THE TELEGRAPH: The European Court of Human Rights recently found against British expat pensioners in Australia and elsewhere who sought to have their state pensions index-linked, as they already are for their peers in the EU and the United States.
Jenny Macklin MP, Australian minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, said: "This decision is another blow to the 250,000 UK pensioners living in Australia who paid their contributions into the UK National Insurance fund in good faith.
"The Australian government believes this policy is discriminatory. We have been actively lobbying the UK government on this issue. I raised this issue face-to-face with the then UK Secretary of State for the Department for Work and Pensions. The Australian government will continue to pursue this matter.
"The UK's policy severely disadvantages UK pensioners living in Australia as, over time, their UK pensions have declined in real value.
"This policy continues to place an increasing burden on all Australian taxpayers, as the Australian government picks up the tab for around 170,000 UK pensioners who also receive means-tested Australian pensions – estimated at about A$100 million (£60 million) per year in additional social security payments."
Australia terminated its social security agreement with the UK in 2001 because of the issue.
Ms Macklin added: "I congratulate the pensioners for their tenacity and dedication in fighting hard for a fair go. The Australian government will continue to support UK pensioners living in Australia."
The European Court of Human Rights has dashed the hopes of around 500,000 expat pensioners living with frozen UK state pensions abroad by throwing out their appeal to try to get their pensions increased in line with inflation.
However, the fight is not over, as the expat pensioners have the support of the Australian government in trying to change the UK's stance on the issue. >>> Alison Steed | Monday, April 05, 2010
