Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department is taking steps to support veterans living in countries that do not have a reciprocal uprating agreement with the UK and whose pensions are frozen.

State Pensions are the responsibility of the Department for Work and Pensions.

The UK State Pension is payable worldwide to those who meet the qualifying conditions. It is up-rated where there is a legal requirement to do so, for example, where recipients are living in countries where there is a reciprocal agreement that provides for up-rating. The Government has no plans to change the policy on up-rating UK State Pensions overseas; the policy is longstanding and has been supported by successive Governments for over 70 years.

The Government understands that people move abroad for many reasons and that this can have an impact on their finances; up-ratings are based on levels of earnings growth and price inflation in the UK which have no direct relevance where the pensioner is resident overseas. The decision to move abroad remains a personal choice and advice has been provided to the public for many years that the UK State Pension is not up-rated overseas except where there is a legal requirement. However, in recognition of the unique nature and commitment of service life, military occupational pensions, Armed Forces Independence Payments, Guaranteed Income Payments and War Pension Scheme payments are paid and uprated every year, including for our veterans anywhere in the world, regardless of whether there is a reciprocal arrangement for the State Pension.

In addition, any veteran who has received a gratuity payment due to disablement resulting from service or is in receipt of a disablement pension under the War Pension Scheme can have the costs of treatment met where there is no free healthcare for that condition available in the country they reside.