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4- The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday June 4, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com British pensioners living in Canada still seeking fairness By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Calling all Brits. The Canadian Alliance of British Pensioners (CABP) will be holding its annual general meeting in Oakville on Saturday, June 7. The meeting will provide those receiving, or likely to receive, a British pension with information about the ongoing struggle British Canadians are facing when it comes to getting their due. "The issue with British pensions is that Britain has about a million pension- ers outside the country and while about half this number get regular increases half of them don't," said Peter Kennan, director of membership for CABP and Oakville resident. "The main body of those who don't are in Canada, Australia and South Africa." Kennan noted that these are not small numbers of people with around 153,000 Canadians currently collecting these frozen British pensions while others who have worked in Britain may be eligible for pensions, but do not know it. This 153,000 includes around 200 people in Oakville and another 200 in Burlington. Oakville resident Rosina Stoddart, who was a clerk in Glasgow, Scotland, has been dealing with the pension issue since the 1980s. "For me this has been a crusade," she said. "I did contribute to that pension plan. It was a long time in contributing to it before I came to Canada. So we're not getting something for nothing here. It's our money that's been laying with them for such a long time." The situation is particularly sad in the case of British war veterans who immigrated to Canada and must now struggle with fixed incomes because their pensions are frozen. To add insult to injury Canada is on a very short list "If you lived in Buffalo, New York last month you got a 3.9 per cent increase in your pension. If you lived in Niagara-on-the-Lake, you didn't." Peter Kennan, director of membership for Canadian Alliance of British Pensioners of places where British expatriots receive no pension hikes. "The people that do get regular increases live in the United States, they live in the European Union, they live in Israel, they live in Jamaica," said Kennan. "So, if you lived in Buffalo, Squeeze More Out of Life www.delmanor.com 1459 Nottinghill Gate west of Dorval off Upper Middle New York last month you got a 3.9 per cent increase in your pension. If you lived in Niagara-on-the-Lake, you didn't." Kennan said the reason for this seemingly random pension policy can be found in plain and simple politics. "When Britain joined the European Union they were told in no uncertain terms to pay up or else and the United States did something similar," said Kennan. "But, now the British government simply says `We're short of money.' Fair play doesn't come into it. It's not exactly what you might call cricket." The Canadian government has been working to help British pensioners in Canada through a number of means including the sending of observers and lawyers to the court case of a British pensioner in South Africa in 2002. In this case the pensioner claimed that by denying her pension increases the British government was depriving her of her rights. Kennan noted that the Canadian government has vested interest in seeing the British pensioners receive their increases. "If we got this pension increase the inflow of dollars into Canada would be $300 million a year extra," he said. "Also, we believe the Canadian government is paying out about $30 million a year to people on guaranteed income supplements, who could be getting a British pension." Hope for the CABP cause has also grown, with the British pensioner case reaching the European Court of Human Rights where it is scheduled to be heard later this year. Even if the pensioners win in Europe, however, there will still be challenges to face. "It will mean that the British government will eventually have to give in," said Kennan. "How much the British government stalls after the verdict is something else." The CABP annual general meeting will take place at 2 p.m. at the Sir John Colborne Recreation Centre, located at 1565 Old Lakeshore Rd. at Third Line (exit 113 off the QEW). For more information, call CABP at 416-253-6402. Vision ­ To be the most livable town in Canada Did you know... With the rising gas prices, Oakville Transit is the best ticket to get around town. Student Freedom Pass Give your parents a break on gas prices.....use the Student Freedom Pass and Oakville Transit this summer! The Student Freedom Pass is available for only $10 per month, for unlimited rides, all day long, during the months of July and August. What better way to get around town this summer!