In a document published on 24 January 2020, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) confirmed that UK citizens working in the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland will continue to have access to benefits and pensions despite the UK leaving the EU.
The DWP promised that there will be no changes before 31 December 2020 to the rules on claiming benefits and state pensions in the EEA or Switzerland.
The UK law will allow workplace pensions to be paid overseas, and the government has stated that it does not expect this to change after the UK has left the EU.
This agreement will affect more than 363,000 UK citizens living and working in the EU.
In a statement, the DWP said: “If you are working in the EEA or Switzerland, you will be able to count future social security contributions towards meeting the qualifying conditions for your UK State Pension.
“You will continue to receive any UK benefits you already receive in the EEA or Switzerland for as long as you continue to live there and continue to meet all other eligibility requirements.”
Dr Thérèse Coffey, Work and Pensions Secretary, added: “Pensioners in Europe who have paid into the system for years deserve the peace of mind over their future finances. We are providing much-needed reassurance for hundreds of thousands of retirees.
“No matter the circumstances of Brexit, we’ve made sure that pensioners do not need to take any action to continue receiving their hard-earned state pension.”
