To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of retired UK citizens living in countries in respect of which no uprating of pensions agreement has been made. (205354)

Our records do not differentiate UK citizens from other citizens in receipt of a UK state pension.

The latest estimate of the number of UK state pensions paid to pensioners living in frozen rate countries is approximately 530,000.

Source:

March 2007 Retirement Pension and Widows Benefit administrative data, 5 per cent. sample

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the cost of uprating pensions for retired UK citizens living abroad. (205355)

The UK state pension is uprated for UK pensioners living overseas where there is a reciprocal social security agreement or a legal requirement to do so.

The latest estimate to bring all frozen rate UK state pensions up to the current rate is around £440 million and this would be an ongoing cost increasing year on year.

Source:

March 2007 Retirement Pension and Widows Benefit administrative data, 5 per cent. sample