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British Government in Contravention of New Commonwealth Charter

Mar 25 2013 12:00AM



TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwire) -- 03/25/13 -- In an open letter to the British Prime Minister, the International Consortium of British Pensioners charged the UK Government of being guilty of ignoring the new Commonwealth Charter on Equal Rights recently signed by Her Majesty the Queen.

Sheila Telford, the Chairman of the Canadian Alliance of British Pensioners explained that the Commonwealth Charter calls for an end to discrimination for any reason. "50% of all UK pensioners living abroad receive annual cost of living increases, the other 50% do not," she said. "The 50% that do not receive increases are primarily in Commonwealth countries (including Canada), and this flies in the face of the new Commonwealth Charter. Selectively refusing to index pensions is just a form of age discrimination, which is specifically prohibited by the Charter."

Telford points out that the refusal of the UK Government to index pensions for people living in Canada negatively impacts the Canadian economy by over $1/2 Billion annually.

A full copy of the letter can be read on our website

Canadian Alliance of British Pensioners
Sheila Telford
403 245 8541

Source: Marketwire

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