Issue #4, 2017 Another London A sterling gift mission underway The ideal gift for anyone in your life who has ever worked in Britain? delegation of campaigners with predecessor, Ian Blackford—an outspo- A CABP membership, of course! the International Consortium of ken advocate for pension justice—is now This is the only gift that has the ABritish Pensioners is in London the leader of his party in Westminster). potential to turn itself into solid on a lobbying mission just as this issue They will meet as well with a represen- of goes to press. They have a tative from the DUP, traditional support- sterling (literally!) for every recipient. JUSTICE packed week of meetings scheduled with ers of pension justice and now vital to the Clearly a gift for every occasion. people of influence including journalists Conservative Government’s parliamen- Thank you to Rupert & Daisy Earle from The Times, Guardian, Daily Mail tary majority. In addition, it is hoped that for sharing their inspiration with us. and Daily Mirror and a large number of the government’s pensions minister, Guy The Burlington (Ontario) couple has parliamentarians in Westminster. Opperman, will attend a meeting of the been giving CABP memberships to The delegation will meet with Labour’s All-Party Parliamentary Group on Frozen friends for some time already. shadow minister for pensions, Alex British Pensions that is scheduled to take Cunningham, who is responsible for ad- place during the week. vancing the official opposition’s policy for Taken as a whole, the mission’s goal is the elimination of pension freezing. They to tee up strong support for the APPG’s will also meet with MP Mhairi Black, efforts to annul the legislation that will SNP’s new pensions spokesperson (her once again freeze pensions in 2018, and to stress the inequity of protecting EU- resident pensioners while others remain frozen. In addition, it aims to build even more support amongst the large number Photo: Photo: Mature Times of new MPs elected in 2017. The ICBP delegation consists of Sheila Telford, Colin Rainsbury and Ian Andexser from , Jim Tilley and Brian Owles from , and John Duffy from Antigua. Their programme ICBP Chairman Sheila Telford (right) is backed by Baroness Floella Benjamin during a previous lobbying has been organised by our London PR mission in London. agency, PHA Media.

It’s year-end INSIDE DON’T LET YOUR CABP MEMBERSHIP EXPIRE Grassroots Tories object to freezing. . 3 CHECK EXPIRY DATE ON YOUR ADDRESS LABEL or e-JUSTICE email Chairman’s Column...... 4 Renew at www.BritishPensions.com Fish & Chips + side order...... 5 Our All-Party Parliamentary Group . . .5 OR Phone 416-253-6402 • 1-888-591-3964 Call for nominations to CABP board . . 8 OR Mail in the application form on p. 15 Mailbag...... 12

Canadian Alliance of British Pensioners Visit us at www.BritishPensions.com JUSTICE is published by: Editorial CANADIAN ALLIANCE OF BRITISH PENSIONERS by Rosalind Tosh National Office: 202–4800 Dundas Street West, Toronto, ON M9A 1B1 Tel: 416-253-6402 • Toll free: 1-888-591-3964 en MPs in Westminster have the power to persuade the Conservative Email: [email protected] Government to end pension freezing today. It is incumbent on us to convince Web: www.BritishPensions.com Tthem to do so. OFFICE HOURS: They are the elected members of the Democratic Unionist Party, the party that Tuesday-Friday, 10 am to 2 pm (Eastern Time) was thrust into the role of kingmaker when the Conservatives found themselves in

Editor: Rosalind Tosh • [email protected] a minority position after the 2017 general election and turned to the DUP for the Advertising: Malcolm Campbell support that allows them to remain in power. [email protected] We want these DUP MPs to make their support of the Government conditional, © Canadian Alliance of British Pensioners at least in part, upon the Government supporting global pension parity—a more than fair barter for the Government, I’d say. Global pension parity is standard policy for OECD countries, the UK, to its shame, being the only anomaly among the 35 member nations. Join me in telling this to the kingmakers today. CHAPTER CONTACTS Tell them also that they can bet a pound to a penny that many of their constitu- ONTARIO: ents have a personal stake in the matter. They include the ones who know a fellow GTA & Surround: Margaret Wells Brit who is struggling to live on a frozen pension—like the “lovely British lady” Tel: 905-450-9028 • Email: [email protected] in her mid-90s who gets a paltry £19 a week (see Grassroots Tories object to freezing Orillia/Barrie: Alan Llewellyn Tel: 705-329-0894 • Email: [email protected] in this issue)—and they include the ones who are afraid to join their children and grandchildren in a country where that could happen to them too. Oshawa: George Morley Tel: 905-697-3783 • Email: [email protected] Tell them you are writing on a parliamentary matter, not a constituency one—a matter that continues to be debated in Parliament. If you are a former resident of Ottawa: Tony Bockman Tel: 613-627-9675 • Email: [email protected] their constituency, let them know that too, emphasizing the fact that you still can Windsor: Ian Spencer vote in elections there, if that is indeed the case. Tel: 519-739-0808 • Email: [email protected] It is a rare thing to have government kingmakers at hand in the UK. I personally ALBERTA: Sheila Telford intend to make use of the extraordinary opportunity. Tel: 403-245-8541 • Email: [email protected] MANITOBA: Ken Butchart The kingmakers Tel: 204-222-6983 • Email: [email protected] In alphabetical order, the powers behind the Conservative throne are: NEW BRUNSWICK: Franklin Cardy Tel: 506-529-4280 • Email: [email protected] 1. Gregory Campbell, MP (East Londonderry): [email protected] NOVA SCOTIA: Michael Alford 2. Nigel Dodds, MP (North Belfast): [email protected] Tel: 902-835-9780 • Email: [email protected] PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND: Stephen Lowe 3. Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, MP (Lagan Valley): [email protected] Tel: 902-963-4009 • Email: [email protected] 4. Paul Girvan, MP (South Antrim): [email protected] QUEBEC: Richard Yates 5. Emma Little Pengelly, MP (South Belfast): [email protected] Tel: 514-631-9020 • Email: [email protected] 6. Ian Paisley, MP (North Antrim): [email protected] BRITISH COLUMBIA: 7. Gavin Robinson, MP (East Belfast): [email protected] Greater Victoria: Alan McFarlane Tel: 250-995-9356 • Email: [email protected] 8. Jim Shannon, MP (Strangford): [email protected] Nanaimo: Ian Andexser 9. David Simpson, MP (Upper Bann): [email protected] Tel: 250-758-7594 • Email: [email protected] 10. Sammy Wilson, MP (East Antrim): [email protected] Sooke Area: Fred Whittaker, Tel: 250-642-4968 • Email: [email protected] Squamish: Bill Avery Tel: 604 896 1575 • Email: [email protected] Elsewhere: Ian Andexser Tel: 250-758-7594 • Email: [email protected] CABP Office Holiday Hours OTHER CANADIAN LOCATIONS & INTERNATIONAL: rd nd CABP Office: Tel: 416-253-6402 or 1-888-591-3964 The office will be closed from December 23 to January 2 . Email: [email protected]

Please note: All comments, information, articles, opinions Deadline for submissions to the and answers appearing in JUSTICE or provided by CABP or its volunteers are offered in good faith but are not intended to be a next issue: 2 January 2018 substitute for informed professional advice.

2 - JUSTICE #4, 2017 Has your MP signed EDM 159?

he leader of the official opposi- tion in Westminster, Labour’s Westminster takes note of “significant interest” TJeremy Corbyn, has tabled an A million thanks go to everyone who responded to our appeal this summer for Early Day Motion calling for the members to write to British MPs asking them to push for pension upratings for all legislation that imposed pension freez- overseas pensioners, not just those in the EU—and asking them to sign EDM 159. ing for 2017 to be revoked through Because of your taking action, MPs in the new parliament tell us they have become an Order-in-Council— the strongest keenly aware of the “significant interest” in the issue. measure possible. Make your point Mr Corbyn tabled EDM 159 shortly To those of you who have not yet written, please take a moment and do so. EDM before the Commons rose for the 159 remains open for signature until next spring. summer recess and it remains open for Your letter could allude to the following points: signatures of support by all MPs until the current parliamentary session ends • Our pensions have been frozen for 70 years. next spring. It needs to collect a large • The consistent explanation (that uprating is applied only where there is a legal number of MPs’ signatures if it is to be requirement to do so) is now invalid, given the government’s recent commitment allotted time for a debate and vote. to uprate all countries in the EU after Brexit. To determine if the MP for your UK • The additional cost to index all pensioners is estimated to be a mere 0.7% of the constituency has signed, please check pension budget. here: www.parliament.uk/edm/2017- 19/159. If not, please ask him or her to • Please sign EDM 159 to indicate support for global pension justice. do so as soon as possible. It’s also a smart idea to state right up front that you are writing about a EDMs are formal motions submitted parliamentary issue, not a constituency one. Otherwise the MP’s office “gatekeeper” for debate “on an early day” and MPs might not pass your letter along to the MP and simply send you an automated non- register their support by adding their response because you live outside the constituency. signatures.

Grassroots Tories object to freezing

P Robin Walker, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at Britain’s Department for Exiting the European MUnion, got an earful from members of Conservatives Abroad on the topic of pension freezing when he participated in the organization’s annual conference in London in October. Christopher Chantrey, political advisor to the organization and a resident of , informed the minister of a fabricated myth that has long been bandied by the UK government, i.e., that a reciprocal agreement between countries is required in order for uprating to be given. Alistair Kinloch, Conservatives Abroad’s official representative in , illustrated the harshness of the freezing policy by speaking about a “lovely British lady” in his church congregation in Australia. Now in her mid-90s, she receives a UK state pen- sion of £19 per week. Conservatives Abroad is a global network of people living overseas who are supporters of Britain’s Conservative Party. It provides a platform for political discussion on matters of mutual interest. Our thanks to Mr Chantrey for keeping us informed. Government minister Robin Walker got an earful from grass root Conservatives.

JUSTICE #4, 2017 - 3 Chairman’s Column by Ian Andexser, CABP Chairman

s I take over the responsibilities of chairing CABP, I Sizeable pool to fish in am conscious of how much is owed to those who have Given the sizeable pool of people in Canada with a vested headed this organization before me. They are the ones A interest in our work, it should not be difficult to grow CABP’s who made it possible for the issue of frozen pensions to be lifted numbers. There are 145,000 frozen pensioners—and I can only out of obscurity to a place where it is reported on by mass media believe more of them have not joined because they simply don’t in Britain on a recurring basis. They are the ones who made it yet know we exist—plus another 100,000 who have still to reach possible for the resolution of the issue to be adopted as party pensionable age, all of whom deserve to be informed that a pen- policy by Labour and other political parties in Britain. They sion will be theirs for the claiming. By continuing to tell friends are the ones who made it possible for the issue to be routinely about CABP and encouraging strangers with a British accent to included on the list of topics for discussion whenever a Canadian check out our website each one of us can rectify that situation. PM meets with his British counterpart. And I know firsthand that we will be doing every single one of So much for the naysayers who suggest nothing has been them a potentially huge favour. accomplished! To help get the ball rolling, we have provided a poster in this Looking backwards through CABP’s last 15 years, these cham- issue for clipping out and displaying in a public venue. Likewise, pions for pension justice have been Dave Morris, Sheila Telford, there is a page of business cards for clipping and giving to people. Brian Lechem, Peter Kennan, Tony Bockman and, again, Brian Lechem. I will do my utmost to uphold their leadership legacy. My passion My personal thanks at this time go to my immediate predeces- I am passionate about our issue and I pledge to give it my all. sor, Dave, who skilfully guided us through the past four years CABP members also contribute greatly. Your letters and emails while also working fulltime in his career. Workload has now made to MPs in the UK and in Canada are an essential tactic in the it necessary for him to relinquish the chair, however he remains on strategy that has moved our campaign from obscurity to headline the board and will continue to maintain CABP’s website and sup- news. Now we must work at remaining there. port our office technology. Thank you indeed, Dave. Your input—every single missive to MPs—is vital to that. So My (his)story please, whenever we ask, keep those letters and emails flowing. Don’t give up because you get a formulaic response or none at Back in 1975 when I landed in Toronto as a 24-year-old adven- all. Just keep pounding away. The squeaky wheel really does get turer, the last thing on my mind was a pension. My plan was to the attention. hitchhike west to Vancouver, travel through the US and then head off around the globe before returning home to Bournemouth to take over the running of the family hotel. Fate, however, had other plans. I received the offer of a job in Edmonton and there I met Our members are persons of letters Dianne, the Canadian who was to become my wife—and that, as We often leave copies of JUSTICE for the general public they say, was that. For the next 30 years I lived in Alberta until we to pick up in communal places like libraries, community moved to Vancouver Island in 2005. centres, pubs and legion halls—and we know for certain I bumped into CABP a dozen or so years ago when I was in that reading personal anecdotes really encourages people my fifties. Until then, I had always assumed I could not qualify to investigate our alliance more earnestly. So we are for a British pension with only six years of National Insurance asking members to send in letters telling how CABP has payments to my record. I immediately joined, and that was been of value to you personally. certainly one of the smartest things I have ever done because the Perhaps we showed you how to increase your pension advice I received from the organisation allowed me, as of last amount? Did we remind you to claim a temporary uprating year, to start receiving a healthy pension from the UK. while visiting the UK or another non-frozen country? Was I began to volunteer for CABP seven years ago and have served there any other information we supplied that has benefited on the national board since 2013. Today, as chairman, I see my you in some way? Please let us know through our office or primary responsibility as being the expansion of our member- by email to [email protected] ship numbers across Canada, because that is the only way the all-important political campaign at the heart of government in Your letter in JUSTICE could gain CABP another new the UK can continue. That campaign depends totally on our member—and that’s how we (and the campaign for membership fees and donations to our Action Fund (along with pension justice) will grow from strength to strength. those of our partner organization in Australia) for support.

4 - JUSTICE #4, 2017 Fish & chips with a side order of pension rights on the record Imagine going out for a feed of good old fish and chips and returning home with your craving satisfied plus a monthly ritish PM Theresa May was an MP sitting on the Official pension you had paid for but didn’t know you could collect. Opposition benches when CABP member Reginald BForrest wrote to her in 2008 protesting pension freezing That’s a real-life experience for Brits in Canada who and pointing out that more than 95 per cent of ‘frozen’ pension- discovered CABP when their local restaurant placed a ers live in Commonwealth countries. In her response, Ms May poster or brochures about us in their establishment. stated: “I am disturbed by the way the Government is seemingly There are all sorts of businesses, organizations, clubs undermining the Commonwealth and penalizing those Britains and groups across this country that hold particular appeal who have chosen to relocate to a member country.” for people from the UK. We are eager to approach every The year before, she had responded to an earlier letter from single one of them to ask that they display our poster Mr Forrest, saying: and our brochures—and possibly receive free reciprocal “I can assure you that…the Shadow Work and Pensions team advertising in our magazine in return. continue to investigate this matter and look into the best way of helping British pensioners living abroad.” Examples include specialty British shops, bakeries, restaurants and pubs, societies such as St George’s, St Andrew’s and St David’s, Welsh choirs, fan clubs for supporters of football teams or programs like Coronation Street, etc. Your list, please We are asking CABP members to please send us the name of every establishment or group in your area, large or small, that you think may be relevant—and include contact details where possible. We’re willing to bet you could prepare a list from memory in less than ten minutes while sitting on the couch! Email your list to info@ britishpensions.com or send it by post to CABP’s office. APPG off to a running start in the new parliament

t the first meeting of the All-Party pressure on the government to address Yasmin Qureshi and Lord German were Parliamentary Group on Frozen the situation for all expats, not just those re-elected as the Labour and Liberal ABritish Pensions in the 2017-2019 in the EU. Democrat vice-chairs respectively. session of parliament, Lord German re- It was agreed that a challenge to Mhairi Black replaced Ian Blackford as ported that he had requested two debates the Social Security Benefit Up-rating the SNP vice-chair, as Mr Blackford has in the upper chamber that would cover Regulations (the legislation that freezes taken on the leadership of the party’s frozen pensions. He also instructed the pensions) in March 2018 remains the Westminster caucus. Sir Peter Bottomley APPG’s Secretariat to visit the National most viable parliamentary mechanism to (Conservative) was re-elected as the Archives at Kew to dig out any papers achieve change, and given the support APPG’s treasurer. from the original bilateral social security of the Official Opposition, it was hoped The Group resolved to invite the deals with unfrozen countries. that the government might compromise DUP—the party holding the balance of The Group committed to examine before a vote was needed. power in Britain’s hung parliament—to in detail the government’s plan for EU Sir Roger Gale (Conservative) nominate a vice-chair. pensioners following Brexit, and to add was re-elected as chair of the APPG.

JUSTICE #4, 2017 - 5

Down Under Down TheThe viewview fromfromUnder Down

by Jim Tilley, Hon Chairman, British Pensions in Australia

everal months ago I addressed a UK Pensioners’ Parliament Bureaucratic absurdity federal government trade com- In June I addressed the NPC’s annual In July BPiA addressed a meeting of mittee to emphasise why British S Pensioners’ Parliament in Blackpool— the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Pensions in Australia (BPiA) is deter- widely regarded as one of Britain’s most Frozen British Pensions. Brian Owles, our mined that any help provided to the important activities in the pensioner chairman, pointed out the “bureaucratic UK by Australia regarding trade matters movement’s calendar—on behalf of the absurdity” of having a government bureau- should be conditional upon the UK International Consortium of British cracy dedicated to the task of uprating his resolving, to Australia’s satisfaction, the Pensioners. It had been four years since pension for the duration of his visit to the frozen pensions issue. The committee of we last presented there. UK from Australia. “How much is that one senator and three cross-party MPs The audience of more than 500 souls costing?!” he pondered, calling for change gave me the third degree. A few weeks appeared keenly interested in hearing before the situation gets worse as the later, however, it became apparent that about pension freezing and about ICBP’s number of people leaving the UK to retire they may indeed have gotten the message. campaign on behalf of pensioners around home to the Caribbean and the Indian , the UK’s Secretary of the globe. I emphasised how freezing sub-continent continues to grow. State for Foreign and Commonwealth impacts members of Britain’s black and Affairs, paid an official visit to Australia minority ethnic communities in par- A win for one a fortnight or so after my presentation. ticular, as many of them want to retire CABP members may be interested in A subsequent article in the prestigious to their country of origin after a lifetime reading about the AUD$100,000 pension Financial Times referring to his visit of working in Britain. I was plied with windfall BPiA helped gain for one included the following statement: “A insightful questions at the end of my 87-year-old in Australia: www.thesenior. report by the (Australian) Department of presentation—and I thank Tim Snowball com.au/financial/pension-win-a-feather- Foreign Affairs and Trade…says Canberra of PHA Media (ICBP’s PR company) for in-groups-cap-but-more-to-do/ will push London to increase the pen- providing me with an excellent frame- We take our victories where we find sions of 250,000 retired Britons living in work on which to base my remarks. them! Australia in line with inflation.” Implacable discrimination I have been promised a face-to-face meet- ing with our PM, Malcolm Turnbull, to discuss the potential for taking action on behalf of frozen pensioners—95 per cent of whom live in the Commonwealth—at next April’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London. I intend to make the case for Mr Turnbull to work with Canada’s Justin Trudeau and other Commonwealth lead- ers to initiate disciplinary action against the UK for consistently refusing to honour its commitment to abide by the Commonwealth Charter, specifically the Core Value that states: We are implaca- bly opposed to all forms of discrimina- tion. The charter was signed by Queen Elizabeth in 2013. Her Majesty signs the Commonwealth Charter of Rights which includes the ‘Core Value’ of unbending opposition to all forms of discrimination.

6 - JUSTICE #4, 2017 When did you last see your father? by Margaret Wells ow that I have your attention, let’s rious jeopardy. Ensuring its continuation ments that agree to promote us (see Fish get to the real question. requires our collective effort. That’s why & chips with a side order of pension rights N When was the last time you CABP’s new chairman, Ian Andexser, elsewhere in these pages). handed someone a CABP business card has cajoled me out of retirement and I’ll be waiting to hear from you. or brochure? When did you last put up into helping co-ordinate members across Meanwhile, please make use of the one of our colourful posters somewhere Canada in the essential art of increasing business cards and the new poster pro- in your community? Bottom line: When our numbers. moting CABP that are provided in this did you last enrol a new member? PLEASE tell me you are willing to do magazine—yours for the clipping. I am here to ask every CABP member your bit. Ian himself has stepped up to the to follow through with at least one of plate at short notice to lead our alliance, Attention SK, AB, NL these actions, if not all, because the natu- and Sheila Telford recently did the same If you live in Saskatchewan, Alberta ral high attrition rate among our mem- thing for our consortium, increasing her or Newfoundland and are able to bers’ age group means that support for already-exhaustive duties. Surely if these the political campaign in the UK is in se- committed people are prepared to take on serve as CABP’s “go to” person for additional responsibilities on our behalf, frozen pensioners in your province— then it is incumbent on each one of us to always with the help and support of do at least a little bit to help ourselves. our national office—then we want to Email me directly at mawells@pathcom. hear from you. It is far from being a com, or phone CABP’s office at 416- time-consuming or onerous activity. 253-6402 / toll-free 1-888-591-3964. I To offer your help, please contact will happily send you business cards and Margaret Wells at mawells@ brochures to give to people you meet, pathcom.com or phone the office or materials—such as our brand new (416-253-6402 or 1-888-591-3964). Margaret displays our old poster at CABP’s AGM. poster—for placing in local establish- Canadian Government Report by Stephen Willetts, CABP Director rior to UK PM Theresa May’s visit to Canada in September, we briefed senior Members make good use of Pfederal officials in Ottawa regarding Theresa May’s Ottawa visit the powerful opportunity that lies in Britain’s desire for a new trade deal with Canada. It Many thanks to CABP members Ena provides the Canadian Government with ex- Spalding and John Bargman of Calgary cellent leverage for securing annual upratings for their letter to the Calgary Herald drawing for British pensioners living here—something attention to the fact that Canada should Canada has been requesting from the UK for insist the UK treat pensioners living in many decades. Canada fairly before any new bilateral trade We emphasized the fact that Britain recently deal can be finalized. committed to uprate pensions in EU countries Many thanks also to Gillian Ivers of Ottawa, following Brexit, in spite of having no legal obligation to do so, and yet still refuses a veteran of the British Armed Forces, for to even consider doing the same thing in Canada. detailing the effect pension freezing has had We continue lobbying Ottawa and meeting with the officials who are responsible on her life in a passionate letter to PM Justin for briefing the Prime Minister’s Office on this issue. Trudeau when he met with Theresa May. Meanwhile, thanks to the creativity of John Duffy of Antigua, the speech bubbles “It has been a struggle surviving over the in the photo above say what all of us are thinking. years…there has been many times I haven’t THERESA: “Now, Justin, about this trade deal. You know that Canada is one of had enough to pay rent or buy food,” she Britain’s oldest allies….” wrote. “I feel that I am being punished by JUSTIN: “Well, Theresa, you do surprise me. We have 150,000 British pensioners (the UK).” living in Canada whose pensions you have frozen and they rely on Canada for their welfare. You are prepared to uprate British pensions in after Brexit but not Such letters are a powerful tool in our here or in other parts of the Commonwealth. If you want our help, don’t you think campaign arsenal. you should start by offering equal treatment to British pensioners living in Canada?”

JUSTICE #4, 2017 - 7 CALL FOR NOMINATIONS Galling inequity

to the Board of Directors ICBP Chairman Sheila Telford was quoted by journalist Tanya Jefferies in the Daily Mail on 5 September 2017: ABP by-law 6.04 requires that at least 90 days “The horror with which the prospect of a frozen pension prior to the Annual Meeting of the corporation, for EU-resident expats has been recognised is somewhat Cthe Corporation shall invite all Members to submit galling for those already in receipt of one. to it the names of persons whom they wish to be consid- “The government’s clarity of intention for those in the ered for election to the Board. Notice is hereby given that EU only highlights the inequity of the situation for those nominations must arrive at the CABP national office no living elsewhere, particularly for those of us in the later than April 5, 2018. Candidates must be members of Commonwealth who have just as strong continuing ties to CABP for at least 90 days prior to May 31, 2018. the UK. All nominations shall be in writing and shall be accom- panied by: (a) The name, age and contact “Why uprate them and not us?” information of the person; (b) a biographical outline of the individual; and (c) the consent of the nominee to stand for election, and must be forwarded to:

Canadian Alliance of British Pensioners 202–4800 Dundas Street West Toronto, ON M9A 1B1 SignSign herehere CABP’s office volunteers There are two petitions currently on the Government’s petition website that may be of interest to CABP share their pet peeves members. They both remain open for signing until 12 March 2018. about incoming mail The first one requests votes for life for all British citizens, and an MP in Westminster dedicated to • Membership cheques stapled or taped to the renewal/ application form those living overseas: https://petition.parliament.uk/ petitions/200005. It can be difficult to remove the staple or tape without tearing the cheque. Such security is unnecessary since the The second petition calls on the Government to hold Post Office, while expert at losing whole letters, is very a referendum on the final Brexit deal negotiated inefficient at removing cheques from inside envelopes. between the UK and the EU: https://petition. parliament.uk/petitions/200004. • Renewal cheques that come in on their own without the renewal form or at least the membership number This means we have to fill out a form ourselves. Otherwise, once the cheque has been deposited, we have no physical record of the member’s payment. • Envelopes that are sealed with tape that goes right across the top CLIP AND DISPLAY

It is impossible to open such an envelope without using Please cut out or print the scissors and risking cutting through the contents. Again, poster on p.9 and pin it theft from envelopes is rare these days. on a notice board in your community. Let us know • Envelopes missing a return name and address where you place it! We sort incoming mail by the senders’ last names, so having at least a name on the envelope is very helpful.

8 - JUSTICE #4, 2017 JUSTICE #4, 2017 - 9 10 - JUSTICE #4, 2017 A pre-pensioner keeps faith in Colombia THETHE ISSUEISSUE by Philip Sale, CABP Membership #32699 ATAT AA GLANCEGLANCE

n my retirement from the UK police in July 2006 at the grand old age of 48, I moved There are 12 million UK state to and it was whilst living there and O pensioners, all of whom contributed researching my pension rights that I first came across CABP and ICBP. It was also the first time I had similarly to the pension scheme heard of frozen pensions and though it would not affect me in Spain I via compulsory National Insurance couldn’t believe that this information had not been readily available in Contributions. the UK. • When I moved to Colombia in 2012 at the age of 54, I did so with open eyes. I was retired, divorced, with no children and in the fortu- Of the 12 million, just over nate position of receiving a full police pension that would be uprated one million live outside the UK. no matter where I lived. My Colombian visa did not permit me to • work at first, so my only source of income was (and still is) my police pension, however the cost of living in Colombia compared with the Half of the pensioners living overseas UK or Spain is so low that, even with the fluctuating exchange rate, I receive the same annual cost-of-living am able to live a comfortable life. increases as those still living in the UK, That then begs the question, why do I have any interest in actively while the other half does not – their lobbying for my state pension rights? The answer is simple: I paid for it for thirty-two years, the maximum number of years required at that pensions are frozen simply because of time to get a full pension. where they have chosen to reside in (Later, of course, I had that rug pulled from under my feet when their retirement. the regulations were changed and I was informed that unless I paid in • more money I would receive only a reduced pension. I still can’t see the justice in that. However, with no guarantee that pension freezing Commonwealth nations and British would end before I reach state pension age in 2024, I see no sense in overseas territories are home to 98 per throwing good money after bad.) cent of “frozen” pensioners. Pension freezing is an important issue, especially for those who have • been frozen for decades. I can’t imagine having to rely on family and friends just to survive, and no one should be forced into that position There are 147,000 in Canada in old age. That is why I became a member of CABP when I moved to plus 247,000 expats who are heading Colombia. towards pension age. Lately, I had been having second thoughts about my membership as everything I read from CABP seems to be about Canada, Australia and Commonwealth countries, with no reference to… well, us (Colombia is a country with a relatively small number of British expats). Sheila Telford took the time to reply to me and gave me food for thought. I just have to convince myself that when these larger countries receive their uprating, the rest of us indeed won’t get left behind. CABP and ICBP keep bashing their proverbial heads against the proverbial brick wall on our behalf. Their persistence is amazing—my own little bit of letter writing to MPs seems totally insignificant by comparison. However I will continue sending those letters, even when I get no replies, as doing something feels so much better than doing nothing.

JUSTICE #4, 2017 - 11 HAVING YOUR SAY… KeyKey contactcontact infoinfo rere youryour CABP gives high return on investment I’m a new member of CABP—and boy, am I glad I joined early this year! I’ve saved the cost of the modest membership fee more statestate pensionpension than 300 times over already. If I hadn’t seen the ‘My CAPB’ booklet that comes with membership, I likely would never have When to contact the known that under today’s rules I could (as someone who reached International Pension Centre pensionable age after 5 April 2016) apply to make up to ten years of backdated voluntary contributions at the Class 2 level instead • For temporary increase when visiting UK of the much higher Class 3. Also, by deferring receipt of my pen- or other unfrozen country (except USA and sion to age 70, I can increase the weekly amount. Needless to say, Bermuda) I will be renewing my CABP membership annually from now on • For notifying pension authorities of the death of and spreading the word about CABP. a UK pensioner Joe Simpson Membership #33492, Duncan, BC • For returning completed Life Certificates

011-44-191-218-7777 A good cuppa From within UK: 0191-218-7777 I hope Brexit and its effect on British expatriates in the EU also The Pension Service 11 has a good effect on us beleaguered souls in the New World. Mail Handling Site A Keep up the good work. Cuando hay té, hay esperanza. Wolverhampton, WV98 1LW Stan Marrow England Eastern Townships, Quebec. When to contact HM Revenue Double taxation a no-no and Customs (HMRC) I receive a small work pension and a small frozen state pension • To find your National Insurance number from England. I declare both amounts on my annual income tax • To apply to make extra NI contributions return here in Canada. I have received an “advice of payment” notice from England saying that I owe income tax on my work 011-44-191-203-7010 pension. Is it right that I am to pay tax twice? Jennifer Wilkie HM Revenue & Customs Membership #26580, Owen Sound, Ontario National Insurance Contributions and Employer Office CABP’s volunteer pension guru responds: National Insurance Registrations Benton Park View, NE98 1ZZ According to the double taxation agreement between Canada and the UK, pensions paid to a Canadian resident are not taxable in England the UK, only in Canada. Annuity payments that are not part of a pension plan are taxable in the UK at a rate not exceeding 10%, and When to contact the this tax would be deductable from any Canadian tax due on the pay- Future Pension Centre ments. Please see Article 17 of the agreement at this link: www.fin. • To get a pension statement gc.ca/treaties-conventions/UK_-eng.asp Also, the personal allowance in the UK is £11,500, so that amount of UK income is free of UK tax anyway. – Peter Wells 011-44-191-218-3600 Future Pension Centre The Pension Service 9 Letters to the Editor should be sent to the National Mail Handling Site A Office or to: [email protected]. Wolverhampton, WV98 1LU England The Editor reserves the right to edit letters for clarity or length.

12 - JUSTICE #4, 2017 Business cards to grow our campaign PLEASE CLIP AND HAND OUT

JUSTICE #4, 2017 - 13 Business cards to grow our campaign PLEASE CLIP AND HAND OUT

14 - JUSTICE #4, 2017 WASPI women born in the ’50s

omen Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) is a UK-based organ- isation that campaigns against the way in which women’s state pension Wage was equalized with men’s, i.e., with little or no personal notice to affected women, faster than first promised, and giving no time for making alter- native plans. They are calling for the millions of women impacted—those born between April 1950 and April 1960—to receive financial compensation. This translates into a ‘bridging’ pension to provide an income until the new state pension age is reached, and compensation for losses experienced by those who have already reached state pension age. WASPI offers template letters for women to voice their complaint—and adding a protest regarding pension freezing at the same time would be very appropriate. For more information, visit the WASPI website: www.waspi.co.uk/.

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JUSTICE #4, 2017 - 15 Your ad will be seen COAST-to-COAST in JUSTICE

PLACE YOUR AD WITH Malcolm Campbell [email protected] 416-253-6402 1-888-591-3964

YOU GET ALL THIS FOR Membership in CABP buys you… $25 • Top-rated PR campaign in the UK • The energy and support of an international consortium of pensioners • Advice on dealing with the Dept for Work & Pensions (through CABP’s office) • Four magazines a year to keep you informed In memory of the many who die Join or renew now! while waiting for Please use application form inside back cover their pension to OR Join/renew online at www.britishpensions.com/joinrenew/ be indexed, CABP OR Phone 1-888-591-3964 observes one minute of silence before MEMBERSHIP UP-TO-DATE? each meeting. Check the Expiry date below and KEEP UP YOUR SUPPORT for global pension justice.

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16 - JUSTICE #4, 2017