About
The End Frozen Pensions Campaign aims to end the injustice for nearly half a million British pensioners who are excluded from annual payment upratings to their state pension because they live in the 'wrong' country. This means that their pension is 'frozen' at the level it was when they left the UK or first received their pension, falling in real value year-on-year.
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Government inaction to address this issue is a longstanding failure to protect the UK’s most vulnerable citizens and has condemned many recipients of the UK state pension to live under harsh financial conditions. Many of these pensioners have committed their working lives to British society, including over 60,000 veterans and many civil servants. The frozen pensions policy is a political choice and an accident of history. It could be ended unilaterally by the UK through domestic legislation.
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We are campaigning to #EndFrozenPensions because everyone, regardless of where they live, should not have to face financial or emotional hardship in their retirement.
Who are we?
The End Frozen Pensions Campaign (formerly the International Consortium of British Pensioners) is incorporated under the Canada Not-For-Profit Act. It is run entirely by dedicated unpaid volunteers.
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The campaign encompasses three branches:
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End Frozen Pensions International: formerly the International Consortium of British Pensioners (ICBP), is a organisation dedicated to representing the 453,000 'frozen' pensioners around the world.
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End Frozen Pensions Australia: run by British Pensioners in Australia (BPiA), its is a registered charity dedicated to caring for the British state pension recipients in Australia.
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End Frozen Pensions Canada: run by The Canadian Alliance of British Pensioners (CABP), a Canadian registered Not-For-Profit corporation dedicated to assisting people who have worked in the UK and may be entitled to receive the UK state pension.​
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Both organisations provide resources, support, and guidance to help individuals navigate the complexities of claiming their pensions
Meet The Team
The board members of the End Frozen Pensions Campaign, and its founders, the Canadian Alliance of British Pensioners and British Pensioners in Australia, comprise of people who have extensive experience in various disciplines and who are devoted to the campaign to have all British pensioners treated the same, regardless of where they choose to live.
John Duguid
Board Chair of End Frozen Pensions International
Email: chair@endfrozenpensionscampaign.org
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John is a seasoned finance professional with extensive experience in the UK, Canada, and the USA with a leading UK based financial organisation. He subsequently founded a corporate finance firm dedicated to supporting Canadian mid-sized companies with their financing needs, and growth and succession strategies.
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Now retired, John champions the End Frozen Pensions Campaign, striving to abolish the UK’s discriminatory pension policy impacting over 453,000 overseas residents.​​
Patrick Edwards
President of End Frozen Pensions Australia
British Pensioners in Australia
Email: bpiapresidentsoffice@gmail.com
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Patrick is a retired Certified Accountant, having extensive experience with trading companies in Hong Kong, Japan and Saudi Arabia, as well as spending time running a boutique bank in London specialising in the Lloyds Insurance market.
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After returning to Hong Kong for some time, Patrick moved to Australia where he worked in life insurance and banking, in addition to setting up his own consultancy business until his retirement in 2006.​​​​​​
Edwina Melville-Gray
Board Chair of End Frozen Pensions Canada
​Canadian Alliance of British Pensioners
Email: edwinamelvillegray@gmail.com
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As an international consultant, Edwina partnered with Fortune 100 companies to develop senior leadership teams and execute global strategies. In her last role, she was responsible for the development of 7,000 consultants and staff across 50+ countries.
In 2020/21, she became a licensed Realtor focused on real estate investing and manages a Charitable Foundation aimed at helping others succeed. Taking the lead at End Frozen Pensions Canada in 2024, she is committed to advocating for British pensioners facing discrimination by the UK government.
FAQs
What is the Frozen Pensions Policy?
Each year the UK state pension is uprated by the Triple Lock. Over 600,000 pensioners living outside the UK have had their pensions uprated, but 453,000 pensioners do not receive inflation-linked upratings to their UK state pension. The policy can be described as a ‘postcode lottery’ considering the way in which countries are selected to be ‘frozen’ countries.
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The Government's position on the issue is stagnant, stating that:
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"The policy on the uprating of UK State Pensions paid overseas is a longstanding one.
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UK State Pensions are payable worldwide, without regard to nationality, and are only uprated abroad where there is a legal requirement to do so – for example in countries with which we have a reciprocal agreement that provides for up-rating.
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There are no plans to widen Bilateral Social Security Agreements to include the uprating of State Pensions paid to recipients abroad.”
How does this impact 'frozen' pensioners?
Over 90% of affected frozen pensioners live in Commonwealth countries with close cultural ties to the UK, such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa. With the cost of living continuing to rise, pensioners who rely on their weekly payments, often as their sole source of income, see the value of their state pension decrease in value year on year.
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A recent End Frozen Pensions survey has found nearly 4 in 10 pensioners are reporting having to cut down on essential items such as food and medicine as a result of the policy, with 51% admitting that they have struggled financially as a result.
The survey has also found that:
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58% said they suffer financially due to a partner also having a frozen pension
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46% work or have worked to supplement lost income
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40% were former public servants
What has been done so far?
While the UK Government has refused to review the frozen pensions policy, there have been notable approaches made by the Australian and Canadian governments on the matter.
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Australia (hosting over 200,000 British pensioners) has formally approached the UK three times in the last three years to negotiate an end to the policy.
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Canada (hosting over 110,000 British pensioners) has made at least four formal requests to negotiate a new social security arrangement that includes the state pension since 2013.
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Ministers and parliamentarians from both countries are actively calling for an end to the frozen pensions 'scandal' and are raising their concerns in formal diplomatic settings. This shows the growing international concern over this issue.​
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We are hopeful that the new Government, which has committed itself to turning the page on past injustices, will review the frozen pension policy with an open mind.
Let's Talk Numbers
£50 million
Is how much we estimate it would cost to uprate frozen pensions in the 2025/26 financial year
This policy is a political choice and can be ended unilaterally via domestic legislation.
£20 per week
Is the 'frozen' state pension payment per week in the most extreme cases
The overall cost of uprating all 'frozen' pensions going forward is less than 0.04% of the total pensions budget.
£2,616
Is how much overseas pensioners save per UK taxpayer
Because overseas pensioners do not burden the NHS or key welfare services, these pensioners save the UK an estimated £3 billion per annum, which is significantly more than the cost of uprating frozen pensions.
What are we calling for?
To Uprate All State Pensions Equally Each Year
We are seeking the same state pension for every UK state pensioner, regardless of the country they reside in.
A Review to the Frozen Pensions Policy
The frozen pensions policy is an accident of history that is overdue for review and needs a replacement by a policy that is logical, consistent and fair. We call on the government to conduct an unbiased, holistic review of the frozen pensions policy.
Legislative Change to the Policy
With support from both the Canadian and Australian Governments, we are urging the UK Government to convene with both of these key diplomatic allies to assess the impact of the policy on its citizens in both countries and consider their demands for legislative change.
Protection For Our Overseas Pensioners
Our pensioners, whether they are in the UK or abroad, deserve dignity and respect in their retirement. After dedicating their working lives to the UK, overseas pensioners should be entitled to the same rights and protections as pensioners residing in the UK. They should be entitled to a state pension based solely on their contributions and not on where they live.