{"id":270818,"date":"2026-03-26T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=270818"},"modified":"2026-03-26T11:46:27","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T15:46:27","slug":"pensioners-to-receive-5-increase-as-government-expands-wage-relief","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/pensioners-to-receive-5-increase-as-government-expands-wage-relief\/","title":{"rendered":"Pensioners to Receive 5% Increase as Government Expands Wage Relief"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Pensioners in Antigua and Barbuda are set to receive a 5% increase in payments following a Cabinet decision to expand its wage relief measures amid ongoing cost-of-living pressures.<\/p>

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Director General for Communications Maurice Merchant said the move builds on last week\u2019s increase for public servants and extends support to additional groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe cabinet\u2026 approved a 5% increase in payments to pensioners this week,\u201d Merchant said, adding that the measure is part of efforts to \u201cprovide financial relief and improve the standard of living for all of its citizens.\u201d<\/p>

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He noted that the government has also widened the scope of the earlier salary adjustment to include categories of workers who were initially left out.<\/p>

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\u201cThe Cabinet not only agreed to expand that 5% to include those contract workers\u2026 persons on the government work scheme\u2026 but also the 5% increase to go to pensioners,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The expansion comes as the government seeks to cushion the effects of global economic pressures on households.<\/p>

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\u201cThe government remains committed to ensuring that it improves the welfare of its people through prudent economic management policies,\u201d Merchant said, describing the increases as part of \u201ca broader strategy\u2026 to strengthen social protection systems and promote inclusive growth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Officials have indicated that the measures were outlined in the 2026 budget and are supported by projected economic growth, as the administration continues to roll out targeted relief initiatives.<\/p>

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The latest decision adds pensioners to a growing list of beneficiaries under the government\u2019s wage and social support programme, as authorities respond to rising living costs across the country.<\/p>

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Pensioners in Antigua and Barbuda are set to receive a 5% increase in payments following a Cabinet decision to expand its wage relief measures amid ongoing cost-of-living pressures. Director General for Communications Maurice Merchant said the move builds on last week\u2019s increase for public servants and extends support to additional groups. \u201cThe cabinet\u2026 approved a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":202389,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-270818","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nPensioners to Receive 5% Increase as Government Expands Wage Relief - Antigua News Room<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/pensioners-to-receive-5-increase-as-government-expands-wage-relief\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Pensioners to Receive 5% Increase as Government Expands Wage Relief\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Pensioners in Antigua and Barbuda are set to receive a 5% increase in payments following a Cabinet decision to expand its wage relief measures amid ongoing cost-of-living pressures. 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