Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Viscount Younger of Leckie on 26 October (HL10597), in how many countries there is a legal requirement to uprate the UK State Pensions paid to those UK pensioners who live there; and which countries they are.

The UK State Pension is payable worldwide to those who meet the qualifying conditions, without regard to nationality, and the amount is based on an individual’s National Insurance record. UK State Pensions are up-rated overseas only where there is a legal requirement to do so. The Government has no plans to change this policy.

People who live outside the UK will not receive an increase in their State Pension unless they live in:

- an EEA country or Switzerland; or

- a country with which DWP have a reciprocal agreement that allows for it. These countries are:

• Barbados
• Bermuda
• Gibraltar
• Guernsey
• The Isle of Man
• Israel
• Jamaica
• Jersey
• Mauritius
• the Philippines
• Turkey
• The United States of America, and
• the separate republics of the former Yugoslavia* that are not EU Member States (Bosnia and Herzegovina; Kosovo; Montenegro; North Macedonia; and Serbia).

*Following the break-up of Yugoslavia, the UK agreement with former Yugoslavia now covers Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia.