Britain’s Queen Elizabeth is set to announce a new law to address the problem of state pensions being paid to foreigners who have never lived in the country, the UK Telegraph reported.
The legislation will affect the growing number of “Thai brides” who marry British nationals they have met online.
While there is support for the new law, some quarters have also expressed concern because this could have serious repercussions for women who leave Britain and have children abroad.
The report revealed that British taxpayers pay the pensions of some 220,000 people living outside the UK. Of this number, half have never set foot in British soil.
Pensions can be as much as GBP3,500 a year and are paid out until death. This adds up to about GBP410 million a year. The rise in online romances and the growing number of Thai brides has contributed to a 17% increase in the number of British pensioners abroad receiving a married person’s pension between 2002 and 2012.
