At 90 years old, a former intelligence officer from the Second World War must return to the UK from her home in Canada if she wants to claim her full pension.
Anne Puckridge was 77 years old when she moved to Calgary in 2001. She moved to be closer to her family, but after living in Canada for the past 13 years, she must move back to the UK because of the pension policy regarding expatriates expires and she cannot afford to support herself financially.
Due to the policy the Government has placed on those who live abroad, Anne is unable to support herself and must return to the United Kingdom and live thousands of miles away from her immediate family—the only way to get to them would be a ten hour flight.
Anne was just one of 560,000 expatriates whose state pension was frozen when she emigrated.
Anne served as an intelligence officer in the Women’s Royal Navy during WWII and made necessary National Insurance contributions via her career as a teacher in Gloustershire. As a teacher, she would have received only £110.15 a week if she had stayed in the UK.
When she was asked what she plans on doing when she gets back to the UK, she doesn’t have any definitive plans. She intends to go back to Gloucestershire, however that remains to be seen.
The expatriate spent 12 years sending letters to ministers in Britain to campaign for justice for herself and other International Consortium for British Pensioners.
She believes the cost of posting the letters is comparable to what she must budget for one meal. According to Stroud News and Journal, Anne has drained all of her savings so she has no other choice but to comply with the policy.