ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – The Antigua and Barbuda government has approved a five per cent increase in payments to pensioners, as part of its initiative to provide financial relief and improve the standard of living for all citizens.
A statement issued following the weekly Cabinet meeting noted that this decision follows last week’s announcement of a 5% salary increase for public servants.
“In a further demonstration of its commitment to equity and inclusiveness, Cabinet has agreed to broaden the scope of this increase right across the public service to include individuals participating in the Government’s Work Experience Programme and contract workers,” the statement said.
It said that the Gaston Browne government has recognised that pensioners, many of whom rely on fixed incomes, are particularly vulnerable to rising living costs and that the “approved increase, effective the end of April, is intended to provide meaningful support and ensure that they are not left behind as the Government implements wider economic adjustments”.
The statement said the Cabinet has also received and approved a comprehensive update from the Treasury Department on the status of retroactive salary payments owed to public servants for the period 2018–2023.
It said that as of January 2026, a total of EC$28.716 million (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents) has been disbursed to eligible public servants, including EC$12.5 million to established employees, EC$9.8 million to non-established workers, while weekly-paid workers have received EC$3.7 million, pensioners EC$2.5 million, and separated employees, EC$43, 166.
“These payments reflect the government’s continued commitment to settling outstanding obligations in a structured and transparent manner,” the statement said, adding that the Treasury has implemented a payment framework based on employment status.
It said that established and non-established workers may receive up to two months’ gross salary or the actual balance owed, whichever is less, while weekly-paid workers may receive up to one month’s gross salary or the actual balance owed.
Retired or resigned employees within specified periods will receive payments aligned with similar caps, and eligible recipients include individuals employed by the government on or before December 31, 2023, as well as certain categories of separated employees and contract officers, where eligibility is explicitly stated.
The statement said that those excluded from the programme are parliamentarians and ministers, judges, participants in the work experience programme, and contract officers without the required eligibility.
But the Treasury has identified several challenges affecting the pace of disbursements, including data gaps for separated employees and pensioners, particularly missing banking information; high query volumes due to incorrect or incomplete submissions from departments; and the need to reconcile December 2025 and January 2026 disbursements.
But the statement said to improve efficiency and communication, the Treasury has established a dedicated help desk to process queries, and the government has set a target to complete all outstanding retroactive payments by the end of March 2026.
“Cabinet reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that all eligible public servants receive their due payments in a fair and timely manner,” the statement said.
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