Lynn’s McDiarmind’s father, John Hillman, was a Second World War veteran and former Royal Air Force radio operator who was awarded the prestigious Burma Star medal.
Despite his sacrifices for the country, his retirement was marred after moving to Canada, when his UK state pension was “frozen”.
His only daughter, Lynn, told i: “My dad was very disappointed that his pension was frozen at the time of leaving the UK and coming to Canada. He did some exploration into the situation when he first moved here, to be closer to my husband and I, but he had no positive results.
“He lived and worked in the UK for the whole of his working life and had earned the increases.”
Mr Hillman moved to Victoria, British Columbia at the age of 80 in 1999 with his wife, who died in 2021. When he emigrated, his UK state pension was “frozen” at the same rate for the rest of his life.
The centenarian died this month aged 105, still on a pension less than half the £169.50 per week he would have been receiving if he was living back in the UK.
The International Consortium of British Pensioners (ICBP) estimates there are around 450,000 expats, like Mr Hillman, affected by “frozen” pensions.
Britain has deals with some countries – including those in the EU – to ensure UK citizens living there on the state pension have their payouts uprated each year.
However, no such deals have been made in a number of Commonwealth countries such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.
Those relying on these “frozen” pensions are not covered by the triple lock, which ensures retirees in the UK have state pensions that rise every April by the highest of wages, the rate of inflation, or 2.5 per cent.
Born in South Wales in 1919, Mr Hillman was exposed to the hardship of war at the young age of 17. He joined the Royal Air Force in 1937, serving as a radio operator and helping to deliver supplies to allies during the Second World War. In recognition of his services, he was awarded with multiple medals.
But Edwina Melville-Gray, chair of the Canadian Alliance of British Pensioners (CABP), said his “enormous sacrifices for his country” were not reflected in his pension.
She said: “John truly proved that age is just a number and displayed an immeasurable passion for causes that felt close to him. His service in the Second World War and his contributions to wider society will always be remembered.
“Being a member of our organisation, John, like many other veterans who made the decision to retire in Canada, was not able to claim his full state pension due to the UK’s cruel and arbitrary ‘frozen pensions’ policy depriving hundreds of thousands of Britons from a fair retirement.
“Despite his enormous sacrifices for his country, his pension does not truly reflect the extent of his service. Even in his final years, John wanted to give back and help others, making him an inspiration to many.”
In the later stages in his life, Mr Hillman became a resident of Carlton House in Oak Bay, British Columbia – a residential home.
He was inspired by the determination of Captain Sir Tom Moore, who is remembered for his considerable fundraising efforts for the NHS, walking 100 laps in honour of reaching his 100th birthday.
In 2020, at the grand age of 101, Mr Hillman began his own fundraising efforts, from which he managed to raise over $460,000 (£258,000) for Save the Children over the next four years.
Mrs McDiarmid said he chose this charity because he empathised with the many children and families whose lives have dramatically changed due to the circumstances of war and conflict, understanding the impact that adversity has on young lives.
She added: “He walked 101 laps of the courtyard over approximately 10 days. He was supported by the owners and staff of his seniors’ residence, and it gave him a purpose, which he enjoyed.
“He became a local celebrity really and due to the level of success, he was determined to follow on the next year. By the age of 105, this year, his health began to fail, and he decided he could not continue.”
Another thing that Mr Hillman and Captain Moore had in common was they both shared the Burma Star which recognises their service in Britain’s Burma campaign throughout the war.
Now, just weeks after his death, Mrs McDiarmid said she is campaigning to fight for the UK Government to end the “frozen” pension scandal.
She continued: “I think it is very important to continue to fight for the pension increases that people like my dad were entitled to but weren’t getting.
“He only got about half of the £169.50 per week he was entitled to from his UK state pension, which was a struggle. This was topped up by a works pension, which was paid once a month, and an Old Age Security (OAS) pension payment from the Canadian government, but he should have been receiving the full amount from his UK pension that he was owed.
“Now, with the new UK Government, seems like a great time for those in the know to raise the issue again. I imagine the real issue is a financial one.”
A UK government spokesperson said: “Our priority is supporting pensioners and giving them the dignity and security they deserve in retirement.
“We understand that people move abroad for many reasons, and we provide clear information on gov.uk about how this can impact their finances.
“The Government’s policy on the uprating of the UK State Pension for recipients living overseas is a longstanding one of more than 70 years and we continue to uprate state pensions overseas where there is a legal requirement to do so.”