The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is set to raise state pensions this April in line with the government’s Triple Lock promise. The increase will see the new State Pension rise to £241.30 per week, up from £230.25 in 2025/26, amounting to an annual boost of approximately £575. Meanwhile, the basic State Pension will increase to £184.90 weekly, from £176.45.
However, this welcome rise is not for everyone. Some 453,000 British pensioners living overseas will be excluded from this uplift. Retirees residing in countries such as Canada and Australia will not receive any increase due to the UK’s pension “frozen” policy for expatriates in certain nations.
The End Frozen Pensions campaign highlights that roughly 86% of these affected pensioners were never informed that their pensions would be frozen upon moving abroad. John Duguid, chair of the campaign, voiced frustration: “While the Chancellor has protected pensioners at home from inflation, nothing was offered to the hundreds of thousands of British pensioners abroad whose incomes continue to erode annually. We are once again out of sight, out of mind, and out of pocket.”
READ MORE: 69,000 UK Households Face Steep Mortgage Increase of £321 Monthly in 2026
This decision has sparked anger among expatriate retirees. Phillip Sale remarked, “If we all returned to the UK, the government would face the cost of uprating our pensions along with increased healthcare and housing expenses. Many moved abroad for valid reasons and in doing so have saved taxpayers millions.”
John Duguid also pointed out that many of the countries where pensions are frozen are Commonwealth members, making it even more bitter. Another pensioner argued that since they contributed to the UK pension system throughout their working lives, their retirement location should not affect their pension payments, especially as they do not claim additional benefits or NHS services abroad, which would otherwise reduce government costs.
As the pension increase takes effect, the divide between those benefiting and those excluded continues to fuel debate about fairness and transparency in the pension system.