Osborne announced plans to help Greek based retirees
30/06/2015
Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, has set out plans to help thousands of retirees from the UK who currently live in Greece, and could be effected by the current crisis.
When speaking to parliament yesterday, Osborne claimed that there were 40,000 UK residents livening in Greece, and 6,000 of these were receiving payments from the Department for Work and Pensions.
The Greek government will be holding a referendum on Sunday on EU austerity demands, and all banks are closed at least until the result comes in. Also, Greek cash machines have all been limited to pay out only 60 euros per day per person.
The country now one day to pay back 1.6 billion euros it owes to the International Monetary Fund or it faces a default and the possibility of leaving the Eurozone.
Osborne said: “International payments into Greece are exempt from the restrictions that the Greek authorities have placed on the banking system.
“That means that UK government payments, including state pension and public service pension payments should be permitted and I can confirm that those payments will continue to be made in the usual way.
“However the situation remains fast moving and uncertain, we will keep it under review and I recognise that people may be concerned.
“I have asked the Department for Work and Pensions and public service pension administrators, to attempt to contact people that draw a British state or public sector pension from a Greek bank account.
“These people will be helped to switch these payments to a non-Greek bank account if they wish.”
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