A 92-year-old Scottish pensioner who lives in Halifax says it's a "disgrace" that United Kingdom state pensions don't receive annual increases in Canada and many other countries.

Depending on where a U.K. expatriate settles, the pension may be indexed, leading to increases in value each year to keep up with the rising cost of living.

Some of the countries where the pensions are indexed include most of Europe, the U.S., the Philippines and Barbados, according to a U.K. state pension website.

However, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, among others, are some of the prominent Commonwealth countries where the pensions don't see an annual bump.

People can begin collecting the pension at 65.

"How could the British people put up with this? It's a violation of contract," said Robert Rodger, 92, aretired Dalhousie University professor who has been collecting the pension since 1991.

144,000 U.K. pensioners in Canada affected

Every 28 days, Rodger gets about 117 pounds — around $200 Cdn — although the Canadian value fluctuates because of currency changes.

The frozen pension affects about 144,000 U.K. pensioners living in Canada, says the Canadian Alliance of British Pensioners, a group advocating for indexed pensions.

With his pension from Dalhousie, the money from the U.K. pension won't make or break Rodger. For him, the issue is fairness.

Rodger's U.K. pension stems from about 15 years serving in the Second World War, post-war military service and teaching, before he left Scotland to work in Australia. He came to Canada in 1968.

'It doesn't make sense'

Rodger's war service included being in charge of a German PoW camp