Will my State Pension be frozen — if I move abroad?
It depends on the country. In the EEA, Switzerland, Gibraltar and a list of agreement countries, your State Pension keeps its yearly increases. Anywhere else, including Australia, Canada and New Zealand, it stays at the same weekly amount.
- ▸You can claim and be paid the UK State Pension anywhere abroad. Where you live only affects whether it goes up each year.
- ▸It keeps rising in the European Economic Area, Switzerland, Gibraltar and countries with a social security agreement that includes increases, such as the USA, Israel and the Philippines.
- ▸It does not rise anywhere else. That includes Canada and New Zealand, even though they have agreements with the UK, and countries such as Australia and South Africa.
- ▸On the full new State Pension, missing just the April 2027 rise costs £9.40 a week, about £488.80 a year.
Where your State Pension keeps going up
GOV.UK says your State Pension will only increase each year if you live in:
- the European Economic Area: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden;
- Switzerland and Gibraltar;
- a country with a social security agreement that includes increases: Barbados, Bermuda, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Gibraltar, Guernsey, the Isle of Man, Israel, Jamaica, Jersey, Kosovo, Mauritius, Montenegro, North Macedonia, the Philippines, Serbia, Turkey, USA.
The UK also has social security agreements with Canada and New Zealand, but GOV.UK says you cannot get a yearly increase if you live in either.
Where it is frozen
If you live anywhere outside those places, you will not get the yearly increases. Your weekly amount stays the same while the UK rate goes up each April under the triple lock. Popular destinations where this applies include Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa.
If you move back to the UK, GOV.UK says your pension goes up to the current rate.
What freezing costs: full new State Pension
This compares the full new State Pension frozen at the 2026/27 rate with the rate it would have reached in the UK.
| Tax year | In the UK (a week) | Frozen (a week) | Weekly gap | Yearly gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026/27 | £241.30 | £241.30 | £0.00 | £0.00 |
| 2027/28 (confirmed) | £250.70 | £241.30 | £9.40 | £488.80 |
| 2028/29 (at least, if the 2.5% minimum applies) | £256.97 | £241.30 | £15.67 | £814.84 |
| 2029/30 (at least, if the 2.5% minimum applies) | £263.39 | £241.30 | £22.09 | £1,148.68 |
The April 2027 rate of £250.70 was confirmed at the 28 October 2026 Budget. The later rows apply the triple lock's 2.5% minimum rise only, so the real rates could be higher: the State Pension rises by the highest of earnings growth, inflation or 2.5%. Even on that minimum, someone frozen at the 2026/27 rate would get about £2,452.32 less over the three years to 2029/30, and the gap keeps growing for as long as the pension stays frozen. Yearly figures use 52 weeks.
Before you move
- Check your own State Pension amount and forecast first with the State Pension forecast calculator or on GOV.UK.
- If you have already retired and are thinking of moving, GOV.UK suggests contacting the International Pension Centre for advice on how your pension might be affected.
- Workplace and private pensions follow their own scheme rules, not this State Pension rule. Tax on pensions abroad depends on the country and any double taxation agreement.
Frozen State Pension questions
Which countries freeze the UK State Pension?
Your State Pension only goes up each year if you live in the European Economic Area, Gibraltar, Switzerland, or a country with a social security agreement that includes increases. Everywhere else, it does not go up. That includes Canada and New Zealand, which have agreements with the UK but no yearly increases, and countries such as Australia and South Africa, which are not on GOV.UK's list.
Will my State Pension be frozen if I move to Spain or France?
No. Spain, France and every other EEA country are on GOV.UK's list of places where yearly increases are paid.
Can I still get my State Pension if I live abroad?
Yes. You can claim and be paid State Pension abroad if you have enough UK National Insurance contributions. It can be paid into a bank in your new country or a UK account. Living abroad only affects whether the yearly increases are added.
What happens if I come back to the UK?
GOV.UK says your pension will go up to the current rate if you return to live in the UK.
How much does a frozen State Pension cost?
For someone on the full new State Pension, being frozen at the 2026/27 rate means missing the April 2027 rise of £9.40 a week, about £488.80 a year. The gap grows with every later increase.
- ▸Your State Pension will only increase each year if you live in the EEA, Gibraltar, Switzerland or a country with a social security agreement with the UK, but you cannot get increases in Canada or New Zealand. [GOV.UK]
- ▸The agreement countries where increases are paid are Barbados, Bermuda, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Gibraltar, Guernsey, the Isle of Man, Israel, Jamaica, Jersey, Kosovo, Mauritius, Montenegro, North Macedonia, the Philippines, Serbia, Turkey and the USA. [GOV.UK]
- ▸Your pension will go up to the current rate if you return to live in the UK. [GOV.UK]
This is factual information, not financial or tax advice. Rules can change; check GOV.UK or the International Pension Centre before making plans to move.