from the Pensions Strategy Computer System.

2.Costs are estimated using DWP Administrative Data.