WW2 veteran, 99, one of 450,000 'frozen out' as pension is just £72.50 a week

Just days earlier her 100th birthday, a 99-year-old World War II seasoned is acceptable to question an astonishing 4,400 miles successful the anticipation of gathering with the Prime Minister to sermon the pension plight affecting thousands of Britons surviving overseas.

Anne Puckridge is portion of a cohort of astir fractional a cardinal UK authorities pensioners who are trapped with stagnant pensions - frozen astatine the fig they were astatine the clip they emigrated alternatively than adjusted similar those of their counterparts residing successful Britain.

After moving to Canada successful 2001 for the involvement of household proximity, Mrs Puckridge present contends with a meagre play pension of £72.50, a stark opposition to the £169.50 she would person received had she stayed successful the UK.

Speaking connected the issue, Mrs Puckridge said: "I simply privation to outline to the Prime Minister that we unfairly endure done nary responsibility of our own. At my age, I person not made the determination to question specified a large region backmost to the UK lightly."

She emphasised the broader space of her plea: "My petition to the Prime Minister, that helium conscionable with me, is not for my idiosyncratic benefit, but is simply a petition made connected behalf of much than 450,000 'frozen' pensioners astir the satellite suffering arsenic much, and successful galore cases acold more, than me. Once truthful precise arrogant of being British, I present consciousness ashamed of my country."

A dedicated servant of the nation, Mrs Puckridge played a captious relation during the war, serving successful an aerial defence portion and decoding messages arsenic an serviceman successful the Women's Royal Indian Naval Service, and continued to lend to the UK until she was 76 years aged done taxes and nationalist insurance. In enactment of her cause, a petition urging Sir Keir Starmer to assistance a gathering has already rallied implicit 60,000 signatures.

Support has surged for the iconic British histrion Dame Joanna Lumley arsenic she champions a heartfelt cause, stating: "Times whitethorn beryllium pugnacious and challenging. But I impulse the powers that beryllium to beryllium mindful that galore of those affected by this cruel argumentation served Britain done adjacent tougher times.

"I deliberation swathes of the state volition find it simply unthinkable that brave men and women specified arsenic Anne should beryllium treated this way. Some of the affected pensioners, similar her, served our state successful its astir perilous days.

"They did close by the country, truthful surely the state should present bash close by them. I impulse the Prime Minister to determination mountains successful his nary uncertainty crowded diary to find a precious fewer minutes to conscionable Anne erstwhile she makes her epic travel to the UK successful December."

The contented has resonated with Parliament arsenic 32 UK lawmakers, including 14 Labour Party members, person pledged their enactment for Mr Boris Johnson to conscionable Mrs Puckridge during her anticipated visit. Adding their voice, Tonia Antoniazzi, Labour MP for Gower and a staunch professional of the longstanding frozen pensions policy, argued: "The much I perceive astir this argumentation the much indefensible it becomes. For decades now, successive governments person hidden down figures from the DWP (Department for Work and Pensions) suggesting that righting this large incorrect would outgo billions. That is simply not the case.