Following a question from committee chairman Hilary Benn in which she sought to confirm the situation, ABI director general Huw Evans said it was a “perfectly plausible risk in the future if no agreement is reached in some countries of the EU” that “pensioners couldn’t be paid their pension”.
Evans offered some reassurance saying that expats’ financial advice in the event of a no-deal Brexit would depend on where they resided. ‘It’s important to note here to avoid panic that each country of the EU has slightly different arrangements around this.”
He advised that each country would have to address the issue separately to ensure that it was satisfactorily resolved.
The comments come in the wake of a difficult period for British Prime Minister Theresa May who has sought to defend her Chequers plan in the face of resignations from her cabinet, numerous reports of internal infighting and near constant press reports of setbacks and troubles.
So it’s worth remembering that although financial advice for expats worried about Brexit is a good idea in the current environment, there is certainly less cause for panic than many believe to be the case.
In her blog, Rosemary Sheppard suggested that there will be some simple solutions to any potential problems arising out of Brexit in relation to expat pension rights.
Blacktower Director and General manager in Gibraltar Robert Mancera comments, “At the end of the day, Hard Brexit or not, common sense will need to prevail. Most EU countries have DTTs (Double Tax Treaties) with the UK and I can’t see these falling away as a result of Brexit. Therefore pension income received into the EU from the UK, I anticipate, would be taxed as it is today.”
Expat financial advice from Blacktower
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This communication is for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute, and should not be construed as, investment advice, investment recommendations or investment research. You should seek advice from a professional adviser before embarking on any financial planning activity. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the information contained in this communication is correct, we are not responsible for any errors or omissions.
It appears there is good news on the horizon for up to 2 million pension savers. The UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is looking at evidence that some major providers applied exit charges to people’s pensions without informing them. In some cases, this amounted to nearly 40% of the value of the fund.
New research has indicated that the income of British expats has fallen by 11% since 2005, meaning that there is now extra imperative for Brits abroad to benefit from the advice of the providers of expat financial services.