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State Retirement Pensions: British Nationals Abroad

Asked by Alex BrewerLiberal DemocratDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled Answered 17 March 2026UIN 120501

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing MPs with formal opportunity to scrutinise the annual changes to pension thresholds for eligible pensions that live overseas.

Answered by Torsten Bell

The Social Security Benefits up-rating Regulations 2026 are consequential on the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2026.

The regulations are subject to the negative procedure. They were laid on 6 March 2026 and will come into force on the same date as the Up-rating Order on 6 April 2026. This is a convention that has been in place for a number of years including under the Lib Dem coalition.

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