Government of Antigua and Barbuda Increases Pensions for Former Employees, Effective August 1  

Antigua and Barbuda: The government of Antigua and Barbuda has announced a substantial increase in the minimum occupational pensions for all retired employees. Starting this august the former government employees will seek a $200 hike in their monthly pension, which makes the new amount to $1000.

The decision was taken in a recent cabinet meeting. According to the new move, the government has announced that except all the parliamentary pensions, all pensioners will benefit from this initiative by getting a 7% hike in their recent pensions.

Cabinet Spokesperson, Lionel Hurst highlighted the necessity of this hike, further emphasizing that the current pension amount was insufficient for the elders to manage their expenses facing them to poverty.

During his speech, Hurst further acknowledged the outstanding back pay for public sector workers. He further emphasized that it could be a slow progress in resolving these payments, elaborating the financial challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He noted that the government temporarily halted payments to more than 50 landlords of government-occupied buildings since the COVID-19. He went on to clarify that it is only fair that the government make some payments to those landlords, and as a result, he is unable to provide a precise schedule for when everyone in the public would receive all of the money owed.

Although the decision to increase the pension was announced in May 2024, the final decision and the implementation date were confirmed earlier this week. The government has officially declared 1^st August 2024 as the new date to implement the decision.

This new initiative by the government depicts the administration’s commitment and dedication to providing their hardworking employees with basic necessities and ensuring they live effortlessly in their old age.

In addition, the government is taking specific measures to ensure the pension system stays consistent and timely further making sure that the elderly don’t face any difficulty.