- Minister Humphreys reassures people that their social welfare rights will continue
The Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys T.D., announced today that she has signed a Commencement Order which brings into effect a Convention on Social Security with the United Kingdom on 31st December, 2020. The main purpose of the Convention is to ensure that the social security rights and entitlements enjoyed by Irish and British citizens under the Common Travel Area (CTA) arrangements are maintained from 1 January 2021 onwards.
The Common Travel Area (CTA) is a long-standing arrangement between the UK and Ireland which means Irish citizens can move freely to live, work, and study in the UK on the same basis as British citizens, and vice versa. The CTA has been recognised throughout the EU-UK negotiations and is referenced in both the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland, and the new EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
The Minister also warmly welcomed the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement which she noted establishes a foundation for a strong future partnership and good engagement and co-operation between the EU and the UK in the period ahead.
On the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement the Minister commented:
“The Agreement supports the continued effective operation of the Common Travel Area, and the safeguarding of reciprocal rights in social protection which will be essential to underpinning our close and distinct relationships into the future.”
Ireland agreed with the UK authorities the objective of ensuring that the reciprocity of social welfare rights and entitlements, which currently exist for Irish and UK citizens moving within Ireland and between Ireland and Britain under the Common Travel Area, are safeguarded and maintained.
The Common Travel Area pre-dates Irish and UK membership of the EU. It is not dependent on EU membership. It is an arrangement that is valued by citizens on both islands.
Minister Humphreys stated:
“I am pleased to re-assure people that my Department has good news for citizens and that is, the social welfare arrangements that we already have in place will continue without any change.
“As of a result of commencing the Convention now, I can assure you that if you are an Irish citizen living in the UK, or a British citizen living in Ireland, your social welfare rights will not change after 1st January 2021.”
Under the terms of the Convention all existing arrangements with regard to recognition of, and access to, social insurance entitlements will be maintained in both jurisdictions. This means that the rights of Irish citizens living in Ireland to benefit from social insurance contributions made when working in the UK and to access social insurance payments if resident in the UK and vice versa are protected. Ireland will extend the advantages of the agreement to EU citizens applying for Irish payments, in keeping with our EU obligations.
Irish and UK citizens will continue to be entitled to access social assistance schemes, including pensions and child benefit payments in either jurisdiction, just as before.
The Minister continued:
“Because of the unique nature of the Common Travel Area and the specific rights which it provides and will continue to provide for Irish and British citizens in each other’s countries, it was agreed that we would formalise the pre-existing Common Travel Area arrangements in a documented agreement.
“The Ireland United Kingdom Convention on Social Security, which I have now commenced, will ensure all the necessary measures are in place to safeguard social welfare payments currently being made or that will be made into the future.”