Antigua and Barbuda Govt increases pensions to $1000 from Aug 1

The government of Antigua and Barbuda, during a recent cabinet meeting, decided to increase the minimum occupational pensions to all the former employees of the government. From August 1, 2024, the new pensions will now be $1000, $200 more than the previous one.

While announcing the development, the government said that the other categories of pensioners, with the exception of those receiving parliamentary pensions, will be benefitting from an increase in their pension payments of 7%.

The recent decision to raise the minimum occupational pensions for former employees to $1000 per month stands as a beacon of hope for several pensioners who have since long grappled with financial insecurity.

This increase also showcases the government’s dedication and commitment to benefitting all the citizens of Antigua and Barbuda.

The recent cabinet notes stated that tiered increases to higher-earning pensioners would be calculated and paid on a declining percentage.
While the announcement came back in May 2024, the government has announced the implementation date earlier this week which is from August 1 onwards.

The increase in pensions comes as the government wants to make sure that older citizens are able to afford at least the basic necessities of life.

Cabinet Spokesperson Lionel Hurst, initially made the announcement, saying that the current minimum is around $850 and added that this raise is necessary to prevent older citizens from slipping into poverty. 

In addition to this, Hurst also mentioned that clearing the outstanding backpay for public sector workers could be a slow process. He elaborated that because of the challenges posed by COVID 19 pandemic, the government temporarily halted payments to more than 50 landlords of government-occupied buildings.

He continued to explain that it is only fair that the administration make some payments to those landlords, and as a consequence, he cannot provide an exact timeline for when everyone in the public will be getting all the monies owed.