Pensions: Britons Living Abroad Debate

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Department: Department for Work and Pensions

Pensions: Britons Living Abroad

Baroness Golding Excerpts
Wednesday 9th March 2011

(13 years, 9 months ago)

Lords Chamber
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Lord Freud Portrait Lord Freud
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My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that support.

Baroness Golding Portrait Baroness Golding
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My Lords, I have had a letter from a friend of mine who lives in Spain and has lived there for 20 years, and who is in his eighties. The letter from the Department for Work and Pensions says: “I am writing to tell you that we cannot pay a UK state pension at the moment. This is because we cannot be sure that the amount of money that we pay you is correct. Payment of state pension has been stopped from 24 January”. There is no right of appeal against this decision. Is this how we are going to treat our pensioners?

Lord Freud Portrait Lord Freud
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My Lords, clearly I will not be familiar with the facts of this particular case, but if the noble Baroness would like to write to me with those details, I shall make sure that they are looked into thoroughly.