Expat state pensions: Cameron 'sympathetic' to calls for end to freezing

British expats in many countries, mostly commonwealth members, do not receive inflation-linked increases to their state pension each year. As a result, some have had their payments frozen for decades and receive just tiny sums each week.

The group received strong support from the governments of Australia and Canada, where many of the expats with frozen pensions live. David MacClennan from the Australian High Commission said Britain's failure to pay full pensions to expats in Australia was the "biggest bilateral issue" between the two countries.

"We always raise it at meetings," he said. "We wholeheartedly support this campaign."

Chris Chant from the Canadian High Commission said: "Our sentiments are similar, this is a question of simple fairness. This issue comes up between us and the UK all the time."

Lord Jones of Cheltenham, who also spoke at the inaugural meeting of the group at the Palace of Westminster last night, said: "We have to get George Osborne and Danny Alexander [the Chief Secretary to the Treasury] in a room and lock the door. We won't let this issue die – it's just plain wrong."

Campaigners said they were not seeking payment of all the index-linked increases that pensioners had missed out on over the years but simply a restoration of the full pension from today.

Last year the International Consortium of British Pensioners, which also took part in last night's meeting, called for Britain to be suspended from the Commonwealth over the issue.

richard.evans@telegraph.co.uk

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