Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with the Department for Exiting the European Union on the future of the state pensions top-up scheme for which European Economic Area citizens are currently eligible.

The State Pension top up scheme is open for applications until 5 April 2017. Once the contribution has been made, the individual’s State Pension payment is increased. UK State Pensions are payable worldwide but they are uprated abroad only where there is a legal requirement to do so. The reciprocal rights and entitlements that will apply following the UK’s exit from the EU are subject to the wider negotiations on our future relationship with the EU. We have not yet begun these negotiations, so it is not possible to set out any positions in advance.