Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has taken steps to notify British pensioners retiring abroad that their pension may be frozen.

The UK's policy on the up-rating of the UK State Pension for recipients living overseas is a longstanding one. The UK state pension is payable worldwide without regard to nationality and is uprated abroad where we have a legal requirement to do so.

Up-rating is based on levels of earnings growth and price inflation in the UK which has no direct relevance where the pensioner is resident overseas.

Over many years, priority is given to those living in the United Kingdom when drawing up expenditure plans for additional pensioner benefits.

Information on what will happen when people emigrate to certain countries is available on www.gov.uk and this includes advice on the impact on State pension for people who do. Further advice can be obtained by calling the International Pension Centre on 0191 218 777 or the Pension Service on 0800 731 7898.