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More

Welcome to the “More” page 

so called, because this is the More interesting part of the website

Click on the tabs below for ‘more’……

  • Other Lobby Groups
  • What our Members Say....
  • Your Dollars Hard at Work
  • Benefits of Membership
  • Useful Links

Other Lobby Groups

All Party Parliamentary Group for Frozen British Pensions
British Caribbean Pensioners Association
British Pensions in Australia
British Pensions in Australia

What our Members Say....

John and Helen Haughton, Toronto

The UK government speaks of court challenges over the years, and yes, the courts have ruled in your favour. However, is the criteria just whether it’s ‘legal’ or not? In days gone by the slave trade was ‘legal’; and in former days it was also deemed ‘legal’ to deny women the right to vote. Instead of focusing on what may or may not be a ‘legal’ obligation, would it not be better to focus on what is the just and fair thing to do?

Mike Scott, Ontario

After finding out in JUSTICE about pensions for spouses who have never lived in the UK, I contacted CABP about my situation. I retired in 2004 at the age of 65. My wife, whom I married in Canada, was also of  pensionable age at that time. CABP volunteer Peter Wells not only answered me but went on to calculate that my contributions to the National Insurance plan while we lived in the UK entitle my wife to a spousal pension of $136 a month and to almost $11,000 in back payments as well. Peter’s calculations were 100% correct. Without this help we wouldn’t have had this windfall. Thank you, Peter!

Pamela Bird, Canada

Thank you for your herculean efforts on behalf of all of us with frozen pensions: the generosity of your time, selfless dedication, and sheer tenacity with which you pursue your efforts in the cause of all of us deserve our total admiration and gratitude.

Valerie Hand, British Columbia

I took CABP’s advice and applied to pay voluntary NI contributions and received a wonderful monthly increase plus arrears lump sum. The downside was that the sudden influx of money cancelled out my Canadian ‘Guaranteed Income Supplement’ and put me into a tax-paying bracket for the first time in years. I’ll be interested to see how the dust settles next tax time. Anyway, I’m very grateful for your good advice and thank you all for your tireless work on behalf of expat pensioners.

Gilliam Clarke, Australia

I am so impressed with the dedication, skill and professionalism of all of the people who are still fighting on our behalf in this incredible battle. I send all my thanks and sincere appreciation for your amazing efforts.

L. P. Nicolle, Japan

There can be no doubt in anyone’s mind that CABP has given, and continues to give, its best shot on behalf of so many. For this, I send my hearty thanks to everyone involved for all their efforts over so many years of adversity.

Enid Dawson, Kenya

Heartfelt thanks for all you are doing for us pensioners. I pray we will win!

Sandra Farrell, Ontario

I admire you all so much for your tenacity, dedication, perseverance and achievements so far. I pray your hard work will have the desired effect sooner rather than later.

Pauline Cartwright, New Zealand

Sadly my husband, Ray, is now another UK veteran to bite the dust without an indexed pension. Tony Blair’s office told Ray that all he needed to do to uprate his pension was to relocate to an EU country! That was in 1997.

Kathleen Lee, Oakville, Ontario

Thank you all who are working so hard to improve our pension situation. I am 90 years young and slowing down somewhat and I do admire the persistent efforts all of you put out.

Joan Francis, North York, Ontario

I am 94, a veteran, and deeply grateful to you all for your caring and help for our welfare

Léonard Parker, Knowlton, Quebec

I am soon to be 95 – please keep up the good work! My donation to CABP’s Action Fund is enclosed.

Barbara Geary, Galiano Island, BC

I applied for my UK pension. The correspondence that ensued over the following two years was immense and I gave up on ever receiving it, then a friend mentioned CABP. I was not optimistic, but contacted Alan McFarlane, the Greater Victoria rep, and with his help my pension was flowing within a mere three months. It was also backdated. Thank you for making a meaningful difference in so many lives.

John McKeown, Bridgetown, Nova Scotia

I enclose a membership application and a small donation. It never really occurred to me that I, with a British pension amounting to £0.11 weekly, could actually consider myself a British pensioner. But technically I am, and in your noble fight for all pensioners who are financially discriminated against, every voice counts – even an 11p voice. Thank you for all you are doing.

Dorothy Blakey, Burlington, Ontario

Thank you very much not only for your recent heartening news update concerning the Australian Pensions Minister’s meeting with Britain’s Iain Duncan Smith, but  also for the continuous hard work and determination shown by your dedicated team in this mammoth task you have undertaken. You’re doing a great job and deserve to succeed in the end.

Peter Morrow, Mississauga, Ontario

My subscription to CABP is the best value I get anywhere. The CABP team showed me how to increase my UK pension whilst only paying Class 2 contributions. Likewise, I was able to help another CABP member to not only receive a pension (she had been refused earlier) but also to get back-payment of around $7K. I never cease to be amazed that despite the number of times we have been knocked down, the CABP-International Consortium team continues on with grim  determination. This is more than praiseworthy to say the least and is an example to all. Many thanks to the CABP team who have kept the faith.

Don Wright, Israel

Where my wife and I live, our pensions are not frozen. We would both like to place it on record that we think it a shameful
scandal that pensions in other countries, such as Canada and Australia, are. Here’s hoping that you will obtain the justice you so obviously are entitled to and that your pensions will become index linked.

Cyril Gorner, Conception Bay South, New Labrador

I am 88 years old and a veteran of the Second World War during which I served in Burma. After listening to Winston Churchill’s post-war exhortations for young Brits to go abroad and after being subjected, along with countless others, to pitches by teams from various countries, I acquiesced. I brought my family to Canada in 1953 with just £10 in my pocket, the legal limit permitted at that time even though my wife suffered from Mitral Stenosis and there were lots of medical expenses we would have to cover. For doing what they wanted, I receive a pension frozen at £300 pounds every three months.

Joan Francis, Toronto, Ontario

I enclose my most grateful thanks to you all for your unwavering commitment to our rightful pension from the UK. I served in the Royal Air Force (WAAF) in Bomber Command from December 1940 to June 1946, and turned 96 on January 3, 2013.

Alan East, Courtenay, British Columbia

My wife and I attended the public information meeting in Courtenay and were delighted to learn that my wife qualifies for a portion of my basic pension. We had applied in 2005 but were declined as Val was not yet 60 and had an income of more than £55 a week. We did not realize that once she reached 60 there would be no means test and were not given that information when we received the “rejection” letter. We went to the information meeting simply to show our appreciation for all who work to unfreeze British pensions – that appreciation has now grown even more.

Pauline Housden, Victoria, BC

I am honoured to be represented by the fine people at CABP and the ‘Justice’ organization. I am most appreciative of your diplomatic skills and intellectual approach to the issue.

Bernie Swain, Mill Village, Nova Scotia

I just wanted to praise you all again for the great work you are doing. I am sure we will prevail in the end because this is a moral issue and so will be resolved politically rather than legally.

Elizabeth Metcalf, Victoria BC

My sincere thanks to CABP Rep Alan McFarlane for encouraging me to continue a dialogue with the UK Pension Service regarding the ‘DNE Project’ and the voluntary National Insurance contributions that I could pay. It has taken 18 months to come to a positive conclusion, but without Alan’s help and expertise I probably would have let the whole matter drop long ago.

David C. Cox, Halfmoon Bay, BC

I recently received my first pension cheque of $80 per week. I believe the least I can do is forward this amount as a donation to CABP to keep up the good work, especially for all those pensioners of my parents’ generation.

Eunice Davison, BC

I have just finished reading the latest issue of JUSTICE and had a strong urge to punch the air with a loud YES!!! I feel so proud and grateful to our representatives for their efforts. A big thank you to John Markham, Bernard Jackson and the rest of the team.

Eileen Nagels, Ontario

I want to thank you all for what you are doing to increase our British pensions. I am 93 and have received the same amount since 1983 when I first applied for it. £68 a month was worth a lot more then.

Michael Farlie, BC

I too am ‘gob smacked’ by the magnificently energetic efforts being made on our behalf by our very noble volunteer representatives who are dealing so persistently with the powers-that-be in London. I would be glad to offer to return my MBE in support of our cause. I wonder if other recipients of similar honours feel the same as I do?

Sandra Farrell, Ontario

I admire you all so much for your tenacity, dedication, perseverance and achievements so far. I pray your hard work will have the desired effect sooner rather than later.

Derek & Ann Wood, Ontario

Thanks a million for continuing the campaign and moving forward with such a savvy political message, a real winner we hope. We were impressed at the professionalism of the approach to the three UK party conferences.

Jeannette Holm, Manitoba

I greatly applaud your strong work for us and enclose a donation to help continue the good fight. As you can tell by my membership number, I am an ‘oldie’ – in more ways than one! I’m a war bride and former WAAF with Transport Command, RAF Down Ampney in Gloucestershire.

Gwyneth Hewis, BC

I am astounded by the sheer amount of work that is being put into the fight for justice for the ‘frozen’, including myself. Seeing it all written down in JUSTICE brings it home very clearly.

John Pettitt, Ontario

After reading JUSTICE #4, 2010, I was left with a feeling of euphoria. Why? Because it is clear that the pension uprating battle is being handled masterfully. If you could send me more copies, I will be happy to distribute them to members of UK Connexion. All they may need to join CABP is a nudge, and reading that issue may provide that nudge.

Christopher & Sue Symons, England

We are now too old to return to Canada to live and this is sad for us as we miss BC and all our friends. We enclose a donation and thank you all for your efforts. We wish you success, as frozen pensions in Canada are a shocking denial of rights

Jon and Mavis Wheatley, BC

Thanks to Peter Wells’ article Increased pension possible for some, I was able to add about 18% to my pension and I also received the backdated payment he mentioned. Now I will concentrate on getting uprates during our visit to the UK this summer. Without CABP’s help, we would all be much poorer.

Maurice Butler, British Columbia

I was a Second Mate in the British Merchant Navy and was awarded the Atlantic (Battle of ) medal, North Africa Star, Eighth Army brevet, 1939-1945 Star and Victory Medal. I was on the SS Anselm (some 300 troops and crew lost as a result of being torpedoed in the Atlantic), also carried 1000 tons of bombs, depth charges and landmines (along with officers of the 51st Highland Division) on the SS Fort Nipigon to North Africa for the pivotal Battle of El Alamein. In my old age – I am 89 – my UK pension remains unindexed and has tumbled in value from a peak of $2.40/£1 to $1.57/£1. I wish to record my sincere appreciation for the sterling efforts of all those representing us so ably in pursuit of our relatively modest aim: parity with other pensioners. I sincerely hope you are able to restore our pension rights before we succumb to old age.

Ron Elston, England

You are all doing a fantastic job in pushing forward with the cause, particularly John Markham by so doggedly ramming his head against the walls of Westminster. May your cumulative efforts be successful in the near future.

John Daintree, AB

Needless to say that as I am 82, knocking on 83, I am delighted at the actions you folk are taking on our behalf. Thank you all.

Nirmal Ghosh, Toronto, Ontario

I feel that CABP membership is one of the best $25 that I spend each year. I have benefited in many ways by joining. For example, I had seven years of service in the UK, but through CABP I learned about the opportunity of buying back years and making extra years of contributions. Now I have 30 qualifying years

Your Dollars Hard at Work

The contribution to ICBP is the strongest way for Canadian ex-pat pensioners to achieve pension uprating.  That depends upon a robust membership (numerically) and because of this, one of the best things that every member can do is bring in new members. 

Benefits of Membership

Membership benefits include:

Our in-house magazine, Justice which is produced three times a year outlining our current lobbying activities with the UK Government

Being kept current on all legislative developments affecting UK pensioners. The rules regarding pensions are changing on a regular basis and we keep our members fully informed on the impact of these changes.

 

We provide telephone and email access to our office for pension related questions.

We provide regular updates by email on all our activities, and the opportunity to participate in the fight, and make your voice heard.

Useful Links

PENSION SERVICE CONTACT DETAILS

The Pension Service
International Pension Service
Tyneview Park
Newcastle upon Tyne, NE98 1BA

Telephone from outside the UK, 011 44 191 218 7777

email via the website at www.thepensionservice.gov.uk

Check your State Pension Forecast

Some Useful Websites

  • Age UK
  • British Canadian Chamber of Trade & Commerce
  • 50’s Connect
  • UK Connection

Click for the full details of the CARSON LEGAL CHALLENGE

Click to find out about the history of the UK State Pension......

Here are links to organisations that support us. Please visit and enjoy !

Expat in Canada

Thank you for your continued support, without which we could not mount the campaigns that we do, and put pressure on the UK government. 

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