WW2 veteran, 99, one of 450,000 ‘frozen out’ £72.50 weekly pension

Just days before her 100th birthday, a 99-year-old World War II veteran is set to travel an astonishing 4,400 miles in the hope of meeting with the Prime Minister to discuss the pension plight affecting thousands of Britons living overseas.

Anne Puckridge is part of a cohort of nearly half a million UK state pensioners who are trapped with stagnant pensions – frozen at the figure they were at the time they emigrated rather than adjusted like those of their counterparts residing in Britain.

After moving to Canada in 2001 for the sake of family proximity, Mrs Puckridge now contends with a meagre weekly pension of £72.50, a stark contrast to the £169.50 she would have received had she stayed in the UK.

Speaking on the issue, Mrs Puckridge said: “I simply wish to outline to the Prime Minister that we unfairly suffer through no fault of our own. At my age, I have not made the decision to travel such a great distance back to the UK lightly.”

She emphasised the broader angle of her plea: “My request to the Prime Minister, that he meet with me, is not for my personal benefit, but is a request made on behalf of more than 450,000 ‘frozen’ pensioners around the world suffering as much, and in many cases far more, than me. Once so very proud of being British, I now feel ashamed of my country.”

A dedicated servant of the nation, Mrs Puckridge played a critical role during the war, serving in an air defence unit and decoding messages as an officer in the Women’s Royal Indian Naval Service, and continued to contribute to the UK until she was 76 years old through taxes and national insurance. In support of her cause, a petition urging Sir Keir Starmer to grant a meeting has already rallied over 60,000 signatures.

Support has surged for the iconic British actress Dame Joanna Lumley as she champions a heartfelt cause, stating: “Times may be tough and challenging. But I urge the powers that be to be mindful that many of those affected by this cruel policy served Britain through even tougher times.

“I think swathes of the country will find it simply unthinkable that brave men and women such as Anne should be treated this way. Some of the affected pensioners, like her, served our country in its most perilous days.

“They did right by the country, so surely the country should now do right by them. I urge the Prime Minister to move mountains in his no doubt crowded diary to find a precious few minutes to meet Anne when she makes her epic trip to the UK in December.”

The issue has resonated with Parliament as 32 UK lawmakers, including 14 Labour Party members, have pledged their support for Mr Boris Johnson to meet Mrs Puckridge during her anticipated visit. Adding their voice, Tonia Antoniazzi, Labour MP for Gower and a staunch critic of the longstanding frozen pensions policy, argued: “The more I hear about this policy the more indefensible it becomes. For decades now, successive governments have hidden behind figures from the DWP (Department for Work and Pensions) suggesting that righting this great wrong would cost billions. That is simply not the case.

“The pensioners are only asking for uprating from this point going forward. Campaigners estimate that uprating on such a going forward basis would cost about £50 million in the first year, a tiny proportion of the overall pensions budget. In Treasury terms, that’s a small price to pay to address such a great and long-standing injustice that’s hit generations of pensioners. In all conscience, how can any of us look someone like Anne Puckridge in the eye and not feel that she deserves better.”