PRESS RELEASE: Joanna Lumley Leads Calls for British Prime Minister to Meet Soon To Be 100-year-old WW2 Veteran on ‘Frozen Pensions’ Scandal

Famed actress and activist Joanna Lumley has added her voice to calls for the British Prime Minister to grant the soon to be 100-year-old World War Two veteran Anne Puckridge a meeting when she makes the arduous 7,000 kilometre journey to London from her current home in Canada just days before her 100th birthday in December. She is undertaking the journey to confront Parliament and the Prime Minister on the issue of the so-called ‘frozen’ pensions policy.

This policy denies nearly half a million UK state pensioners the annual triple lock uprating simply because they moved abroad, often in later life to be near family, to selected countries such as Canada and Australia. Over 200.000 people living in Australia are affected.

Their pension is forever frozen at the level it was when first claimed abroad causing immense financial harm and suffering.
Anne herself receives a UK state pension of just £72.50 a week instead of the £169.50 a week current value of the UK state pension. This is despite her living and working in the UK until the age of 76 and paying all her taxes and National Insurance in the UK.

Many of the other affected pensioners are much worse off with half receiving £65 a week or less. Shockingly, some receive as little as £20.00 a week. And the pensioners’ sense of injustice is further compounded by the fact that most of the affected pensioners were never even told that their pension would be frozen in this way.

Joanna Lumley said,
“Times may be tough and challenging. But I urge the ‘powers that be’ to be mindful that many of those affected by this cruel policy served Britain through even tougher times. I think swathes of the country will find it simply unthinkable that brave men and women such as Anne should be treated this way. Some of the affected pensioners, like her, served our country in its most perilous days. But all of them contributed in some way over recent decades to our national life and paid their taxes and National Insurance here as required. They did right by the country, so surely the country should now do right by them. I urge the Prime Minister to move mountains in his no doubt crowded diary to find a precious few minutes to meet Anne when she makes her epic trip to the UK in December.”

John Duguid, Chair of the End Frozen Pensions Campaign that represents affected pensioners across the world said,
“Joanna Lumley’s support will mean the world to Anne and all the other affected pensioners. We hope it will be an inspiration to the wider public across the UK and beyond to get behind our call for the Prime Minister to meet Anne. I hope the Prime Minister and those around him will not see this brave campaigner, of impeccable standing and with such a record of service to the country, left on the pavement. We are sensing a groundswell of support from across Parliament and the world that a meeting is the very least she deserves.”

Ms Lumley’s call joins that from 32 members of parliament who signed a letter at a meeting of Parliamentarians in Westminster on Tuesday 22nd October urging the Prime Minister to find time to meet the veteran.

Patrick Edwards, spokesperson for the End Frozen Pensions Australia campaign said,
“Anne’s story encapsulates the unfairness and arbitrary nature of this policy. It’s led to a scandal that’s gone on for too many decades. But just because an injustice has been long in the making, doesn’t mean it should just be accepted. I feel sure that millions of people across the UK and around the world will be moved by Anne’s courage and commitment to undertake this journey at such a great age. We’re urging the Prime Minister and MPs to be on the right side of history on this cause.”

There is a rapidly growing petition calling on the Change.org platform calling on the Prime Minister to agree to meet Anne.