Retired Brits living in Europe will get £200 annual Brexit boost to their pensions — even with No Deal
RETIRED Brits living in Europe will get a £200 annual Brexit boost to their pensions.
The promised raise quashes scare stories that 500,000 expats would lose out under a No Deal.
Today Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd guarantees to increase payments by using the triple lock. Her staff will text OAPs in countries including Spain, France, Portugal and Cyprus to reassure them their rights will be protected.
The move was signed off after being blocked by previous Chancellor Philip Hammond.
A senior Whitehall source said: “Philip sat on every decision he could, even if it meant hard-working pensioners lost out.” The current state pension is worth £168 a week.
A triple lock, guaranteed for the next three years, ensures it rises each year either by 2.5 per cent, the rate of inflation or average earnings.
This means that pensioners at home and abroad will get a rise of a minimum of £200 a year.
Ms Rudd was inspired by Love Island, where contestants often shouted: “I’ve got a text!” She told the Sun on Sunday: “Over the coming weeks pensioners living in the EU will receive a text message with a simple, important message.
“You will continue to receive your UK state pension when we leave on October 31.
“And they don’t need to do anything to make this happen — it will carry on automatically.”
Amber Rudd, Work and Pensions Secretary, says
ALL summer we’ve heard the shouts on the telly from our favourite Love Island contestants….. “I’ve got a text!”
So the Government has taken inspiration and is embarking on a texting spree of our own, albeit with a slightly more family friendly tone.
Over the coming weeks pensioners living in the European Union will receive a text message from my Department, the DWP, with a simple, important message: You will continue to receive your UK State Pension when we leave on October 31.
Nearly half a million people live in Europe, many in Spain and France, who receive a UK State Pension because they’ve worked hard, paid their National Insurance and helped make our country the success it is today.
And I want to give them peace of mind that we will automatically continue to pay the State Pension they’re entitled to into their bank account as normal when we leave the EU, with or without a deal and they don’t need to do anything to make this happen.
Not only that, but today I am announcing there will be another summer surprise for pensioners living in Europe and Sun on Sunday readers.
The Prime Minister and I have agreed that we will continue to increase the UK State Pension of people living in Europe for another three years, just like pensioners still living in the UK.
It means our nearly 500,000 pensioners abroad in the EU will be better off by a minimum of £200 a year.
This Government has promised to keep increasing state pensions by the triple lock. This ensures that state pensions go up by either 2.5 per cent, the rate of inflation or average earnings. And because earnings are increasing at such a good rate it means pensioners could be in line for an even bigger boost.
This move will make a real difference to people living in the EU, helping to reassure them they have a financially secure retirement.
I also know there’ll be older people reading this who maybe don’t have a mobile phone so won’t receive our text. If that’s the case you don’t need to worry because thanks to our enhanced preparedness we have set up a brand new dedicated call centre team of 200 people, based in Newcastle, ready to take your calls and answers any questions you have. We’ll also be writing letters to you and reaching out through our brilliant Embassy staff.
This Government wants to strike a new and wide ranging deal with the European Union and that remains our primary aim, but it’s absolutely right we prepare for all outcomes. Today is another step in the right direction.
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