(Filed: 01/10/2003)

Expat Pensions

Fresh attack on Britain over expat pensions
A fresh attack on the British Government's refusal to index-link expatriates' pensions was made last week by the new Australian minister for family and community affairs.

Plight of pensioners in Zimbabwe exposed by Carson case
The plight of at least 5,000 Zimbabwe-based expatriates was highlighted last week by pensioners in Australia who have received appeals for financial help because of soaring inflation under the regime of Robert Mugabe.

Canada funds frozen pensions appeal
British pensioners living in Canada say that the pension regulations seem even more ridiculous in Canada, since it is next door to the United States.

Expats appalled at UK pensions fiasco
News of the failure of Mrs Annette Carson's appeal in the frozen pensions case, which we reported last week, prompted exasperated protests from Australia-based expatriates as well as the Australian government.

Australia attacks Britain over frozen pensions
The Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, has renewed his criticism of the British government following last week's Appeal Court ruling that expatriates' pensions can remain frozen in some countries, including Australia.

Pensions of 450,000 who live abroad stay frozen
The pensions of more than 450,000 Britons who live abroad will continue to be frozen after a Court of Appeal ruling this week

Why one should be frozen in South Africa defies sense
The Court of Appeal ruling on frozen pensions may be good law but it is poor justice and worse economics. Half the million Britons who have retired overseas will continue to enjoy pensions uprated in line with inflation, while the other half will have them frozen at whatever they got when they left.

Pension campaigner faces bankruptcy
A 61-year-old British woman living in South Africa faces bankruptcy and the loss of her home after the Government obtained an order to make her pay the costs of the test case it won in the High Court last week.

High Court begins appeal hearing over frozen overseas pensions
A High Court appeal began this week to decide the incomes of around 430,000 Britons whose pensions are frozen by the Government because they choose to live abroad.

Britons challenge 'unfair freeze on pension rises'
Around 430,000 Britons suffer a discriminatory freeze on their pensions depending on the country where they choose to retire, the High Court was told yesterday

Expat Survey

A new survey of expatriates is being conducted by the Centre for Future Studies into the changing trends in Britons moving abroad. The Foresight Study will investigate why people leave the country and how they feel about it later.

The Centre for Future Studies, an independent "think tank" based in the UK, is running a prize draw as part of the survey. The winner will receive a "£100 trolley" of British food delivered to their door.

Expat Voting

Expat voting rights
Since our feature in Issue 600 about developments in voting rights of expatriates, we have received numerous emails from readers saying they were not aware they had any such rights.

Breakthrough in expatriate voting
There have been major changes in how overseas voters will be made aware of the rules concerning elections, to the great advantage of expatriates, since my article in Issue 504 of The Weekly Telegraph.

'British politics is far from our minds'
We asked some of our overseas contributors about their position on elections in Britain.

We want to cast our votes, too
In view of recent legislation that will compromise the electoral rights of expats, Dick Pantlin gives a personal account of the ways in which Britons living abroad can have their say in elections and referendums

Expats: Britain's forgotten electorate
For just a few days in November last year the world's attention was focused on a group of people who, in political terms, are hardly ever considered - overseas voters.

Conflicting views from the Riviera
Among the large expatriate community on France's south coast, there is little sign of excitement about the forthcoming general election, writes Harry de Quetteville

Women fought for this right
Valerie Bostock, a long-term "expat wife" who has accompanied her husband Tim on his postings abroad for more than 20 years, says they always filled in the relevant forms to obtain proxy votes when they were in South America and India, writes Bill Gray.

Less than 2pc of expats in EU can vote
Only 11,500 expatriates out of the 650,000 who live in Europe - less than two per cent - will be able to vote in the next general election, according to new figures released by the Home Office.